Transferring a domain to another registrar looks risky — you're afraid the site will go down during it or email will stop arriving. But with the right order of steps, nothing of the sort has to happen. The key is to separate transferring the domain registration from the DNS setup, where the site and email actually run.
What actually moves
It's important to distinguish two things. A domain transfer only changes who the domain is registered with and who you pay for it. Where the domain points — that is, to which site and mail — is determined by the DNS records. If you leave DNS unchanged, neither the site nor email is touched by transferring the registration.
This is the most common source of needless fear: people think a domain transfer automatically moves the site too. It doesn't. The site and mail run wherever the DNS points — and that stays until you change it yourself. You can quite happily transfer just the domain registration to a cheaper registrar and leave the site and mail running exactly where they are today.
Why transfer a domain at all
There are usually several reasons: a better renewal price, consolidating the domain and hosting under one provider, better support, or dissatisfaction with the current registrar. Whatever the reason, the transfer itself is routine — if you follow the order of steps below, it runs in the background and neither visitors nor customers notice a thing.
Preparation before the transfer
A few things are worth sorting out before you even start the transfer:
- Unlock the domain at the current registrar (the so-called registrar lock).
- Request the authorisation code (auth-info / EPP code) — it works as the password for the transfer.
- Verify the contact email on the domain; the transfer confirmation often goes there.
- Don't transfer right before expiry — leave a buffer of at least a few weeks.
With some extensions the transfer between registrars works slightly differently than for international domains like .com, but the principle with an authorisation code and confirmation stays the same.
Watch DNS and email
Before you start the transfer, note down all the current DNS records (A, MX, CNAME, TXT). If the new registrar moves the domain to its default DNS, you'll have to set these records up again — otherwise the site or mail would stop working. The safest is to set up identical DNS at the new registrar before the transfer completes, so the domain hands over smoothly after the move.
Lower the TTL in advance
If you're also changing where the domain points, lower the TTL on your DNS records to a few minutes the day before. The change then propagates faster after the switch, and the window during which some visitors still hit the old server will be minimal. This step is shared with migrating a site to another provider, where it plays an equally important role.
The process and completion
After entering the authorisation code at the new registrar, the transfer starts. For extensions like .com, approval can take a few days; others tend to be faster. The domain keeps working throughout. After completion, verify the site and email run, check the domain's validity (a transfer usually extends it by a year) and that the contact details are correct at the new registrar. If you're also changing hosting at the same time, factor the new prices into your yearly budget per How much does running a website cost per year.
Common mistakes you'll avoid
Most problems during a transfer arise not from complexity but from a small slip of attention. The most common is leaving the transfer to the last minute before expiry — when approval drags on, you risk the domain expiring in the meantime. The second classic is forgetting about mail: people watch the site but overlook the MX records, and suddenly email stops arriving. And third, it pays to have the domain registered to yourself, not to an agency or a former administrator — otherwise you'll be chasing the transfer awkwardly through a third party. Watch those three things and the transfer is a matter of a few clicks and some waiting.