How Do I Transfer My Domain Name to Infosaic?
Transferring is optional - you can host with us and leave the domain where it is. If you do want to move it: unlock the domain at your current registrar, get the authorization key, send it to [email protected], and make sure the WHOIS contact address is one you can actually read. Transfers take 1-5 days from the moment you approve the verification email.
How-to guide / 2 min read
A man at a desk with a laptop and a neat row of labelled archive boxes on the shelf behind him
At a glance
- Applies to
- Infosaic web hosting - moving a domain registration to us
Before anything else: you do not have to transfer. If you simply want your website and email working here, pointing the domain at our name servers achieves that, and the domain carries on being registered wherever it is now. Pointing works within hours; a transfer takes days.
People transfer when they want one supplier and one renewal date instead of two. That is a good reason. It is just not a requirement.
What we need from you
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There is an option to transfer your domain when you sign up. Once you have, four things have to line up - and all four sit with your current registrar, not with us.
- Unlock the domainContact your current registrar and ask them to unlock it. Most registrars lock domains by default to prevent unauthorised transfers.
- Get the authorization keySometimes called an EPP code or auth code. Your current registrar issues it.
- Send the key to usat [email protected].
- Check the WHOIS contact addressA verification email goes to whatever address is on the WHOIS record, and the transfer cannot complete until somebody clicks the link in it. If that address is an old mailbox nobody opens, the transfer will simply stall.
Once you approve that verification email, the transfer completes in 1-5 days.
Do not update the WHOIS contact and start a transfer in the same week. Under an ICANN policy in force since 1 December 2016, changing the WHOIS contact details locks the domain against transfer for 60 days. If your WHOIS details are out of date and you want to move the domain, fix the details first and wait out the lock - or transfer first and correct them afterwards.
You do not have to wait for the transfer
A man opening a laptop at a bright kitchen table, ready to begin
This is the part worth knowing, because it saves the awkward gap where a site is paid for but not reachable.
You can point the domain at our name servers before the transfer completes. Do that and the domain works with your hosting in under 24 hours, while the registration quietly moves across in the background.
So the comfortable order is: sign up, upload your site, point the domain, then let the transfer run. Nothing is offline at any stage.
Why a transfer stalls
- The domain is still locked. The commonest cause by a distance.
- Nobody answered the verification email. Check the WHOIS address, and check its spam folder.
- The authorization key is wrong or expired. They can expire. Ask for a fresh one.
- The 60-day lock is in force after a recent WHOIS change, or after a previous transfer.
- There is money owed on the domain. A domain with an outstanding invoice cannot be transferred until it is settled.
Common questions
Do I have to transfer my domain to host with Infosaic?
No. Pointing the domain at our name servers is enough, and it works within hours rather than days. Transferring is optional.
How do I transfer a domain to Infosaic?
Unlock it at your current registrar, obtain the authorization key, send the key to [email protected], and make sure the WHOIS contact can receive the verification email.
How long does it take?
1 to 5 days from the point you approve the verification email.
What is an authorization key?
A code issued by your current registrar that proves you are entitled to move the domain. It is also called an EPP code or auth code.
Why does the WHOIS contact matter?
The verification email goes there. If nobody can read that mailbox, the transfer cannot complete.
What is the 60-day lock?
An ICANN policy in force since December 2016. Changing WHOIS contact details locks the domain against transfer for 60 days.
Can my website stay online during the transfer?
Yes. Point the domain at our name servers first and it works with your hosting in under 24 hours while the transfer proceeds.
Can I transfer a domain with an unpaid invoice?
No. Any outstanding amount on the domain has to be settled before it can move.
Still stuck?
Open a support request from your control panel - that is the fastest route, because it reaches the team who can already see your account and your desktop. You can also email [email protected].
