How Long Does A Domain Transfer Take? A Quick Guide To Everything You Need to Know

Did you initiate a domain transfer, have been waiting for days, and aren’t really sure what’s happening? The domain transfer process may seem complicated, but in all honesty, it’s not.

In this quick guide, I’ll cover every question that you might have about the duration of domain transfers. I’ll share how long they typically take, the role of domain registrars in the process, and whether the transfer affects your website content and email address.

While you’re here and need help transferring your domain name to a new hosting provider, check out our guide on transferring a domain name from GoDaddy to NameHero.

Let’s dive in!

It’s Been Days, Why Has My Domain Not Been Transferred?

If you just switched domain registrars, it is natural to feel anxious, waiting for the transfer process to complete. The reality is that domain transfers can take a few minutes to a few weeks, depending on many factors.

Firstly, if your domain transfer is taking longer than you expected, don’t panic. Depending on the domain registrar, the process can take up to 7 days to complete. Sometimes, it can take even longer.

One main reason transfers take so long is due to security measures implemented to prevent fraudulent transfers.

For example, If your domain is locked, you must unlock it before initiating the transfer process.

You must also ensure that your email ID matches the WHOIS database. Many users don’t realize that their default email ID is sometimes ‘[email protected]’, while they’ll keep searching for the transfer email on their ID, say ‘[email protected].

The Role Of Domain Registrars In Transfers

When it comes to domain transfers, both your current and new registrar play a pretty important role in the process. The new registrar (say NameHero.com) initiates the transfer and sends a notification to the old registrar (let’s assume it’s GoDaddy.com), requesting that they release the domain.

The old registrar has up to five days to respond and approve or deny the transfer request. If they approve it, the domain is transferred to the new registrar. The transfer will be automatically approved if they don’t respond within five days.

Can You Speed Up A Domain Transfer?

If you’re in a hurry to get your domain transferred and can’t wait up to seven days, there might be a few things that you can do to speed up the process. First, make sure the registered email ID is up-to-date and valid. If the old registrar can’t contact you, they may reject the transfer request automatically based on your lack of response.

You can also ask your old registrar if they offer an expedited transfer service, which may cost extra but will speed up the process. But not many registrars offer such a service to begin with.

But in most cases, it’s a patience game. Wait seven business days, and typically, your domain will get transferred quite easily. Unless there’s a conflict or technical error from either side, you cannot do much if it gets stuck in such a situation.

How Long Does A Domain Transfer Take?

Typically, the domain transfer process takes anywhere from 24 hours to 7 business days.

Here are the typical steps involved in transferring a domain name:

#1. First, Get Your Pre-Transfer Checklist.

GoDaddy begins the process by sharing a pre-transfer checklist with every domain owner. Check out the screenshot below to see what it looks like.

Note: Check out this guide on delegating access to your GoDaddy account if you need to give someone from your team access to initiate the transfer on your behalf.

#2. Next, Obtain An EPP Code From Your Old Registrar

Make sure you have the EPP code from your old registrar. The EPP code is a unique code assigned to your domain that you must provide to your new registrar to initiate the transfer process.

In this case, I’ll go to my GoDaddy account, select my domain, then click “transfer to another registrar. GoDaddy will share the EPP code to my registered email ID.

#3. Then, Begin The Transfer With Your New Domain Registrar

At NameHero, you need to fill out a simple domain transfer form. Here’s a screenshot of what the popup form asking for the authorization code looks like:

While checking out to buy this service, you’ll be asked to enter the domain name that you want to transfer and the EPP code that GoDaddy provided.

Once you’ve completed the checkout process, NameHero will send a transfer request email to your domain’s administrative contact email address.

Note: It’s important that you don’t miss this confirmation email; this typically delays the domain transfer process for most people. Remember, check your spam folder for this email, too.

#4. Finally, Wait For The Old Registrar To Confirm Or Deny The Transfer Request

You’ll first receive an email from GoDaddy asking you to approve the transfer. At the same time, You should get an email from NameHero that they’ve begun the transfer process. In most cases, if all the conditions of the pre-transfer checklist are met, the transfer request gets approved right away.

Note: If your request is denied for any reason, you should raise a ticket with GoDaddy right away and ask their support team to share reasons why the transfer failed.

Does Transferring A Domain Name Affect My Custom Email Address?

If you use a custom email address, transferring the domain name will NOT affect your email address at all.

However, you must update the MX records on the new registrar’s side to ensure the email continues working correctly.

What’s The Average Domain Name Transfer Time When Moving To A New Registrar?

As mentioned earlier, the average domain transfer time is 24 to 7 business days. Transferring your domain will depend on your old registrar’s response time, how long your DNS changes propagate, and how quickly your new registrar updates the DNS records.

Choose Namehero For Your Domain Transfers

Switching from GoDaddy to NameHero for your domain will improve website performance. Not to mention, it is cheaper and trusted by businesses worldwide!

I hope this guide will help you understand how long a domain transfer takes from GoDaddy to NameHero or any other hosting provider you want.

If you still face any issues during the transfer process, GoDaddy and NameHero offer excellent customer support that you can contact anytime.

Click here to learn more about our domain services.