In this article, I'll share the steps involved in transferring your website domain to Mallard Bay!
Steps to getting your domain transferred to Mallard Bay
To get started, you'll need to know where your domain is currently hosted and located. Many people have their domains hosted under accounts at places like GoDaddy or Wix. Once you know where your domain is currently hosted, then there are a few steps you can take to start the process. We will need the name of the domain, the domain will need to be unlocked, and we will need to be provided with the domain transfer code or authorization code. We will go through the steps necessary to ensure the process is done correctly.
To unlock your domain and get the transfer/authorization code:
Step 1: Login to your account where your domain is hosted
Step 2: Navigate to your domain
Step 3: Locate your domain settings
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There should be an icon where you can click or hover that will allow you to access your domain settings
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The process is slightly different depending on where your domain is hosted, but the overall steps are similar.
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Step 4: Under domain settings you will select the option that says “Transfer domain away from…”
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The phrasing here is slightly different depending on where your domain is hosted.
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For example: GoDaddy and Wix are similar as they will say “Transfer domain away from GoDaddy” or “Transfer domain away from Wix”
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Other hosting companies, such as Shopify, will say something like “Transfer to another provider”
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The idea of the phrase is the same, the wording just might be different
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Step 5: Unlock your domain *This step is important. You will not have access to the transfer code, and we will not be able to proceed with the transfer if your domain is locked.
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This step will look different depending on your hosting provider, but you will either be asked to unlock your domain after clicking “Transfer domain away from…” or
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Once you click “Transfer domain away from…” it will bring you to another screen that will give you the option to unlock your domain, or
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There will be a popup that will ask you to confirm that you want to proceed with the transfer. Confirming the transfer, or agreeing to unlock the domain will unlock the domain
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Unlock your domain or disable protection plan (Again, the phrasing here will be different depending on your hosting provider)
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There will be a lock icon or a section that has a toggle button for on or off where you can toggle off the lock on the domain or disable the domain protection plan
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Step 6: Obtain the domain transfer code or authorization code *Some hosting providers will go to this step after clicking the “Transfer domain away from…” because it will ask you to confirm the transfer which will unlock the domain.
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Once the domain is unlocked and you have confirmed that you want to proceed with the transfer, you will be provided with a transfer code either,
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Code provided directly on the screen, or
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You will receive an email with the transfer code
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The code will either be called a transfer code or authorization code. The wording can be different, but it will be a long code with numbers, letters, and special characters.
Step 7: Send the domain transfer code so that we can initiate the transfer
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Once you have the domain transfer code, please forward the email with the transfer code to caleb@mallardbay.com
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It is important to forward the email so that we can copy and paste the code directly into our system to start the transfer.
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If the transfer code is incorrect, it can delay the domain transfer for up to 14 days. So, it is best to directly forward the email with the transfer code so that there will not be any mistakes in the code.
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Step 8: Sit back and relax while you wait for the transfer to complete
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The transfer process generally takes 3-7 business days to complete.
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Depending on your hosting provider, you might receive an email to confirm the transfer, which will speed up the process, but it is not always sent out.
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We will keep you updated on the status of your domain transfer, and let you know once it is complete.
How to Transfer Your Domain if You Have a Company That Hosts and Manages the Domain:
If you currently have a company that hosts and manages your domain, we can still proceed with the transfer, but the steps will look a little different. You will be responsible for reaching out to the company and obtaining the necessary transfer information so that we can proceed with the transfer. Once we have the necessary information to initiate the domain transfer, we are good to go.
Step 1: Reach out to the company that hosts your domain and please inform them that you would like to transfer the domain.
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Inform them that you will need the domain unlocked, and you will need to be provided with the domain transfer code or authorization code.
Step 2: Send the domain transfer code so that we can initiate the transfer
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Once you have the domain transfer code, please forward the email with the transfer code to caleb@mallardbay.com
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It is important to forward the email so that we can copy and paste the code directly into our system to start the transfer.
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If the transfer code is incorrect, it can delay the domain transfer for up to 14 days. So, it is best to directly forward the email with the transfer code so that there will not be any mistakes in the code.
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Step 3: Sit back and relax while you wait for the transfer to complete
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The transfer process generally takes 3-7 business days to complete.
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Depending on your hosting provider, you might receive an email to confirm the transfer, which will speed up the process, but it is not always sent out.
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We will keep you updated on the status of your domain transfer, and let you know once it is complete.
How to Transfer Your Domain if You Are Unsure About Where Your Domain is Hosted and Don’t Know How To Manage The Domain:
If you are not able to complete the steps of transferring your domain or aren’t sure where your domain is hosted or how to manage it, we are here to help! We are more than happy to log into your account where your domain is hosted and complete the steps necessary to transfer your domain. The steps outline below will assist you in ensuring that we are provided with the correct information so that we can initiate the domain transfer for you.
Step 1: Provide us with the name of your domain so we can help identify where your domain is hosted
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There are a few places online if you Google “where is my domain hosted?”, “how old is my domain?”, or “how to figure out where my domain is?” where your domain name can be used and it will pull up the information on when it was purchased and where it is hosted. We can complete this step with you if you aren’t sure.
Step 2: Provide us with the login information for your domain hosting account
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Once you know where your domain is hosted, we will need your username and password to be able to log into your account and complete the steps to transfer your domain for you.
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If you are unsure about your login information, it will be your responsibility to determine what email address your account was set up under so that you can reset your password.
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If you know your email address but not your password, you can attempt to login by putting in your email address and then just click the “Forgot Password” or “Reset Password” prompt.
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Step 3: Once you know your username and password, provide us with the username and password.
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If you have a 2-factor authentication method enabled, you will either be texted or emailed a code when we attempt to login to your account.
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Please be ready to provide us with the code once you send your login credentials.
Step 4: Send the domain transfer code so that we can initiate the transfer
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Once you have the domain transfer code, please forward the email with the transfer code to caleb@mallardbay.com
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It is important to forward the email so that we can copy and paste the code directly into our system to start the transfer.
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If the transfer code is incorrect, it can delay the domain transfer for up to 14 days. So, it is best to directly forward the email with the transfer code so that there will not be any mistakes in the code.
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Step 5: Sit back and relax while you wait for the transfer to complete
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The transfer process generally takes 3-7 business days to complete.
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Depending on your hosting provider, you might receive an email to confirm the transfer, which will speed up the process, but it is not always sent out.
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We will keep you updated on the status of your domain transfer, and let you know once it is complete.
If you have any questions please feel free to message your account manager or call/text us at (225) 577-5397.
Tips for transferring your domain:
If you are transferring your domain yourself from your own managed account, there are several helpful articles online that will walk you through steps with pictures on how to transfer your domain. This article will provide you with the general steps and information, but if you would like more detailed information on how to do it with your personal hosting provider, they can easily be found on Google.
Here are some articles that will further explain the detailed steps for different popular domain hosting provider sites:
Wix:
GoDaddy:
Bluehost:
Shopify:
Dreamhost:
If you have been working with a company that hosts and manages your domain and/or your website, sometimes it can be a tricky situation because that company will know you won’t be using their services anymore. Since hosting and editing fees are included in your GuideTech package, we don’t want you to have to continue to pay someone else or another company to host your domain, or manage your domain or website. Many times when you reach out to the company about transferring your domain, they will try to sway you away from doing so by saying it shouldn’t be done or it isn’t good to transfer the domain. The main reason they say this is because they know once it’s transferred, you won’t have to be paying them anymore. They are also always skeptical because they don’t want another company to take over or be in charge of a domain that they have been managing. However, since it’s included in your GuideTech package, there’s no need to be paying 2 different companies for the same service. Your domain is always safe being hosted on our servers, and if for any reason you decide to part ways with Mallard Bay in the future, you will always retain ownership of your domain. This is more so just helpful information for you to know, so that you aren’t thrown off guard when your hosting company tries to deter you from transferring your domain.
If you aren’t sure where your domain is hosted and/or you’d like assistance with transferring your domain, we are more than happy to help! Here’s a website you can use that will provide you with information on when your domain was purchased, and where it is hosted if you aren’t sure. We’ve used it in the past and it has been helpful with locating domains for our clients. There are several buttons underneath the search bar that will allow you to select to view different information about your domain.
What’s My DNS:
Once you are able to figure out where it is hosted, you can go to their login screen and try to figure out what your login credentials are. If you aren’t sure at all, a good way to check to see which email you used is to put that email address in and try to log in. If you don’t have an account with that email address, it will tell you that. However, if you do then it will say the login credentials are wrong. Once you know which email address you used for the account, you can go through the forgot password steps to get it resolved.