This week, I moved the “trilug.org” domain from GoDaddy to NameCheap.  Our renewal time was coming up.  And at the same time, we were discussing a new policy of inclusiveness and a code of proper conduct for the group.  I had long felt that GoDaddy’s branding was “tacky”, and did not really align with the direction that TriLUG was heading.  Really… GoDaddy Girls?  It wouldn’t be appropriate to hold our meetings at Hooters, and we feel the same way about the GoDaddy Girls.

If you’ve never moved a domain from one registrar to another, it can be confusing.  There are several interlocking steps that have to be done in a certain order.  If you have a roadmap, it can take an hour or so.  If not, you can waste a day or more waiting for all of the steps to complete.

This is the recipe that I have followed for several transfers.

From GoDaddy to NameCheap

  • GoDaddy:unlock domain
  • GoDaddy: send EPP (authorization code) via email
  • NameCheap: initiate transfer
  • NameCheap: fill in EPP codes
  • NameCheap: use coupon code “SWITCH2NC”, save $1/domain
  • NameCheap: submit transfer order, pay
  • wait for email from NameCheap
  • receive email from transfer-domain.com (for NameCheap)
  • click on link, agree to the transfer
  • wait for email from GoDaddy
  • receive email from GaDaddy
  • GoDaddy: pending transfers, accept or decline
  • you’re done – wait for email confirmations
  • email from GoDaddy, domain is transferred
  • whois reports new registrar
  • email from NameCheap, welcome

At this point, it’s a good idea to double-check that your DNS settings transferred correctly.  Mine always have.

I hope that your transfer goes as smoothly as ours did.