Transferring a domain to a new hosting is a necessary step for several reasons: when you want to move your website from one hosting provider to another in search of a better performing hosting, a cheaper service, or more storage space.
For some, however, this procedure can become complex and require some technical knowledge, as well as limiting the change within specific timeframes: a domain can be transferred when at least 60 days have elapsed since its registration or previous transfer and not less than 15 days remain until its expiration.
In addition, there are also possible risks to consider, such as loss of data or temporary suspension of the website.
That is why it is a case of knowing all the details of transferring a domain to a new hosting, which we look at in this article.
What is a domain transfer
Transferring a domain to a new hosting means moving ownership of the domain name from one registrar to another. The domain name is the unique address that identifies the website on the Internet, such as www.miosito.com. If you have any doubts about domains read our guide on 1st, 2nd, and 3rd level domains.
Generally, when you purchase a domain name, a hosting service is also purchased from the provider (but not necessarily). So if you change the hosting provider, you must transfer the domain to the new provider in order to use its hosting service.
Although hosting and domain are two services that go hand in hand, that is, we purchase them together, there may also be a case where we rely on two different providers, one for hosting, the other for the domain.
If you prefer this solution, you can register the domain at any accredited ICANN registrar, preferred provided that you link the domain to the site by configuring the DNS.
In fact, transferring a domain involves some operations such as precisely changing the DNS (Domain Name System) records to indicate the new hosting provider as the destination of web traffic.
The transfer may take a few days to complete and may carry some risks such as loss of data or temporary suspension of the website, so it is important to ensure that you follow the correct procedures and perform a backup of the data from the website before proceeding with the transfer.
How the Transfer of a Domain to New Hosting Happens
Transferring the domain to a new hosting follows some necessary procedures, among them:
- verification of domain unlocking at the current registrar: the domain must be unlocked in order to be transferred
- activation of the application at a new provider, even without hosting
- if with hosting, purchase of the service from the new provider before transferring the domain (and make sure the new provider offers support for domain transfer)
- retrieval of the authorization code or auth code, a security code that must be provided by the current registrar to authorize the domain transfer
- communication of the auth code to the new provider
- backup of website data and db of the current hosting
- beginnig of the transfer: from the control panel of the new hosting provider start the transfer process by entering the authorization code (the transfer process may take a few days to complete)
- verification of DNS records: after the transfer is completed, check the DNS records to make sure they point to the new hosting provider
- check that the website is working properly: once the transfer is complete, check that the website is working properly, otherwise you need to re-upload the website files to the new server.
Note:After entering the authorization code, the new provider will be authorized to transfer the domain. To confirm the procedure and disengage from the previous provider, you will have to click on an approval link sent via an e-mail.
Modification of DNS records and propagation
The optimal and most sensible solution, to take also advantage of the extra services offered by the provider, is to transfer site and domain to the same provider.
But in the case where you are transferring only the domain, and not the website these two will be, of course, hosted at two different providers, so you will need to configure the DNS to allow the domain to point to the hosting that hosts the website. The DNS of the hosting should be entered in the domain management panel, in the provider user area.
Below are the steps to change DNS records and propagation:.
- Access the control panel of the current domain registrar and look for the section dedicated to managing DNS records
- Identify the DNS record to be changed, such as the “A” record indicating the IP address of the web server
- edit the DNS record by entering the new value and save the changes made to the DNS records
- wait for propagation: after making changes to DNS records, you need to wait for propagation of the changes, which is the time it takes for the new DNS records to be distributed to all DNS servers, which can range from a few hours to several days.
The procedure for changing DNS records may vary depending on the domain registrar and web server configuration.
Regarding our domain transfer’s service, Artera is a Certified Registrar for second-level domain name registration. Thus, we are not intermediaries, but entities that work directly with registries.
We do domain registration with DNS and redirect management, withfree migration and optimization.
Who handles the transfer of a domain to a new hosting?
Domain transfer is something that must be handled by the domain owner together with the current domain registrar and the new hosting provider.
The current domain registrar must provide the authorization code for the transfer, and the new hosting provider must provide instructions for completing the transfer and properly configuring DNS records.
It’s the domain owner’s responsibility to follow the proper procedures for domain transfer, including unlocking the domain, obtaining the authorization code, and initiating the transfer from the control panel of the new hosting provider.
It is also important to make sure to make a full backup of the website data before proceeding with the transfer, to avoid the loss of data that may result.
Note that during the propagation period the website may not be reachable.
To minimize the effects of propagation, it is recommended to alert website users of possible service interruptions and schedule DNS record changes at a time when website traffic is low.
Contact us now, if you want to transfer a Domain to a New Hosting without risk. Migration and optimization are free of charge!.
