How to Transfer A Domain Name to Godaddy

A domain name transfer is called a "push." It is up to the current owner of the domain name to push the desired domain name into your account. They can do this through the "Domain transfers" or "Transfers" section of their domain service's administrative panel. They will typically need your WHOIS information in order to do this (the domain name registrar will let them know which information they'll need from you, the person receiving the domain name. It usually includes full name, organization name, email, mailing/administrative street address, country and phone number).

The current owner will also need to have an "Authorization Code" created for the domain name transfer, which sometimes cannot be done through any other method than by calling the domain registrar and obtaining it on the phone. Other registrars maintain an auto-email service that will send a code to them. Different domain name registrars have different processes: be sure to follow their directions as they can be very different from each other! These directions can typically be found in any "help" section when looking up "transfer a domain."

Once they have inputted this information and initiated the domain push, you will immediately get an automatic email from their domain name provider.

Log in to your GoDaddy account. From the "Domains" menu on the home page, click the "Transfer Domains to GoDaddy" link. Next, you'll have to type in the domain name you're expecting to receive, and pay for the transfer.

Next, you'll have to type in the domain name you're going to get from the other registrar. You'll then have to pay for the transfer of the domain soon after this step is complete (it costs around $7.15). Immediately after your payment is made and a receipt is emailed to you, you'll get the first transfer acknowledgment email from GoDaddy. It will include your Transaction ID # and Security Code # - be sure to keep this email. If you lose these numbers, the next step I've included will tell you how to re-send them to your email account.

In the same "Pending Transfers" area that you were in as seen above, you can now check off the same box next to the domain being transferred to your GoDaddy account, and click the black button on the upper right that says "Authorization" and choose "Begin Transfer Authorization" from the drop-down. This will shadow the entire page and show a dialog box where you can type in your Transaction ID # and Security ID # (you can get these from the e-mail that was generated in the last step).

GoDaddy will then ask: "Specify whether you want to authorize or reject transferring the listed domains to your account" - click "Authorize," and then "Next."

Finally, GoDaddy prompts you to "Enter the domain authorization code(s) for each domain, as provided by the domain's current registrar." You'll need to contact the current owner of the domain from the other domain service, and ask them for this code (it's usually located on the information page of the domain name itself...otherwise, check the "domain transfers" section of that registrar). When successful, it concludes with: "Your changes have been submitted. Please allow a few minutes for the changes to take effect."

If you've lost your two authorization codes, you can always get them re-sent to you. To do so, log into your account and go to the "My Products" section of the left-hand bar, and drop it down. Then choose "Domain Manager." This is the dashboard where all of your domains are listed. Here, you can hover over the "Domains" menu item on the top left and choose "Pending Transfers."

The domain you've gotten initiated as a transfer the other registrar should be listed here. Click the checkbox next to that domain name, and then click the "Reinitiate" button. That will take care of step one.

An auto-email should be received to your email account from GoDaddy, announcing the next step.

Finally, the original owner of the domain name must confirm and accept the very final step in releasing the domain name. Once this is done, the domain will officially be transferred. Allow some time to pass for the domain transfer to be resolved. Then, check the GoDaddy account's "Pending Transfers" section once again to see if it has been completed.