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How The Heck Do I... |
| NOTE: This example uses GoDaddy as an example, since it is a big player in domain name transfers. There are many other domain name registration options available, who may do things slightly differently. | |
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NOTE: This tutorial assumes that you have already registered a domain name with someone else and you now wish to transfer it to GoDaddy, for whatever reason... Note that ICANN regulations prohibit transferring a domain name that has been registered or previously transferred within the last 60 days.
(You will notice that they tell you on the home page that you get a free extra year's registration with each transfer. Just click on "MORE")
Step 2.
You don't need to add 'www', because they've done that for you. If your domain is not a .com, then choose the appropriate ".net" or ".info" or whatever from the drop down box. Click on "GO". Step 3.
I'm going to type in a domain name that I recently transferred to GoDaddy here, to show the process... www.margmcalister.com (I didn't transfer the hosting... just the name.) If your domain name IS available for transfer, then you will see the message "Available For Transfer" and you can proceed. If for some reason it is not available, you will be told... and you can click on a link to tell you why. For now, we will assume that everything's OK and you can proceed.
Step 4. A somewhat annoying feature of GoDaddy (if you know what you want and you just want to proceed with the transfer) is that they will constantly try an upsell. (Oh well, can't blame them for trying. We all want to do the same...) If other similar domains (with different extensions) are available, GoDaddy will ask you if you want to register these too. In this case, they're asking if I want margmcalister.info and margmcalister.net. I don't, so I click on "No Thanks. Proceed to Cart." (If I clicked "yes" they would have been added to the cart.)
More options from GoDaddy. Step by step, here's what they will offer you: ONE: You can choose a public or private registration. If you don't want people to know who owns your website, you can choose 'private' for an extra amount per year. If you don't care who knows who owns the website, leave it at the default, which is public registration. Obviously I don't care who knows that I own the website with my name on it, so I leave it at public. TWO: When you transfer a domain name to GoDaddy you get a free 1-year extension. You can add more years if you wish. You can also add an email account. Just skip these if you want neither. THREE: The next option refers to Nameservers. If you want to keep hosting your website where it is, then you keep the default - stay with the existing nameservers. If you want to park your domain at GoDaddy, then check the second radio button. FOUR: Choose whether you want GoDaddy to renew your domain automatically or whether you want to renew it manually. (The default is 'automatic'. This means that they will debit your credit card or PayPal account when renewal is due.) If you would prefer to renew it yourself, check the 'Renew Manually" radio button. (GoDaddy will send you a reminder email in plenty of time, to the email address on file.) FIVE: If you want to wade through a whole bunch more stuff, then leave the radio button checked 'as is', on 'SHOW ME DEALS' - they'll show you everything but the kitchen sink. (You may want some of it, like web hosting and email accounts.) If you just want to transfer the domain name, choose 'Quick Checkout' and click on 'CONTINUE.'
Hmmm... even though I checked 'Quick Checkout', I got all the offers... these include hosting etc etc.. If you strike a page like this and you don't want anything but hosting, just scroll down and look for the orange CONTINUE button, and click that... DOWN... DOWN.... :-) Step 7: If you see any more deals (this one is about traffic) and you don't need that at the moment, just scroll down and look for the "Proceed to Cart" button. Click it and move on...
Step 8:
Yee-hah! We're at the checkout. Check your shopping cart to make sure that you've got only what you want to pay for (you can delete anything you don't want from the shopping cart). Choose your payment method - either credit card, check or PayPal - and click "Checkout Now". That's it. Now you just wait for an email from GoDaddy, letting you know that the transfer is in progress, and what you need to do next.
CLICK HERE IF YOU WANT TO SEE SOME BACK TO TOP BACK TO MAIN CONTENTS PAGE (HOME PAGE)
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OR....
Just
enter the domain name you wish to transfer in the box on the page. 
