Transferring a domain away from Squarespace

Move your domain to a new provider to stop managing your domain billing and settings from Squarespace.

Last updated February 7, 2025

If your Squarespace domain doesn't have an active domain lock, you can transfer it to another provider from your domains dashboard. After unlocking the domain and emailing the transfer authentication code to the domain’s contact, share the code to the new domain provider. This is how the new domain provider accepts the transfer. The new domain provider won’t accept the domain until they receive the authorization code. Once the new provider accepts the domain transfer, edits to the domain’s DNS records happen from the domain provider’s end and not from our end. 

This guide shows you how to get a transfer authentication code (also called an EPP code, transfer key, authorization code or auth code) so your domain provider will accept your domain transfer.

Tip

To transfer a domain to another Squarespace site, visit Moving a domain between sites.

Before you begin

Note these details as you prepare to transfer your domain to a new provider:

  • The transfer process can take up to 15 business days to complete.
  • Squarespace domains are registered through a few different registrars: Squarespace Domains LLC, Squarespace Domains II LLC, the Tucows family of registrars, and the Key-Systems family of registrars. Visit Who's my domain provider? to find your domain’s registrar.
  • If you're transferring a free domain, the free offer doesn't carry over to the new provider. They may charge you for continued domain service.
  • If you're transferring out a domain with a country code top-level domain ending like .de, .co.uk, .org.uk, or .uk, review the special transfer requirements and exceptions in the linked guides before beginning the process.
  • Transferring your Squarespace domain doesn't move your site hosting to your new provider or cancel your current Squarespace site. If you're leaving all Squarespace services, cancel your website subscription after transferring your domain.
  • If you added DNSSEC to your domain, remove it in the advanced settings panel before beginning the transfer. It's not possible to enable or disable DNSSEC during a pending domain transfer.

Transfer your domain away from Squarespace

To unlock your domain and transfer your domain away from Squarespace:

  1. Open the domains dashboard.
  2. Click the domain you want to transfer.
  3. Scroll down and switch the Domain Lock toggle off. If the domain lock toggle doesn't appear in your dashboard, continue to the next step.
Unlock domain.png
  1. Click Request transfer code, then click Ok. This sends an email with a unique authentication code to the contact details on the domain you're looking to transfer. The transfer authentication code should be received within 24 hours.

Tip

If you don’t know the domain contact's email address or want to change it, open the domain's Registration Information. This email address may be different than the one you use to log into Squarespace.

  1. Check your inbox for an email from customercare@squarespace.com with the subject line: “Auth code for [yourdomain.com]”. If you don't get this email within 24 hours, see the troubleshooting steps below.
  2. Copy the transfer authentication code from this email and send it to your new domain provider.

Note

The steps to provide the transfer code vary by provider. If you need help, contact them or visit their documentation. Here's domain transfer documentation from popular providers:

Confirm the transfer (Tucows domains only) (optional)

If your domain's registrar is Tucows, you may receive an email from your new provider (via a noreply@opensrs.email or an @registrarmail.net email address) confirming the transfer is in progress after completing the steps above. The email includes a link, which may look like it's only for canceling, that you can use to confirm the transfer.

After the domain transfers to your new provider, it will display in your domains dashboard as a third-party domain. To use the domain for a different site, you can disconnect it.

Tip

If your domain's registrar is Tucows, you can speed up the transfer process by clicking the link to confirm the transfer as soon as you see the email in your inbox. This causes your new provider to accept the transfer request and begin the transfer process immediately. If you don't click the link, the transfer process begins in five business days instead.

Cancel the transfer

When you complete the transfer steps, you have up to 5 days to reject the transfer via email. To cancel your transfer within this 5-day grace period:

  1. Check your inbox for an email from customercare@squarespace.com with the subject line: “New domain transfer request”.
  2. Open the email, and click Review request. Follow the prompts to cancel the domain transfer.

Note

If you take no action on this email, we will accept the transfer on our end after the 5 day grace period. This means the transfer process will begin after the 5 day grace period ends.

After you send the authentication code to your new provider, the transfer can't be canceled through Squarespace. You may be able to cancel the transfer through the confirmation email you receive after completing the steps in this guide. If you didn't receive this email, or don't see an option to cancel the transfer, contact your new domain provider for help.

Maintaining email service after the transfer

If you have Google Workspace attached to your domain, adjust your MX records with your new domain provider after transferring to prevent an interruption of your email service. You'll keep managing your Google Workspace subscription through Squarespace unless you cancel it.

Troubleshooting

If you’re seeing issues on your end after trying to transfer your domain away from Squarespace, there are a few specific troubleshooting steps to try:

Issue Where the issue appears Troubleshooting steps

I didn’t get the transfer authentication code in my inbox.

  • Your inbox.
  • If you don't receive the transfer authentication code within 24 hours, check your Spam or Junk folder.
  • If you don’t find the email there, check the domain’s email address in the Registration Information section, and update it if necessary. Click Request transfer code again to resend the email to the correct address.
  • If you don’t receive the email within 24 hours, open a ticket, and we'll be happy to help.
My new provider says the transfer code is invalid or expired.
  • Your third-party domain provider.
  • Clicking Send Transfer Authentication Code from the domain details page more than once may send multiple unique transfer codes.
  • If you have multiple transfer code emails in your inbox, ensure that you send the most recent code to your new domain provider. 
    • All other codes will be invalid.
I didn't get a verification request email from my new domain provider.
  • Your inbox.
  • Your new domain provider requires email verification to transfer your domain.
  • If you didn't get the email, ensure that the Owner contact email shown in your domain details page is correct.
  1. Open your domains dashboard.
  2. Click the domain name you're transferring.
  3. Click Edit in the Registration information section.
Ensure that the Owner contact email address is correct. If not, click Owner and update the Email address field.
My new provider is asking me to disable Whois privacy.
  • Your third-party domain provider.
  • You don't need to disable Whois privacy to transfer a domain, but some providers may still be using an older transfer flow that requires it.
  • If your new provider asks you to make your Whois information public, you can disable privacy in your domain's settings.
  • In some cases, this still won't make your domain registration email address visible. If your new provider doesn't offer a way to transfer in without disabling privacy, you may need to choose a different provider.
My Squarespace domain is expired.
  • The domains dashboard.
  • You can transfer an expired Squarespace domain, but your website may need to be active.
  • Check with your new domain provider before transferring, as some providers can't accept transfers from expired websites.
  • If your provider requires an active Squarespace domain, cancel the transfer, then reactivate your domain before restarting the transfer process.
I can't edit my domain's DNS settings.
  • The domain details page.
  • If you attempt to update anything in the domain's DNS Settings panel, you'll see an error message.
  • It's not possible to change your domain's DNS settings, domain nameservers, nameserver registration, or DNSSEC while it's being transferred. Wait for the domain to fully transfer to the new provider, then follow the new provider's instructions to edit DNS settings.

My new domain provider says the domain can't be transferred.

  • Your third-party domain provider.

There are a few reasons your new provider can't accept your domain. Review the following domain lock issues to see if any apply to your domain:

  • If you recently purchased the domain and your domain's registar is Tucows or KeySystems, your domain may have a 60 day registration domain lock applied to it.
  • If you recently changed the domain's owner contact information, you may have enabled the contact update lock.
  • If you recently transferred the domain to Squarespace and your domain's registrar is Tucows or KeySystems, your domain may have a 60 day transfer domain lock applied to it.

If any of the above apply, you can point the domain to your new site while you wait for the lock to end.

If none of the above apply to your domain, ensure that you've unlocked the domain within Squarespace. If the Domain Lock toggle is off, switch the toggle on, then back off.

If you're still having trouble, open a ticket, and we'll be happy to help.

My domain hasn't transferred to my new provider.

  • If you followed the steps in this guide and your domain still hasn't been transferred after seven business days, we recommend contacting your new domain provider for help.
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Transferring a domain away from Squarespace