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Transferring a GoDaddy domain to Squarespace

If you have a domain with GoDaddy, you can transfer it to Squarespace by following this guide. When you transfer your domain, you can manage all of your domain settings and billing from your Squarespace account.

Before you begin

• You can transfer the domain to a trial or paid site.
• If you don’t have a Squarespace site yet, start with a domain transfer.
• If your GoDaddy domain is already connected to a Squarespace site, you can still transfer it to Squarespace without interrupting your domain service.
• To ensure a smooth transition, we recommend that the person listed as the domain administrator handle the transfer. If you’re the domain administrator, ensure that the administrator email address listed for your domain is accurate and accessible. You’ll use this email address to approve the transfer.
• Changing your domain contact information can lock the domain for 60 days and block the transfer. Before changing any contact information, ask your provider if this will lock your domain.
• You can't transfer a domain that has the word "squarespace" or "sqsp" in it.
• To move a Squarespace Domain to a different Squarespace site, see Moving a domain betweens sites.
• For common questions and answers about transferring a domain, visit Domain transfers FAQ.

Timing

Domain transfer speed depends on how quickly GoDaddy can process your request. Some domains transfer within one day, while others can take closer to 15 days to complete. By keeping the recommended transfer settings intact, you shouldn’t experience any domain downtime.

Pricing and billing

Here's how much it costs to transfer a domain to Squarespace and how registration works:

• Pricing is based on the TLD, from $20 to $70.
• To complete the transfer, you'll pay for one year of domain registration.
• There's no extra fee for the transfer itself.
• You'll keep the time remaining on your registration on top of the extra year you'll register through us.
• If you're eligible, the additional year of registration could be free.
• Your domain will renew at the same price at the end of its registration term.
• Your domain includes free Whois Privacy and SSL.

For more details, see our FAQ.

Transfer requirements

Before getting started, ensure your domain is eligible for transfer. If you’re not sure if your domain meets these rules, check with your current registrar.

• The domain’s TLD must be on our supported TLD list. 
• We don’t support registry premium domains.
• Sixty days must have elapsed since you registered or transferred the domain with GoDaddy.
• Your domain must be active with GoDaddy. If your domain is past due, but not completely expired, ask GoDaddy if it's eligible for transfer before starting the process.
• You’ll need to unlock your domain to transfer it.
• Your domain’s Whois privacy must be disabled.
• You’ll need access to a valid domain administrator email address to approve the transfer request.
• We don’t accept domains with current registration terms longer than 9 years.
• You must approve the transfer via email within five days of receiving your purchase receipt on Squarespace, or the transfer will be automatically cancelled.

If your domain doesn't meet these requirements, you can try connecting it to your site instead.

Moving email records

Step 1 - Log into GoDaddy

Go to GoDaddy and log into your account to prepare your domain for transfer. Next to Domains, click Manage.

Step 2 - Verify domain contact information

Click the domain you'd like to transfer and confirm that all contact information listed for the Administrator is correct. All communications regarding the transfer will be sent to the Adminstrator email address. To review or update any of your Administrator information, follow GoDaddy's instructions.

Note: Ensure that you update the Administrator information on GoDaddy, and not the Registrant information. Changes to Registrant fields will forcibly lock your domain for 60 days, which prevents you from transferring. 

Step 3 - Unlock your domain

From your domains list, select the domain you're transferring and follow GoDaddy's instructions to unlock your domain. Your domain can’t be transferred while it’s locked.

Step 4 - Cancel Protected or Private Registration

As a final step to prepare your domain for transfer, cancel any Protected or Private Registration that might be enabled. This means that your Whois contact information will be public during the transfer, but the privacy will automatically re-enable after your domain is successfully transferred.

Note: If you cancel your transfer and return to GoDaddy, there may be a charge to re-enable these.

Note: You'll need two-step verification enabled in your GoDaddy account to cancel Protected Registration. Once it's enabled, you'll need to wait 72 hours before you can cancel Protected Registration.

Depending what you have enabled, follow GoDaddy's instructions to cancel:

• Cancel Protected Registration
• Cancel Private Registration

Step 5 - Request authorization code

You'll need an authorization code from GoDaddy to complete your transfer. GoDaddy may take up to 24 hours to generate and email this code, so we recommend requesting it as soon as you’ve completed the previous steps.

From your domains list, select the domain you're transferring and follow GoDaddy's instructions to request the code. You'll need to complete a form explaining why you're transferring your domain to another provider. 

You’ll enter this code later, so ensure that you have access to the email containing the code, or copy and paste it in a safe place before continuing.

Step 6 - Start the transfer in Squarespace

Begin the transfer process in your Squarespace site’s Domains panel.

1. Confirm that you’re logged into the correct Squarespace site.  
2. In the Home Menu, click Settings, and then click Domains.
3. Click Use a domain I own.
4. Enter the full domain name you’re transferring in the Domain Name box, and then click Continue.

5. Click Transfer to Squarespace.

If you see an error message at this point, ensure that your domain meets all of our transfer requirements. If it does, contact GoDaddy to investigate.

Step 7 - Confirm privacy settings

A window will open. To begin the transfer, both of the following options must be confirmed with a green check mark:

• Unlock domain - Allows the domain to be transferred
• Disable WHOIS privacy - Ensures that you receive all relevant transfer emails. Confirm that the email address listed is correct. 

If either option displays a red !, contact GoDaddy for help, then click Refresh to try again.

You'll also see a reminder to request an authorization code from your provider, if you haven't already.

If both options look correct, click Continue.

Step 8 - Review DNS settings

In the next window, confirm the DNS records to move to Squarespace. To minimize any downtime, we recommend keeping them all toggled to ON. Any options toggled to OFF must be managed manually.

• Point to Squarespace - Change CNAME and A records to point the domain to Squarespace.
• Keep other DNS records - Keep other DNS records intact, like MX records for email. Click View records to review the current DNS settings.
• Move nameservers to Squarespace - Move the domain's nameservers to Squarespace. If you toggle this option off, it’s not possible to move DNS records to Squarespace.

If all settings look correct, click Continue.

Step 9 - Review and confirm registration details

In the next window, confirm the domain’s registration details. These fields will automatically populate with information we detect from your Whois records with GoDaddy.  

Ensure that everything looks correct and all required fields are complete, then click Continue. If you’ve added any new data, your Whois records will update when your transfer is complete.

Step 10 - Confirm registration terms and billing

Note: If your site is on a trial, you'll be prompted to enter your payment information before this step. 

By transferring your domain to Squarespace, you’ll be charged for one additional year of domain registration with Squarespace. Pricing is based on your domain’s TLD and may be free if you’re eligible.

To confirm the transfer:

1. Confirm the credit card on file.
2. Confirm the total charge for one year of domain registration.
3. Review the terms in the white box, including your domain’s new expiration date.
4. If everything looks correct, click Transfer. 

If your payment is successful, you’ll see a purchase receipt. Click Continue to return to your Domains panel.

Step 11 - Confirm via email

Next, you’ll receive a "Transfer Request" email from customercare@squarespace.com. Follow the steps in the email to enter your authorization code from GoDaddy and approve the transfer.

The transfer must be approved via this link within five days of receiving your purchase receipt on Squarespace, or it will automatically cancel.

Tip: The authorization code is a unique string of letters, numbers, and other characters. Because it can be a complex code, we recommend copying and pasting it instead of typing it.

If you're having trouble finding this email, you can ask Squarespace to resend it. Click the pending domain in your Domains panel, then click Resend Email. 

If you authorized a domain transfer from this email address previously, we may automatically authorize the transfer and skip sending you this email. GoDaddy still needs to approve the domain’s release on their end.

Step 12 - Accept the transfer through GoDaddy

GoDaddy will automatically approve your transfer within five days of entering your authorization code. However, you can speed up the process by accepting the transfer in your GoDaddy Domain Manager. 

In your GoDaddy account, click Manage next to Domains. From the Domains drop-down menu, click Transfers.

On the left side of the Transfers page, click Pending Transfers Out.

Find the domain you're transferring, and click Accept.

Click OK, then click OK again.

Step 13 - Wait and test

After completing the steps above, GoDaddy should release the domain to Squarespace. If your domain transfer is still pending after 15 days and you’ve correctly followed all steps above, contact GoDaddy for more details. This timing is out of Squarespace's control. 

Visit the Domains panel at any time to check your progress. When the domain is fully transferred, it will appear in the Domains panel with a green label.

Next steps

After the domain transfer is complete, you can: 

• Cancel your GoDaddy account if you no longer need it. You’ll now manage all domain settings and billing through Squarespace.
• Set this as your primary domain.
• Choose to hide the domain’s “www” prefix.
• Enable SSL for your site, if you haven't already.
• Add a custom email address through our integration with G Suite.
• Register additional domains.
• Review your domain invoice.

Cancel or remove the transfer

You can cancel the pending transfer any time before entering your authorization code. Cancelling stops the transfer and refunds any amount paid for the additional year of registration.

Use the following steps to cancel:

1. In the Home Menu, click Settings, and then click Domains.
2. Click the domain under Transfers In Progress.
3. Click Cancel Transfer.
4. On the summary page, confirm the refund amount and click Cancel Transfer.
5. In the pop-up, click Confirm to proceed. You’ll receive an email confirming the cancellation and refund.

If you already approved the transfer by entering the authorization code, but you haven't yet approved on GoDaddy's end, you can try cancelling through their interface. Follow the same instructions to accept the transfer, but choose Decline instead.

If the transfer failed and you need to try again, you can remove the current transfer before starting over. While this step isn't necessary, you may find it easier to keep track of pending transfers. 

1. In the Home Menu, click Settings, and then click Domains.
2. Click the domain under Transfers In Progress.
3. In the Transfer Failed box, click Done.

You may need to refresh your browser for the failed domain to disappear. 

Troubleshooting failed transfers

If your domain fails to transfer, you’ll get an email from Squarespace. This can happen if you entered wrong information in the registration field, entered the authorization code incorrectly, or for other reasons. For a full list of scenarios, see our FAQ. 

Tips

• For help communicating with GoDaddy, visit Requesting third-party domain help and review the "Transfer help" sections. 
• If you’re experiencing many of the above issues, you may want to keep your domain hosted with your current provider and connect it to Squarespace instead.

Getting more help

For more help with transferring from GoDaddy, contact their support team at (480) 505-8877. You can also visit their documentation.