Transferring a domain to Squarespace before creating a site

Transfer a domain and manage it before building a website.

Last updated December 18, 2024

If you have a third-party domain to move to Squarespace and don't need a full site yet, you can transfer it as your first step. We'll link your domain to a parking page until you build a site to go with it.

To transfer a domain to an active site, log in and use the Domains panel instead.

Before you begin

  • 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 locks your domain.
  • If you're transferring a country code top-level domain (ccTLD) such as .com.au or .uk, review all transfer requirements first. To learn more about a specific ccTLD's requirements, visit List of top-level domains (TLDs).
  • If your domain has a domain name system security extension (DNSSEC) record in place, delete the record before starting the transfer. These records can cause the transfer to fail.
  • For common questions, and answers about transferring a domain, visit Domain transfers FAQ.

Timing

Domain transfer speed depends on your current domain provider. Some domains transfer in one day, while others can take closer to 15 days to complete. To learn more, visit Domain transfer timing.

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. To find a domain's price, you can search for it on our domain name search page or your domains dashboard.
  • 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.
  • Your domain renews at the same price at the end of its registration term.
  • If you transfer a domain eligible for the free Squarespace domain offer, we'll adjust your balance  when upgrading to an annual billing plan.
  • Your domain includes free Whois Privacy and SSL.

For more details, review 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. You can use our sample message to ask them for help.

  • The domain’s TLD needs to be on our supported TLD list.
  • The domain needs to be registered or transferred to the current provider for at least 60 days.
  • Your domain needs to be active with your current provider. If your domain is past due, but not completely expired, ask your provider if it's eligible for transfer before starting the process.

Ineligible domains

You can't transfer these types of domains to Squarespace:

  • Registry premium domains
  • Domains with nine or more years remaining on their current registration
  • Subdomains (if you enter a subdomain and click to transfer it, we'll try to transfer the root domain to Squarespace)
  • Domains that include the words "squarespace" or "sqsp"

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

Moving email records

If you have a custom email address linked to your domain, your MX records transfer to Squarespace along with your domain. Your MX records keep your email hosted with your current email provider.

Before transferring your domain to Squarespace, we recommend contacting your current email provider to ensure that there won’t be any restrictions or issues by moving to Squarespace. Some providers require keeping your domain hosted with them to keep your email account active. You may also want to back up any essential emails, contacts, or settings you may need.

Step 1 - Prepare your domain with your current provider

Complete the following steps with your current domain provider to make your domain available for transfer.

  1. Verify the administrator email address listed for the domain. All communications regarding the transfer are sent to this email address.
  2. Follow your provider’s instructions to unlock your domain for transfer. Your domain can’t transfer while locked. Certain country-specific domains, such as .co.uk, .de, .eu, .nl, .org.uk, and .uk, can't be locked and won't require unlocking to transfer.
  3. Get the authorization code—also called an “EPP code” or “transfer key”—from your provider. Some providers may need a day or two to generate this code, so we recommend requesting it as soon as you’ve unlocked your domain. You’ll enter this code during the transfer process, so ensure that you have access to it. Copy and paste the code in a safe space before continuing.

Step 2 - Start the transfer

Begin the transfer process on Squarespace.

  1. Go to https://domains.squarespace.com.
  2. At the top of the page, click Transfer a domain.
  3. Enter the full domain name you’re transferring in the search field, and then click Continue.

Note

If you see an error message at this point, ensure that your domain meets all of our transfer requirements. If it does, contact your current domain provider for help.

You’ll now be prompted to sign up for a new account or log into an existing account.

If you're new to Squarespace

  • Enter your name and email address, and create a password to use to log into your parking page. Click Sign Up & Create.
  • You can also sign up using Apple, Facebook, or Google. Click the social account you want to use, and follow the prompts to verify and create the account.

Note

If you try to sign up with a social account and see an error that says Email address required, ensure you have an email address on file for that social account.

If you already have a Squarespace account

Click Or use an existing account, then log in using the same email address and password, or social account, you use to log into other sites. This adds your new parking page to your account. Click Sign In & Create.

Step 3 - Prepare domain and authorize transfer

In the next window, you’ll confirm that you’ve unlocked your domain and you’ll enter your authorization code.

The Unlock Domain option should display a green check mark, which means you can transfer the domain. If it displays a red ! instead, contact your domain provider for help, then click Refresh to try again.

Next, in the field under Enter Authorization Code, add the authorization code from your provider.

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.

When both options look correct, click Continue.

Step 4 - Review and confirm registration details

In the next window, confirm the domain’s registration details. Ensure that the address shown in the Email Address field is correct, as this is how we’ll notify you that your transfer is complete. These fields will automatically populate with information we detect from your Whois records with your original registrar.

When 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. This won't disrupt the transfer process, but will ensure all contact records are correct when they move to Squarespace.

Step 5 - Enter payment details & confirm registration terms

Follow the prompts to enter your payment information for the transfer. By transferring your domain to Squarespace, you’ll be charged for one additional year of registration with Squarespace. Pricing is based on your domain’s TLD. Click Continue.

In the next panel, review and confirm the transfer details:

  1. Confirm the credit card that will be charged.
  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.
  5. You'll see a message confirming you've initiated the transfer. Click Okay to go to your parking page.

Step 6 - Review the transfer status

Your parking page displays the transfer's status and any error messages. To review the status of your transfer:

  1. Log into your parking page, then click the transferring domain.
  2. Click Refresh status to review the current status.

If your domain displays an error message, you can clear it depending on the message:

  • Domain is locked: This message displays when the domain changes from unlocked to locked after initiating the transfer. To keep the transfer processing, log into your domain provider and unlock the domain
  • Authorization code needed: This message displays when the authorization code you entered in Step 3 is rejected by the domain host. To clear this message, ensure the authorization code is correct, re-enter it in the error message's text field, then click Submit. We suggest copying and pasting the code for accuracy.

Step 7 - Review DNS settings (optional)

While you wait for the transfer to complete, you can review your domain's DNS settings:

  1. Log into your parking page, then click the transferring domain.
  2. Click Edit DNS.
  3. To delete records you no longer need, click the red trash can.
  4. To create a new custom record for your domain, click Add record

As you review the DNS records, keep in mind:

  • While the domain is transferring, the DNS Settings panel can only display MX, TXT, A, CNAME, and SRV records. We import these records from your domain provider. You can compare the records in the Squarespace DNS Settings panel to your provider's settings to determine if any are missing.
  • If you have a custom email address attached to your domain, leave the MX records in place.

Step 8 - Wait and test

After completing the steps above, your previous registrar needs to release the domain. Depending on the provider, this can take up to 15 days. This timing is out of Squarespace’s control, but we recommend logging into your provider’s account to confirm the release manually. If your domain transfer is still pending after 15 days, and you’ve correctly followed all the steps above, contact your current domain provider for more details.

While your transfer is in progress, we don't recommend adding a Google Workspace email account. Wait until your domain has finished transferring before adding any new integrations.

Log into your parking page at any time to check your progress. When the domain finishes transferring, it appears with a green label under Managed by Squarespace.

Manage your domain

While your domain transfer is pending, you can access your domain via your domains dashboard to manage your billing information and get to know Squarespace’s settings.

To learn more about managing your domain via the domains dashboard, visit Your domains dashboard.

Troubleshooting

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, visit our FAQ.

Tip

For help communicating with your current provider, visit Requesting third-party domain help and review the "Transfer help" sections.

Cancel the transfer

If you already confirmed the transfer in Squarespace, you may be able to cancel it:

  1. Open your domains dashboard.
  2. Click the domain that's pending transfer.
  3. Click ..., then click Cancel transfer.
  4. Confirm the cancellation.

If your domain details panel lists the domain as Transfer In Progress, ask your current provider to deny it. This may or may not be possible, and depends on if the current provider has already approved and released the domain.

Remove a failed transfer

If you cancel a domain transfer, or if it fails for another reason, you may find a Transfer Error box in your domains dashboard. The steps to remove a failed transfer depend on if you have additional subscriptions associated with your domain, such as grouped Squarespace domains or a Google Workspace account.

If you have additional subscriptions:

You can remove a failed transfer before starting over. While this step isn't necessary, you may find it easier to keep track of pending transfers.

  1. Click the domain under Transfers In Progress.
  2. In the Transfer Error box, click Dismiss.

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

If you don't have additional subscriptions:

Your parking page will be cancelled and removed from your Squarespace account if a transfer fails or is cancelled manually. To try transferring again, restart the process from the domain search page to create a new parking page.

Next steps

If you’re new to Squarespace, your parking page is the beginning of your domain's place on the web:

  • Cancel your account with your previous domain provider if you no longer need it. You’ll now manage all domain settings and billing through Squarespace.
  • To start a trial site connected to your domain, click Website, then click Create Trial. We recommend exploring our different plans. If you sign up for an annual billing plan, at checkout you’ll see a balance adjustment for any eligible domain linked to your parking page.
  • To get custom Google Workspace email addresses for this domain, click Email.
  • Review your domain invoice.

Parking pages include 24/7 Customer Support. If you can’t find the answer in our guides, we’re always here to help.

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Transferring a domain to Squarespace before creating a site