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Domain Transfer (EPP) Checklist
A domain transfer checklist turns the move of a domain from one registrar to another into eight ordered steps, because the most common reason a transfer fails is a skipped prerequisite rather than anything technical: the domain is still locked, privacy is hiding the contact, or the EPP authorization code was copied with a stray space. Working the steps in order means each blocker is cleared before the transfer is even started at the gaining registrar.
This tool is free and runs entirely in your browser. Tick each step to watch a live progress bar fill, read a short note explaining what the step actually does, then copy or print the personalised list to keep beside the two control panels. Nothing you type is uploaded.
Exact steps and wording vary by registrar and TLD. Some registries (for example many ccTLDs) use a different transfer mechanism instead of an EPP/auth code. Treat this as a portable checklist, not registrar-specific instructions.
🔒 Private: everything runs in your browser. Nothing you paste is uploaded.
How to use the domain transfer checklist
Each step depends on the one before it, so work top to bottom. Check a box to mark a step done and update the progress bar, add your domain name to personalise the copied and printed list, and use Reset to start a fresh transfer.
Clear every prerequisite before you start the transfer
The first four steps all happen at your current registrar and exist to remove a blocker. Unlocking the domain switches off the status that rejects any transfer request, disabling WHOIS privacy lets the gaining registrar read a reachable contact, the EPP code is the one-time password that proves you control the name, and a current admin email is where the approval lands. Skip any one and the transfer stalls. The checklist orders them deliberately so each blocker is cleared before you spend money at the new registrar.
Copy the EPP auth code exactly, character for character
The EPP authorization code, also called the auth code, transfer key, or EPP key, is a case-sensitive password unique to one domain. By far the most common cause of a rejected transfer is a mistyped code: a trailing space the registrar panel added, a swapped zero and capital O, or a lowercase letter pasted as uppercase. Copy it straight from the source rather than retyping it, paste it without surrounding whitespace, and use it promptly because some registrars expire the code after a set window or once privacy is toggled.
Expect the wait, and re-secure the domain afterwards
Once you approve the request the registries take over, and ICANN allows the losing registrar up to five days to release the domain, so a 5-7 day wait is normal even when you click approve immediately. Do not change nameservers or contacts during this window. When the domain lands in the new account, confirm WHOIS or RDAP shows the new registrar, then re-lock the domain, re-enable privacy if you use it, and verify your DNS records survived the move. The final step in the checklist covers exactly this clean-up.
Domain transfer checklist frequently asked questions
Q1What is an EPP code and where do I get it?
The EPP code, also called the auth code or transfer key, is a one-time, case-sensitive password unique to a single domain that authorises its transfer between registrars. You request it from your current registrar, usually in the domain’s settings or security section, and some registrars email it rather than displaying it. Copy it exactly, because a stray space or a swapped character is the top cause of a rejected transfer.
Q2How long does a domain transfer take?
Most gTLD transfers complete in five to seven days. ICANN permits the losing registrar up to five days to release the domain after you approve the request, so the wait is normal even when everything is correct. Explicitly approving the transfer in both control panels, rather than waiting for the automatic timeout, is the single fastest way to shorten it. Some country-code TLDs run on different timelines.
Q3Will my website or email go down during the transfer?
No, not by itself. A registrar transfer moves who manages the domain, not where its DNS is hosted, so your site and email keep resolving from their current nameservers throughout the window. The safest practice is to avoid changing nameservers or DNS records until the transfer has fully completed, then verify every record survived the move before making further changes at the new registrar.
Q4Why do I need to unlock the domain and turn off privacy first?
A registrar lock sets a status that automatically rejects every transfer request, so it must be switched off before anything else works. WHOIS privacy can hide the admin contact that the gaining registrar needs to read and that the approval email is sent to, so many registrars block a transfer while privacy is on. Both are temporary: re-lock the domain and re-enable privacy once the transfer is done.
Q5Does this checklist send my domain name anywhere?
No. The checklist runs entirely in your browser with client-side JavaScript. The domain name you type is used only to personalise the copied and printed list, and your checkbox progress stays on your device. Nothing is uploaded, logged, or stored on a server, which makes the tool safe to use for a portfolio of domains or for transfers you have not announced yet.
