Domain Transfers

• My transfer was successful, but why wasn't a year added to my domain?

  There are three potential reasons why a domain name may not have a year added after a transfer: Certain top-level domains (TLDs) do not add a year when they are transferred to another registrar. These domains include (but may not be limited to) .UK, .LT, and .NL. For .UK and .LT, there no cost to transfer to Dynadot as they both are pushed to us by your current registrar with no additional year added. .NL, however, can be transferred to us normally, but doesn't have a year added initially because it is limited to a maximum of 1 year of registration by the registry. The price you pay to transfer goes towards an automatic renewal that our system will complete for you closer to the expiration date of your domain. Domains that are already at or very close to their maximum registration time (this can be up to 10 years depending on the TLD), will not have a year added during a transfer as that would increase the total registration period past the maximum amount of time. You can see what the maximum registration time for a domain is by going to the domain's page and looking at how many years of pricing are listed on its "Domain Pricing" table (you can click on the domain from our TLD list); for example, .IM only lists three years of pricing because that is its maximum. The domain was renewed after it expired (during its renewal grace period) and then transferred within 45 days of the renewal. Technically, this is called an "auto-renewal". If a domain is auto-renewed and then transferred within 45 days after the renewal, then the domain will not be renewed for an additional year after the transfer. This does not make sense because it seems like your domain should get two years: one for the renewal and one more for the transfer. But this is the way the central registry works. This is not our policy and we gain nothing from only giving you one year. In fact, we have to deal with all the customers upset with this counter-intuitive policy of the central registry. Here is what ICANN has to say about this situation: "Registrants who transfer names within the 45-day Auto-Renew Grace Period should check with the registrar from which they are transferring regarding a possible refund. Even though losing registrars receive refunds of auto-renewal fees they have paid to the registry in these circumstances, not all registrars make refunds to customers. The effect of failure of the losing registrar to refund is that the registrant pays registration fees to both the losing registrar (for the auto-renew) and to the gaining registrar (for the transfer), but only receives a one-year extension of term." (Full text can be found here: http://www.icann.org/announcements/advisory-06jun02.htm) Basically, ICANN recommends contacting the old registrar for a refund if a registrant transfers a domain within the 45-day Auto-Renew Grace Period. To avoid this unpleasant situation completely, please start your domain transfers at least 2 weeks before the expiration date.

• Can I transfer my expired domain to another registrar?

  While we strongly recommend initiating your domain transfer at least 2 weeks prior to its expiration date, it is sometimes possible to transfer an expired domain. Our support team will have to move your expired domain to "active" status before you will be able to retrieve your authorization code, so please contact our team as soon as possible. If transferring a domain after it has expired, you will need to make sure to complete the transfer before the Renewal Grace Period ends. This is typically 40 days after a domain expires. After a domain has been unlocked, it will automatically re-lock again when the domain enters the final 2 days of its renewal grace period and will need to be renewed before it can be unlocked again. Please note: Not all expired domains can be transferred. Domains that have entered the "Redemption Period" will need to be restored before they can be transferred. Most expired ccTLDs cannot be transferred at all.

• How do I generate a new auth code for my domain?

  In most cases, you shouldn't need to generate a new authorization code for your domain just to transfer it. However, sometimes if there is an issue with your transfer, generating a new auth code can help solve the issue. Sign in to your Dynadot account. Select "My Domains" from the left-side menu bar and click "Manage Domains" in the drop-down. Click on the domain name you want to transfer (it should be a link). Scroll down to the "Transfer Lock" section and confirm it says "No". If the status is not "No", this is likely the problem. You need to unlock your domain and then you may not need to generate a new authorization code. Go to the "Authorization Code" section directly below "Transfer Lock". Press the "New Code" button to generate a new authorization code. You may need to unlock your account if the button does not appear. NOTE: If you are in the middle of a transfer, you will need to update your pending transfer with the new authorization code.

• How do I transfer my domain to Dynadot?

  Thanks for choosing us! To transfer your domain to Dynadot, please follow these steps: Before You Begin Your domain cannot be transferred if it has been registered or transferred within the last 60 days. We recommend starting your domain transfer at least 2 weeks before the domain's expiration date. More Info Unlock your domain and get your authorization code from your old registrar. Start Your Transfer Visit our domain transfer page or our bulk domain transfer page to get started. Enter the domain you'd like to transfer and its auth code. Click to add domain privacy if you want it. Click "Transfer." You should see your domain transfer added to the cart in the upper right corner. If you're done shopping, click on the cart to check out. After You Complete Your Transfer Order You will receive a confirmation of your order send to the email address associated with your Dynadot account. Once the transfer has been authorized, you will receive a domain transfer initiated email from us. Once the transfer is complete, you will receive a domain transfer complete as well as an order finished email from us.

• Why does it cost money to transfer my .NL domain, but no time was added to my expiration date?

  When you transfer your .NL domain to us, the transfer process is the same as most of our top-level domains (TLDs). However, unlike most TLDs, a year will not be added to your .NL domain - at least not at first. The payment you made in your transfer order actually does go towards adding a year to your .NL domain, but because the central registry only allows a maximum of 1 year of registration for .NL, we cannot immediately add the additional year we owe you. Instead, it is added automatically closer to the expiration date of your .NL domain.

• What is a domain transfer lock?

  If your domain is under a domain transfer lock, you will be unable to transfer it. If your domain is transfer locked, it could be due to the following factors: Registrar Lock: This is an internal lock that we, your domain registrar, place on your domains in an effort to keep them from being transferred or moved to another account by anyone other than the owner. Recent Transfer: Newly transferred domains also cannot be transferred within 60 days of the original transfer, which puts them under a transfer lock. This also cannot be adjusted and is a part of ICANN policy. Note: If you are setting any kind of transfer lock within your Dynadot account, this is referring to the first type of domain transfer lock listed above, Registrar Lock. How do I unlock my domain? How do I set my default transfer lock setting? How do I set or change the default domain transfer lock of a smart domain folder? What are the steps involved in the domain transfer process?

• How do I retrieve my authorization codes in bulk?

  If you're planning to transfer several domains from your Dynadot account, you can download your authorization codes in bulk by following these steps: Sign in to your Dynadot account. Select "My Domains" from the left-side menu bar and "Manage Domains" in the drop-down. Unlock your domain(s). Go back to "My Domains" in the left-side menu bar and then "Folders" from the drop-down. Click the "Download" icon on the right side of the page. If the domains are in a specific folder, you can select that folder in the top drop-down menu. Otherwise, you can leave it set to "All". On the "Folder Download" page that opens up, check the box next to "Authorization Code" and any other information you want downloaded (optional). Press the "Download" button to download your CSV file.

• How do I transfer my .LT domain to Dynadot?

  Transferring a .LT domain is different than most domain transfers. To transfer your .LT domain to Dynadot, please follow these steps: Ask your current registrar to push the domain to us. There is no cost to do this and no time is added to the domain. You do not need to place an order on our transfer page. Email us at [email protected] and let us know your username and the domain you are transferring. Dynadot does not charge a fee for this service. Please be aware that your domain will not be renewed for 1 year, unlike domain transfers for .COM, .NET, and most other domain extensions.

• Where can I find the auth code for my domain?

  The authorization code, or EPP code, of your domain is needed in order to transfer the domain to another registrar. To find the auth code for your domain, please follow these steps: Sign in to your Dynadot account. Select "My Domains" from the left-side menu bar and click "Manage Domains" in the drop-down. Click on the domain name you want to transfer (it should be a link). Scroll down to the "Authorization Code" section. If your domain is transfer locked, you will need to unlock it by first unlocking your account using the links provided (unless your account is already unlocked, in which case the links will not appear). Once your account is unlocked, press the "Unlock" button to unlock your domain. NOTE: Your domain needs to remain unlocked during the transfer process; however, we recommend locking your account to ensure its security. Our system will automatically re-lock it within 1 hour for you, but it's always a good idea to re-lock it as soon as you don't need it to be unlocked.

• How do I set or change the default domain transfer lock of a smart domain folder?

  To set or change your default domain transfer lock settings for a smart folder, please follow these steps: Log into your Dynadot account. Select "My Domains" then "Folders" from the left-side menu bar. Click on the link listed in the "Transfer Lock" column. Once the page loads, select "Yes" if you want your domains to be locked by default. To save your settings, hit the "Save" button. Note: the domain transfer lock option you select will be applied to all the domains in that smart folder. You can also choose to "Auto Apply" these domain transfer lock options to future domains that you move into that smart domain folder using the button. How do I create a smart folder? How do I move domains in and out of smart folders?