How to Transfer a Domain to Cloudflare Registrar

Many domain registrars charge more at renewal than they do for the first year. Moving a domain to Cloudflare Registrar is a common way to lower the yearly cost, because Cloudflare sells domains at wholesale price rather than adding a markup. This article explains the process in plain steps and points out the mistakes that cause transfers to fail.

Why people switch

• Lower renewals. A .com costs roughly the registry's wholesale fee plus a small ICANN fee each year. Many registrars charge noticeably more. Check Cloudflare's current price before you start.
• Privacy included. Your personal contact details are hidden from the public WHOIS record at no extra charge for most domain types.
• One place for DNS and registration. If your site already uses Cloudflare, managing the domain next to your DNS records is convenient.

Before you start: the checklist

• The domain must be at least 60 days old and must not have changed registrars in the last 60 days. This is a rule that applies to transfers of most generic domains.
• It must use Cloudflare DNS. Add the domain as a site on your Cloudflare account and switch its nameservers first.
• Turn off DNSSEC at the current registrar if it is enabled, because a mismatch can break the domain during the move. You can enable it again afterward.
• Make sure you can read the admin email listed for the domain, since confirmation messages go there.
• Have a payment card ready. The transfer fee is the cost of one year's renewal.

Step 1: Unlock the domain

Registrars lock domains by default so that nobody can move them by accident. In your current registrar's control panel, find the domain's settings and turn off the transfer lock, sometimes called the registrar lock.

Step 2: Get the authorization code

Ask the current registrar for the domain's authorization code, also called an EPP code or transfer key. It is a long string that proves you own the domain. Keep it private until you use it.

Step 3: Start the transfer at Cloudflare

In the Cloudflare dashboard, open Domain Registration and choose Transfer Domains. Select your domain, enter the authorization code and pay the transfer fee. The fee adds one year to the domain's existing expiry date, so you do not lose time you already paid for.

Step 4: Approve and wait

You will receive a confirmation email, and your old registrar may ask you to approve the release too. Transfers often complete in a day or two but can take up to about a week. During this time your website and email keep working, because DNS is already served by Cloudflare.

Should you wait until renewal?

You do not have to transfer right away. Because a transfer adds a year to your current expiry date, moving a month or two before the renewal date ends in the same place as moving now. If you wait, turn off auto-renew at the old registrar so you are not charged for another year before the transfer finishes, and set a calendar reminder with enough margin for a slow transfer.

Common reasons transfers fail

• The domain is still locked, or the authorization code was typed incorrectly.
• The domain was registered or transferred less than 60 days ago.
• DNSSEC is enabled and does not match.
• The confirmation email went to an address you no longer read.

If a transfer is rejected, the message usually names the reason. Fix that one thing and start again.