How to Transfer Your Domain Name from Go Daddy – Picture Tutorial

For years I have been intending to transfer my nearly 20 domain names to a new provider. My very first domain was registered at Network Solutions (for free!) nearly 17 years ago, and in a way, that moment marked the first step on my “dot com” journey.

Around 2001, in the shadow of the “bubble,” new ICANN-accredited registrars began offering discount domain name registration, and I like many, quickly jumped ship to the more “cool” and cheaper competition. I chose Go Daddy, the leader of the pack, who for years maintained their hip “brand” with racing sponsorships and titillating Superbowl ads.

In the summer of 2005, as the world became aware of the Bush Administration’s use of torture, Parsons wrote a infamous blog post, “Close Gitmo? No way!! Think our interrogation methods are tough? Prisoners in the Middle East talk quick. Here’s why” which notably made it’s way around the web in an pre-Twitter age. I knew then that Go Daddy wasn’t aligned with my values and it was no doubt time to leave. But, like a lazy bank customer who is racking up unnecessary service charges, I just never “found the time” to switch.

Then on Monday, Gregory wrote with some suggestions for Go Daddy alternatives for domain registration, in response to the horrific video of their CEO Bob Parsons, killing and butchering an elephant. So, it took an elephant to give me the final kick in the pants.

Below is the process on how I made the jump.

First, based on Gregory’s own experience and recommendation, I chose Namecheap for the transfer and clicked on “Transfer a Domain”. (Note that plenty of domain registrar options exist, and we have no financial interest with Namecheap.)

Next, I added my domains in the box, one domain per line:

The system verified they were transferable, and I added to the cart and paid.

Namecheap brilliantly seized the moment with their clever and timely promotion for those making the jump from Go Daddy in the wake of controversy. While I missed the big sale, I still was happy to get a slight discount using the coupon code ELEPHANTS, if nothing more than sharing with them my reason for switching. Plus “free” WhoisGuard!

At this point, I realized I needed a EPP code. I clicked on the name of my domain to get to the next page.

Bringing me to a screen to add the EPP Code.

After a quick search I was able to find out how to request the EPP code from Go Daddy. Basically, all you need to do is go into your Go Daddy Domain Manager and selected the link titled “Send by Email” next to Authorization Code. The screenshot below is where you can find the link at Go Daddy.

The code arrived by email in less than a minute and I copied the code.

I pasted the EPP code at the new registrar and the transfer began.

Done!

So, my long journey with Go Daddy comes to a close. Best of all, it feels great to find a company more personally aligned with what really is important to me.

I’ll be sure to follow-up with the final results once the transfer is completed in a couple days. Good luck with your own domain transfers, and let us know how you fare in the comments below!

UPDATE: If you have a large number of domains to transfer, you could try this process instead to get things started:

  • Make sure the domains are unlocked in GoDaddy.
  • Select the “Tools” tab in GoDaddy, then “Add New Export” and check the “Authorization Codes” checkbox.
  • Wait for the file to be created, then download it locally.
  • Open the file in a spreadsheet, delete all columns but DomainName and AuthorizationCode, and then delete the header.
  • Save the file as a CSV (without quoting), then open the CSV in a text editor.
  • Copy and paste the domains and EPP codes into the NameCheap transfer box.
  • Complete the purchase as normal.
  • Approve all the transfers.
2017-03-31T06:20:06+00:00 Categories: How-To|

About the Author:

Aaron co-founded CivicActions in 2004. In his role as Chief Experience Officer (CXO), he is responsible for company culture, talent acquisition, professional development and marketing.

In 2016, Aaron served at the United States Digital Service (USDS) helping improve the way the federal government procures digital services through culture change, policy reform, and strategic planning.

He brings more than 20 years of information technology, free and open source software and consulting industry experience to managing the firm and advising clients.

Prior to CivicActions, Aaron facilitated leadership and communication seminars, creating extraordinary opportunities for men and women to deepen relationships, accomplish personal goals, and realize their authentic passions. He brings this experience to the unique aspects of generating a healthy organizational culture within a distributed team.

He has presented at numerous conferences on a diverse range of interests and passions including federal procurement, organizational culture, digital strategy, free and open source software and mindfulness.

Aaron lives between Oakland, CA, Washington D.C. and San Mateo, Costa Rica, with his wife Nikki and their two daughters. He is passionate about photography, pugilism, snowboarding, podcasts, and fostering community.
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