Transferring your domain name to a new host is becoming easier and easier. It is like how it used to be difficult to switch energy suppliers and yet now you can do it online very quickly. The same thing has happened with transferring a domain name, and why not? Hosts have to answer to the rules of good service the same as any other business does, and if they do a bad job then it should be easy for their customers to leave them. Here are a few transfer tips to help you.

How often you can transfer

You can transfer your domain name so long as it has been registered for sixty or more days. Also, if you have already switched less than sixty days ago then you have to wait. There are probably a lot of good reasons for this rule, with the most obvious being that it stops hosts competing by soliciting people and undercutting their current host.

How to do it

The procedure is going to alter slightly depending upon the host you are leaving and the host you are moving on to. Most hosts are going to make it as easy as possible for you to switch over to them. Nevertheless, here is a general switching guide:

Log in to the company you registered your domain name with. This is may be the company you bought the pre-existing name from, or the promotions company. But, it is most likely the registrar that you approached when you created the domain name yourself. You need to check that your domain name is not locked, and if it is then you need to unlock it.

Administrative emails

Now that you have checked to see if it is locked, you need to make sure you have access to the administrative emails of the domain name. You need to be able to access the emails that are sent to your domain administration. Before you start to panic and wonder what this is–in some cases you have a user interface when you log in, and it has an inbox for messages, and in many other cases the administrative email address is the same one that you logged into your domain registrar with.

Private domain registration

This is an option that some people have and enable when they register their website. It allows people to hide their personal information so that others cannot see who they are and who the website is registered to. You need to turn this off if you want to transfer your domain host.

When you request your authorization code to move from one host to another, they will often need to send it to your administrative contact. This is usually done as basic due diligence, as sending it to any old email address may inadvertently be sending it to the wrong person. Sometimes you can see your authorization code on your domain name panel.

Your authorization code

Now that you have it, you need to give it to your new host to show that you have switched. They will use the code to confirm that the transfer was authorized by the other host. If you are locked into a hosting agreement with the other host then this transfer will not be authorized.

Once the new host is sure that your transfer has been authorized, they are going to want you to agree to their terms and conditions. They may send you an email for this, or may ask it of you when you sign into their administration panel or GUI.

Cancel any previous plans with your former host

You will need to go back and check to see if you are fully transferred and to see if there are any plans or services that are still in effect. If they are then you need to cancel them or change them so that there are not anymore. If you had extra services on top of your former hosting, then they may not have been cancelled automatically. You may have to go back and change them yourself or cancel them.

Read your new terms and conditions

Make sure that if you are locking yourself in with this host that you are doing it of your own free will and that you are not unaware of any terms and conditions. The hosts that lock you in are often the ones with something to hide, but even if they are not trying to lock you in with their service (i.e. not let you leave and transfer in the future), you should still check to see if all of their terms and conditions match the things they promised with their web advertising. Try to find a few negative reviews about the company too and see if you should be worried.

This post is written by Kate Funk. She is a professional blogger and writer at English Educator.com. She specializes in topics of interest to techno geeks and networking enthusiasts.