What an authorization code for a domain transfer is
An authorization code is the secret the current registrar creates for one domain name. The gaining registrar must present it before a generic top-level domain, such as .com, can move. Without that string, the registry treats the request as someone else trying to take the name.
People also call it an EPP code, an auth code, an Auth-Info code, or a transfer key. It mixes letters and numbers, and you must paste it with the same capitals. A code issued for one domain will not move a different name.
- Same secret, several names — EPP code, auth code, Auth-Info, and transfer key.
- Capitals matter — paste the code exactly as the registrar issued it.
- One domain only — a code for example.com will not move a second name.
- Issued by the sponsor — the registrar of record creates it. ICANN does not.
ICANN writes the transfer rule for those gTLDs. It does not keep a copy of your code, and it cannot generate a replacement. Only the registrar that sponsors the domain can.
Where to get the authorization code from the current registrar
Get the code from the registrar that sponsors the domain today, not from the company you want to move to. If you are unsure who that is, read the registrar field in a WHOIS lookup.
WebJi® is not GoDaddy, Network Solutions, or ICANN. If WebJi® already sponsors the domain, request the code from the WebJi® domain panel. GoDaddy shows the code in the signed-in domain account and also emails the registrant address. Network Solutions emails that registrant address. ICANN does not store the code and cannot create one.
- Sign in to the account at the registrar named on the WHOIS record.
- Open the domain and switch the registrar lock off. If the status says clientTransferProhibited, the lock is still on.
- Open the transfer or authorization-code control and reveal the code, or send a copy to the registrant email.
- Read that registrant email, including the spam folder, before you ask for another code. A new request can replace the old string.
Seeing the code in the current account does not move the domain. The gaining registrar still has to submit that string.
For a gTLD under an ICANN contract, the registrar either lets you create the code in the control panel or sends it within five calendar days of your request. If those five days pass with no code, file a transfer complaint with ICANN. Do not ask ICANN to invent the string.
Country-code domains sit outside that rule. Many .uk names move with a registry tag, also called an IPS tag, instead of an EPP authorization code. Check the extension before you search for a code that the registry does not use.
How to use the authorization code to transfer a domain in
Paste the code into the transfer form at the gaining registrar. The losing registrar then emails the registrant contact to confirm the move. You do not send the code back to the company that issued it.
- At the current registrar, confirm you can open the registrant email, turn the lock off, and copy a fresh authorization code.
- Export or screenshot the DNS zone. The code does not carry A, MX, or TXT records. Rebuild them at the new DNS host before you remove the old zone.
- At the gaining registrar, start the transfer and paste the code exactly, including capital letters.
- Approve the confirmation email, called a Form of Authorization, if you asked for the move. Reject it if you did not.
- Wait for the registry. Most gTLDs finish in five to seven days. The year you pay at the gaining registrar is added to the expiry, up to a ten-year cap.
A nameserver change without a transfer is a different job, covered in the change nameservers guide.
If you are moving the name to WebJi®, start on the domain transfer page and paste the code there. The gaining registrar can instead be another company, including GoDaddy. WebJi® is not GoDaddy.
Why the 60-day lock blocks an authorization code transfer
A correct authorization code is still refused for 60 days after a new registration, and for 60 days after a transfer to the current registrar. The registry counts those days. The code screen cannot override them.
Changing the registrant name, organization, or email can add another 60-day lock if you agreed to that lock when you approved the contact update. The registrar may waive this contact-change lock. It does not have to. The registration and transfer locks are separate and are not optional in the same way.
Do not let the domain expire while you wait. An expired name will not move on an authorization code. Renew it at the current registrar before you request the code.
Registrar lock and the status codes that hide the auth code
The authorization code is refused while a transfer lock is on. In the domain status list, clientTransferProhibited means the registrar lock is still set. Turn that lock off in the same account, then request the code again.
serverTransferProhibited is a different hold. A registry, a court, or a dispute placed it. The registrar panel cannot clear it, and a new authorization code will not move the domain until that hold is lifted.
| Status | What it means for the authorization code |
|---|---|
| clientTransferProhibited | Registrar lock is on. Turn it off in the same account, then request the code. |
| ok | No transfer block is published. You can request the code. |
| pendingTransfer | A transfer is already in progress. Wait. Do not request a second code. |
| serverTransferProhibited | The registry or a legal hold blocked transfers. A new code will not clear it. |
Some registrars hide the code until the lock is off. Some also turn WHOIS privacy off when you request a transfer, so the confirmation can reach the registrant email. Turn the lock back on after the move completes.
What happens in the five to seven days after the code is accepted
After the gaining registrar accepts the code, the losing registrar emails a Form of Authorization to the registrant address. Approving it can finish the move sooner than the full wait. Reject it if you did not ask for the transfer. Silence is not a reliable way to stop the move.
Most gTLD transfers that are not rejected finish in five to seven days from the request. Country-code domains can take longer, and many of them do not use this code. The name keeps its old nameservers during the wait.
The authorization code does not edit DNS. Leave the old hosting in place until the new zone answers for the website and for mail. When the move completes, check the new expiry date, then turn the registrar lock on again.
When an authorization code is rejected, and how to stay safe
The gaining registrar rejects the code for a short list of reasons. The string was mistyped or has been replaced. The lock is still on. The domain is inside a 60-day window. The registrant email bounced, so the confirmation never arrived. Or that extension does not use an EPP code.
Request one fresh code and paste it once. Do not email the string to a person you cannot identify. Whoever holds a current code can ask a registrar to start a transfer.
If the losing registrar misses the five-calendar-day window on a gTLD, file a transfer complaint with ICANN. WebJi® cannot pull a code from another company's account. We are not that registrar.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get the authorization code for my domain transfer?
Sign in at the registrar that sponsors the domain, turn the lock off, and open the transfer or authorization-code control. Copy the code on screen, or read it in the registrant email. On a gTLD the registrar has five calendar days to provide it. WebJi® cannot read a code held by another company.
What is an EPP or auth code?
An EPP code is the authorization code for a domain transfer. Auth code, Auth-Info, and transfer key are other names for that string. The current registrar creates it. Paste it with the same capital and lowercase letters.
Why can't I transfer my domain within 60 days of registration?
Most gTLDs cannot move to a new registrar for 60 days after registration, or for 60 days after an earlier transfer. A registrant contact change can add another 60 days if you opted into that lock. A correct code does not override the window.
What is registrar lock and how do I turn it off?
Registrar lock is the setting that publishes clientTransferProhibited and blocks the move. Turn it off under the domain's transfer or security settings at the current registrar, then request the code. serverTransferProhibited is a registry or legal hold the panel cannot clear.
How long does a domain transfer take to complete?
Most gTLD transfers finish in five to seven days after the gaining registrar accepts the authorization code. Approving the losing registrar's confirmation email can shorten the wait. Country-code domains can take longer, and many do not use an EPP code.
Where do I submit the auth code at the new registrar?
Paste it into the transfer form at the gaining registrar, with the same capital letters. Do not send it back to the registrar that created it. If WebJi® is the gaining registrar, use the domain transfer page. WebJi® is not the losing registrar unless the name is already registered here.
Does the authorization code move my website and email?
No. The code changes which registrar sponsors the domain. It does not copy A, MX, or TXT records. Export the zone first and rebuild it at the new DNS host, or the site and mail stop when the old zone is removed.
What if the registrar will not release the authorization code?
Wait the five calendar days a gTLD registrar is allowed, and check the registrant inbox, including spam. If the code is still missing, file a transfer complaint with ICANN. ICANN will not create the code, and WebJi® cannot pull it from another company's account.