What changes when a domain leaves GoDaddy
A transfer out of GoDaddy changes the registrar of record, the registrant contact, and the expiry date. It does not move the website files or the mailboxes, because those follow the nameservers. Unlock the name, clear privacy protection, copy the authorization code, and submit it with the gaining registrar's fee.
WebJi is not GoDaddy, and this is not their help desk. The brand is named only to describe the two products, and no GoDaddy support phone number or email address appears on this page.
- Registrar of record: moves to the company you give the code to.
- Registrant contact: copied across, with privacy protection off during the move.
- Expiry date: normally one year later once the gaining registrar's fee clears.
- Nameservers and DNS records: unchanged unless you edit them yourself.
- Website files, databases, and mailboxes: stay with the hosting account, not the registrar.
Anyone who says a transfer will move the site is describing a host migration. That is a different job, done after a copy exists on the new server.
Prepare the domain in the GoDaddy account
Sign in, open Domain Portfolio, select the name, and read the Transfer section. Turn the registrar lock off, set Domain Privacy to off, and downgrade Domain Protection to none. Miss any of the three and the transfer is refused later, after you have already paid the gaining registrar.
You know the lock is off when a public WHOIS lookup stops showing clientTransferProhibited in the status line. That status is the same switch the losing registrar reads when the request arrives, so it is a better check than the label in the account menu.
Open the domain contact record while you are there and confirm the registrant email address opens. The approval message and a copy of the code both go to that mailbox, and a dead inbox stalls the move for the full waiting period.
Copy the authorization code (EPP code)
The authorization code is a password for the move. GoDaddy issues it on the domain, not in a separate email you have to request, and WebJi cannot generate one for a name it does not hold.
- In Domain Portfolio, select the domain, open Transfer, and choose Transfer to Another Registrar.
- Read the eligibility panel. If it names a lock or a waiting period, stop and clear that first.
- Choose Continue with transfer and complete the identity check: a code by SMS, an authenticator app, or the one-time password sent to the account email.
- Click Click here to see Authorization Code, then Copy to Clipboard. Paste it into a note; the same code is emailed to the registrant address.
- Choose Return to Domain Settings and leave the name unlocked until the transfer finishes.
Paste the code exactly as copied. A leading space is enough to make a gaining registrar reject it, and the error message usually blames the code rather than the space. What an authorization code is, and how other registrars label it, is covered separately.
The 60-day and 120-day locks that stop a transfer
ICANN's transfer policy lets the losing registrar refuse a move inside fixed windows. The clock runs from the event, not from the day you ask, so check the date before you pay anyone.
| Event | Transfer blocked for | Where the date is stated |
|---|---|---|
| New registration | 60 days | Creation date in WHOIS |
| A previous transfer | 60 days from completion | Transfer history in the account |
| Registrant contact change with the 60-day lock accepted | 60 days | The contact-change approval email |
| A domain bought in a bundle | 120 days from registration | The order or bundle record |
| An expired domain | Allowed until redemption starts | Domain status next to the expiry date |
| A .in domain | NIXI rules, not the ICANN policy | Status shown on the .in domain |
| A .uk domain | Needs the new registrar's IPS tag | Nominet registrar list |
A refusal is not an error you retry. If the status says the name is inside one of these windows, wait it out. .in domain transfers follow NIXI, so a .com clock is not evidence that the .in name is clear.
Start the transfer at the gaining registrar
Open the transfer form at the registrar you are moving to, paste the code, and pay the fee it quotes. That registrar submits the request, and GoDaddy then sends an approval message to the registrant email address.
Approve it from that message, or inside GoDaddy under Transfers, then Transfers Out, then In Progress, select the name, and approve. Approval is the difference between five to seven days and a few hours. Nothing moves faster than the registry allows, so treat the shorter figure as a best case.
You know it worked when the domain appears in the new registrar's portfolio, a WHOIS lookup names that registrar, and the expiry date has moved forward by a year. Keep the old account open for a week after that, in case a renewal invoice or a mail record still needs clearing.
What the transfer fee pays for and what renews
The fee belongs to the registrar receiving the domain. GoDaddy's transfer-out article lists no separate transfer-out charge, so the amount at checkout is the gaining side's price rather than a GoDaddy bill. Ask that registrar for its receipt before you submit the code.
- One year added: a completed transfer normally extends the expiry by a year from the current date.
- Ten-year ceiling: if the name already sits at ten years, the extra year may not be added.
- Refund rule: a refused or failed transfer is refunded under the gaining registrar's policy, so read it first.
- No double renewal: the added year is part of the transfer fee, so you are not billed twice for the same period.
WebJi's transfer bands, printed before 18% GST, are .com ₹900–1,200, .in ₹500–800, and .co.in ₹500–900 a year. The team confirms the rupee figure for your name by email before payment, because the registry price for a premium name can sit above the band.
Keep the website and email online during the transfer
Nothing in a registrar transfer touches public_html or the mail server. The site keeps loading because the nameservers still point at the host that holds the files, and mail keeps arriving because the MX records have not moved.
If you are also changing host, do it after the transfer settles. Two changes on the same afternoon make a mail failure impossible to attribute, and the registrar support queue will ask you which change came first. Changing nameservers is the hosting half of the job, and it deserves its own window.
Transfer the domain to WebJi
If WebJi is the gaining registrar, start on the domain transfer form, paste the unlocked name and the code, and wait for the rupee figure by email before paying. WebJi has run this since 2005 and holds 12,000+ clients, with support by email at support@webji.services in Hindi and English, average first reply under 60 minutes.
Moving the website files as well is a separate migration request, subject to terms and approval. The office is in Jaipur; there is no walk-in counter in any other city, and the office phone is not a support line. Use the contact form for both jobs.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I transfer a domain from GoDaddy?
Unlock the domain in Domain Portfolio, turn off Domain Privacy, and copy the authorization code under Transfer to Another Registrar. Paste it into the gaining registrar's form and pay its fee. Approve the email from GoDaddy. The move usually completes in five to seven days.
Where is the authorization code in GoDaddy?
Open the domain, choose Transfer to Another Registrar, complete the identity check, then click Click here to see Authorization Code. The same code is emailed to the registrant address. It is issued by the losing registrar, not by WebJi.
Why is my domain not eligible to transfer?
Most refusals come from a 60-day window after registration, a previous transfer, or a registrant contact change made with the 60-day lock, and 120 days for bundled names. An expired name can still move until redemption starts. The panel on the domain names the exact reason.
How long does a transfer from GoDaddy take?
Five to seven days if you wait for the automatic approval. Approving the request yourself, from the email or from Transfers Out then In Progress, can finish it in hours. The clock starts when the gaining registrar submits the request.
What does the transfer fee include?
The gaining registrar's fee normally adds one year to the expiry date, up to the ten-year ceiling. GoDaddy's transfer-out article lists no separate charge. WebJi's bands before 18% GST are .com ₹900–1,200 and .in ₹500–800 a year, confirmed by email before payment.
Will the website go down during the transfer?
No, if the nameservers stay pointed at the current host. A registrar transfer does not touch files, databases, or mail. The site moves only when DNS or the hosting account changes, which should be a separate step.