Transfer a domain from GoDaddyGet the authorization code in the Domain Portfolio and complete the transfer

Published on October 20, 2026

Why switching can be worth it

GoDaddy is one of the largest registrars in the world and, like many big providers, attracts customers with low first-year prices. Renewal then costs considerably more, and it is charged automatically to the stored card. If you keep your domain for years, you pay back the introductory discount several times over.

At MainHoster.de, the annual price also applies to every renewal. Billing is prepaid from your balance, without card charges and without a contract - we remind you by email before the renewal date. The transfer itself costs nothing with us. More about the model in Domain without a contract.

Preparation: what stays behind at GoDaddy

In a transfer, only the registration changes. Everything else you booked or configured at GoDaddy does not move along:

• DNS records. Copy down all records from GoDaddy's DNS management - especially A, CNAME, MX and TXT records - and create them with us before the transfer. What each record is for is explained in DNS records explained.
• Email. If you booked mailboxes via GoDaddy, they remain a separate product there. So that mail keeps arriving after the transfer, the matching MX, SPF and DKIM records must be in the new zone - see Use a domain for email.
• Website builder or hosting at GoDaddy continue to run independently of the domain as long as you do not cancel them. After the transfer, check what you still need.
• Registrant email address. GoDaddy also sends the code to the registrant's address. If it is no longer correct, update it beforehand.

Step 1: get the authorization code at GoDaddy

1. Open your GoDaddy Domain Portfolio and select the domain.
2. Under Transfer, choose the option "Transfer to another registrar". If the domain cannot be transferred right now, GoDaddy shows the reason there.
3. Go through the checklist and choose "Continue with transfer". From this step on, Domain Privacy is switched off so that the owner details can pass to the new registrar.
4. If Domain Protection is active, an identity check follows: a code via SMS or authenticator app if two-step verification has been set up for at least 24 hours, otherwise a one-time password to your GoDaddy account's email address.
5. Via "Click here to view your authorization code", the code appears. Copy it - a copy is also sent to the registrant by email.

If you have many domains at GoDaddy, the codes can also be retrieved collectively via the domain information export.

The 60-day lock

Not every domain can be transferred immediately. With generic extensions such as .com, .net and .org, a transfer is locked for the first 60 days after registration or a previous transfer. GoDaddy adds a peculiarity: if the 60-day transfer lock was accepted when changing the contact details, it applies as well.

GoDaddy shows in the transfer area when such a lock applies. In that case, all you can do is wait - so do not plan the transfer for the last few days before expiry. For .de, there is no 60-day period.

Step 2: start the transfer at MainHoster.de

1. Enter the domain in the search field on the domains page. It is recognized as taken - for a transfer, that is correct.
2. Via "Next", enter the authorization code from GoDaddy in the following step and confirm the owner details.
3. The annual price is paid from your prepaid balance; the switch then runs via the registry.
4. Once complete, check in the web interface that all DNS records are in place.

GoDaddy usually states 5 to 7 days for transfers. It is faster if you approve the outgoing transfer yourself in your GoDaddy account as soon as it appears there. A .de domain is usually transferred within one day.

After the transfer

• Check renewals at GoDaddy. Once the domain has moved, GoDaddy no longer renews it. Still, check whether other products with automatic renewal are running in the account.
• Remaining term. With most generic extensions, the term already paid for is carried over, and the transfer additionally extends the domain by one year.
• Plan for DNS changes. Our records have a fixed TTL of 24 hours. New records appear quickly; changes to existing ones can take up to a day.

If you do not want to transfer the domain at all but only use it with us, it is enough to switch the nameservers at GoDaddy - explained in Change nameservers. The general process for all providers is in Transfer a domain.

Frequently asked questions