Free · live registry data · no login
Domain Transfer Checklist Generator
A printable checklist tailored to your domain and registrar.
How it works
A domain transfer checklist built from your domain's real data
Most failed transfers fail for one of six reasons: the domain is under 60 days old, a lock is still on, the auth code is wrong, the admin email is unreachable, the name is about to expire, or DNS was hosted at the old registrar and vanished. This tool reads the registry record and your live nameservers and MX records, then marks each check as pass or fail and gives you an ordered to-do list for the move.
Results appear here after you click Build my checklist.
How this works
- 1
Read the registry record
RDAP gives us creation, update and expiry dates, EPP status codes, registrar, DNSSEC and whether contacts are redacted.
- 2
Check live DNS
We resolve NS and MX records to see who hosts your zone and whether email depends on it.
- 3
Score and sequence
Each finding becomes a pass, warning or blocker, and the to-do list is ordered so DNS and email survive the move.
Frequently asked questions
- What should I check before transferring a domain?
- Confirm the domain is more than 60 days old, the transfer lock is off, you have the auth code, the admin email works, and the domain is not about to expire. Then export your DNS records, because registrar-hosted DNS is usually deleted when the domain leaves.
- Will my website or email go down during the transfer?
- Not if nameservers stay the same. The transfer only changes which registrar manages the name. Downtime happens when the old registrar also hosted your DNS zone and removes it, so recreate records elsewhere first.
- Why does the checklist mention the last-changed date?
- ICANN's transfer policy adds a 60-day lock after a change of registrant name, organisation or email, unless you opted out when making the change. A recent update date is a hint to check whether that lock applies.
- Does DNSSEC really break a transfer?
- The transfer itself succeeds, but if the DS record at the registry no longer matches the keys at your DNS host, validating resolvers return SERVFAIL and the site is unreachable. Remove DS before moving, or carry the same key material over.
- How long does a domain transfer take?
- Typically five days for gTLDs like .com, .net and .org, because the losing registrar has a five-day window to object. Approving the confirmation email at the losing registrar usually completes it within minutes. Country-code extensions follow their own rules.
Every MailShrine domain includes WHOIS privacy, transfer lock, Anycast DNS with DNSSEC and two business mailboxes.