Moving a website: domain and hosting

Domain and hosting

Every website has two parts that can belong to different companies:

• the domain, the name you type in the browser, registered at a registrar;
• the site, its pages, pictures, scripts and database, stored at a hosting provider.

One company can sell both, but it does not have to. Before a move find out for each part who has it, under whose name, and how you get access.

Move the domain

A domain is registered to a person or a company. Make sure it is yours: the registrar and the status of a domain are public at lookup.icann.org or with whois example.com. The contact email should be one you read, because the registrar sends the codes for a move there.

To move a domain such as .com to another registrar you need its transfer code (auth code, EPP code) from the old registrar, and the domain must be unlocked. Usually it cannot move within 60 days after it was registered or last moved. Country domains have their own rules; ask the registrar. Also note how much the yearly renewal costs now and at the new registrar.

Move the site

For the files you need access to the hosting: a control panel, or FTP or SFTP with a host, user name and password. Often it is enough to give these to the new provider, who copies the site. A site with a database also needs its export; for WordPress see Move a WordPress site. Compare what the hosting costs per year now and after the move.

Checklist

• Compare what you pay now with what you will pay at the new provider.
• Look the domain up at lookup.icann.org or with whois.
• Write down the registrar of the domain.
• Check the email address the domain is registered with.
• Get the transfer code and unlock the domain.
• Write down the hosting provider of the site.
• Get access to the files: control panel, FTP or SFTP.
• Give all of it to the new registrar and the new hosting provider.

How to choose the new one: Which hosting to choose.

Article authors: Andrei Olegovich, Klavdiya Kondakova