How to Transfer a Domain from GoDaddy to DreamHost (2025 Guide)

Transferring your domain from GoDaddy to DreamHost consolidates your domain management with your hosting provider, simplifies billing, and eliminates GoDaddy's aggressive upselling. This comprehensive guide provides step-by-step instructions specifically for GoDaddy-to-DreamHost domain transfers, including GoDaddy-specific quirks and optimization tips.

Why Transfer from GoDaddy to DreamHost?

Common Reasons to Leave GoDaddy

Aggressive upselling and renewal pricing: GoDaddy is notorious for low introductory prices followed by steep renewal increases. A $0.99 first-year .com domain renews at $20.99/year—one of the industry's highest renewal rates.

Cluttered, confusing interface: GoDaddy's dashboard is filled with constant upgrade prompts, advertisements, and confusing navigation that makes simple tasks unnecessarily complex.

Inferior hosting quality: GoDaddy's entry-level web hosting suffers from slow load times, frequent downtime, and overcrowded servers. Users report better performance after migrating to DreamHost.

Privacy and data concerns: GoDaddy has faced criticism for data practices and aggressive marketing based on customer behavior.

Better support elsewhere: While GoDaddy offers 24/7 support, quality is inconsistent, with long wait times and scripted responses. DreamHost provides more knowledgeable, personalized support.

Benefits of DreamHost Domain Management

Transparent, honest pricing: DreamHost shows renewal pricing upfront—no surprise price hikes. Domain renewals are competitive at $15.99/year for .com domains.

Free WHOIS privacy: Domain privacy protection is included free with all DreamHost domain registrations, whereas GoDaddy charges $9.99/year for privacy.

Clean, functional interface: DreamHost's custom control panel is straightforward, modern, and designed for usability rather than upselling.

Hosting integration: Managing domains and hosting in one place simplifies DNS configuration, SSL installation, and website management.

97-day money-back guarantee: While this applies to hosting rather than domain transfers, it demonstrates DreamHost's confidence in their services.

Cost comparison (5-year total):

Savings: Transferring from GoDaddy to DreamHost saves $47.96 over 5 years, even more compared to specialty registrars.

Pro tip: Before transferring anywhere, use Namr to compare current domain prices across 20+ registrars. You might find even better long-term pricing than DreamHost while still benefiting from DreamHost hosting.

Transfer Requirements and Eligibility

Before transferring from GoDaddy to DreamHost, verify your domain meets these requirements:

GoDaddy-Specific Transfer Requirements

✅ Domain registered with GoDaddy for at least 60 days ✅ No transfers in the last 60 days ✅ No registrant contact changes in last 60 days (triggers ICANN lock) ✅ Domain is not expired (must have at least 7 days until expiration) ✅ No outstanding balance on your GoDaddy account ✅ Access to the registrant email address listed in WHOIS ✅ Domain is unlocked in GoDaddy account ✅ You have the authorization code from GoDaddy

Supported Domain Extensions

DreamHost accepts transfers for most popular domain extensions that GoDaddy offers:

Fully supported:

• .com, .net, .org
• .info, .biz, .us
• .co, .io, .me
• Most country-code TLDs

Contact DreamHost support for less common or specialty extensions to verify transfer compatibility.

Transfer Costs and Timeline

Pricing Breakdown

GoDaddy to DreamHost transfer cost:

• Domain transfer fee: $15.99 (includes 1-year extension)
• Privacy protection: Free (saves $9.99/year compared to GoDaddy)
• DNS management: Free
• Email forwarding: Free

What you pay: $15.99 total (one-time)

What you get:

• 1-year domain registration extension
• Free WHOIS privacy (valued at $9.99/year)
• DreamHost domain management
• Free DNS management

Net first-year savings vs. GoDaddy renewal: $15.99 (GoDaddy's $20.99 renewal + $9.99 privacy = $30.98, vs. DreamHost's $15.99 transfer fee with free privacy)

Transfer Timeline

Expected duration: 5-7 days Fastest possible: 3 days (if GoDaddy approves immediately) Maximum duration: 10 days

Day-by-day breakdown:

• Day 1: Unlock domain and obtain auth code from GoDaddy
• Day 1: Initiate transfer at DreamHost
• Day 1-2: Receive transfer approval email from GoDaddy
• Day 1-2: Approve transfer in GoDaddy email or account
• Day 3-7: Transfer processes and completes
• Day 7: Receive transfer confirmation from DreamHost

Expediting the transfer: Log into your GoDaddy account and manually approve the transfer immediately rather than waiting for the 5-day auto-approval period.

Step-by-Step: Transfer Domain from GoDaddy to DreamHost

Step 1: Prepare Your GoDaddy Domain

Before initiating the transfer at DreamHost, prepare your domain in your GoDaddy account.

Verify Domain Age and Status

1. Log into your GoDaddy account
2. Click Domains in the top navigation
3. Click My Domains
4. Find your domain in the list
5. Check the Expiration Date (domain must have 7+ days remaining)
6. Check the Created Date (must be 60+ days ago)

If your domain expires soon: Renew it before transferring. GoDaddy won't transfer expiring domains, and you don't want to lose your domain mid-transfer.

Unlock Your Domain

GoDaddy locks domains by default to prevent unauthorized transfers. You must unlock before transferring.

1. In the My Domains list, click your domain name
2. Scroll to Additional Settings
3. Find Domain lock
4. Toggle to Off (unlocked)
5. Confirm the unlock action
6. Wait 5-10 minutes for the unlock to process

Visual confirmation: The domain lock status should show "Off" or display an unlocked padlock icon.

GoDaddy tip: GoDaddy may show a warning about security risks when unlocking. This is normal—ignore it and proceed with unlocking.

Obtain Authorization Code

The authorization code (also called EPP code or transfer key) is required to authorize the transfer.

GoDaddy method:

1. On your domain's management page, scroll to Additional Settings
2. Click Transfer domain away from GoDaddy
3. You'll see the option to Get authorization code
4. Click Get authorization code
5. Choose to Email me the code or View in account (we recommend emailing)
6. GoDaddy sends the auth code to your registrant email

Alternative method:

1. From the My Domains list, click the three-dot menu next to your domain
2. Select Get authorization code
3. Choose delivery method (email or display in account)

Save the code securely – You'll need to enter it at DreamHost. Authorization codes are typically 8-16 characters with mixed case and numbers.

Example auth code format: Xy9!mK2pQ8nL

GoDaddy quirk: Sometimes GoDaddy shows the code immediately; other times it emails you. Check both locations if you're not sure where the code is.

Disable Auto-Renewal (Optional but Recommended)

To avoid GoDaddy charging you for renewal while the transfer is processing:

1. Go to My Domains
2. Click the domain name
3. Scroll to Additional Settings
4. Find Renewal settings
5. Turn Auto-renew to Off

Why this matters: If GoDaddy auto-renews your domain during the transfer process, you'll have paid for a renewal that's redundant with the transfer's included 1-year extension.

Verify and Update Contact Information

Transfer approval emails go to the registrant email address in your WHOIS information.

1. On your domain's management page, go to Contact Information
2. Click Edit next to Registrant Contact
3. Verify the email address is current and accessible
4. Update if necessary
5. Click Save

Important: Changing registrant contact information triggers a 60-day ICANN transfer lock. Only update if absolutely necessary, and be prepared to wait 60 days before transferring if you do.

Disable WHOIS Privacy (Sometimes Required)

Most transfers work with privacy enabled, but if your transfer fails, try disabling privacy temporarily.

To disable GoDaddy privacy:

1. Go to My Domains
2. Click your domain name
3. Find Domain Privacy under Additional Settings
4. Toggle to Off
5. Confirm the change

Re-enable later: After successfully transferring to DreamHost, enable free WHOIS privacy protection in your DreamHost panel.

Document Your Current DNS Settings

Before transferring, save your current DNS configuration in case you need to restore it.

Export DNS settings:

1. On your domain's management page, click Manage DNS
2. Take a screenshot of all DNS records (A, CNAME, MX, TXT)
3. Or click Export Zone File (if available)
4. Save this information for reference

Critical DNS records to document:

• A records (website hosting)
• MX records (email routing)
• CNAME records (subdomains)
• TXT records (email authentication, verification)

Step 2: Initiate Transfer at DreamHost

With your GoDaddy domain prepared, start the transfer at DreamHost.

Access DreamHost Transfer Page

1. Log into your DreamHost panel
2. Navigate to Domains in the left sidebar
3. Click Registrations
4. Click the Transfer a Domain Registration to DreamHost button

Alternative: Go to Domains → Domain Registrations → Transfer to Us tab

Enter Your GoDaddy Domain

1. In the domain name field, enter your domain (e.g., example.com)
2. Transferring multiple domains? Enter one domain per line
3. Click Request Transfer or Continue

DreamHost checks if your domain is eligible for transfer.

If eligible: You proceed to the next step If ineligible: You'll see an error message explaining why (domain locked, too new, etc.)

Enter GoDaddy Authorization Code

1. On the authorization code page, enter the code GoDaddy sent you
2. Paste carefully – Avoid extra spaces before or after the code
3. Click Continue

Common mistake: Copying extra spaces when pasting the auth code. Paste into a text editor first to verify there are no hidden characters, then copy just the code.

Complete Registrant Information

Enter the domain owner (registrant) contact information:

Required fields:

• First Name and Last Name
• Organization (if applicable)
• Email Address (must be accessible)
• Phone Number
• Street Address
• City, State/Province, Postal Code
• Country

Best practice: Use the same information as your GoDaddy WHOIS to avoid transfer complications.

Review and Process Payment

1. Review your transfer order:
   • Domain name(s)
   • Transfer fee ($15.99 per domain)
   • 1-year extension included
   • Free privacy protection
2. Enter payment information (credit card or PayPal)
3. Review Terms of Service and Transfer Agreement
4. Click Process Transfer or Complete Order

Payment confirmation: You'll receive an email receipt immediately after payment processes.

Step 3: Approve Transfer at GoDaddy

Within minutes to hours of initiating the transfer, GoDaddy sends an approval email.

Check Email for GoDaddy Approval Request

Email subject: "Transfer Requested for [yourdomain.com]" From: GoDaddy Domains ([email protected])

Email includes:

• Domain name being transferred
• New registrar (DreamHost)
• Transfer expiration date (usually 5 days)
• Options to Accept or Decline transfer

Check spam folder if you don't see the email within a few hours.

Option A: Approve via Email Link (Fastest)

1. Open the GoDaddy transfer approval email
2. Click Accept Transfer or Approve Transfer
3. You'll be redirected to GoDaddy's website
4. Log in if prompted
5. Confirm the transfer approval
6. You'll see a success message

Transfer completion: After approval, the transfer typically completes within 24-48 hours.

Option B: Approve in GoDaddy Account

Alternatively, log into your GoDaddy account to approve:

1. Log into GoDaddy
2. Go to Domains → Pending Transfers
3. Find your domain in the list
4. Click Accept Transfer or Approve
5. Confirm the approval

Option C: Do Nothing (Auto-Approval)

If you don't respond to the email, GoDaddy automatically approves the transfer after 5 days.

Pros of auto-approval: You don't have to do anything Cons of auto-approval: Transfer takes longer (7-10 days total vs. 3-5 days with manual approval)

Our recommendation: Manually approve immediately to expedite the transfer.

Step 4: Wait for Transfer Completion

After GoDaddy approves the transfer, it processes automatically.

During this period:

• Your website remains online (no downtime expected)
• Email continues functioning normally
• DNS settings remain unchanged
• Domain is accessible as usual

No action required from you during this phase.

Typical completion time: 24-48 hours after GoDaddy approval

Step 5: Confirm Transfer Completion

DreamHost sends a confirmation email when the transfer completes.

Email subject: "Domain Transfer Complete for [yourdomain.com]"

Email confirms:

• Successful transfer to DreamHost
• New expiration date (extended by 1 year from previous expiration)
• Instructions for managing your domain

Verify in DreamHost panel:

1. Log into DreamHost panel
2. Go to Domains → Registrations
3. Your domain should appear in the list
4. Check expiration date (should be 1 year later than before)

Congratulations! Your domain is now registered with DreamHost.

Step 6: Post-Transfer Configuration

After the transfer completes, optimize your domain settings.

Enable WHOIS Privacy Protection

DreamHost includes free privacy protection (unlike GoDaddy's $9.99/year fee).

1. In DreamHost panel, go to Domains → Registrations
2. Click Edit next to your transferred domain
3. Under WHOIS Privacy, toggle to Enabled
4. Click Save Changes

Benefit: Your personal contact information is hidden from public WHOIS databases, replaced with privacy proxy information.

Verify DNS Settings

Ensure your DNS settings transferred correctly:

1. Go to Domains → Manage Domains
2. Click DNS next to your domain
3. Review all DNS records
4. Compare with the screenshot you took in Step 1

Critical checks:

• A record points to your website's IP address
• MX records point to your email provider
• CNAME records for subdomains are intact
• TXT records for verification/authentication are present

If DNS is incorrect: Manually add or update records to match your previous configuration. DNS changes propagate within 4-48 hours.

Re-Point Nameservers (If Using Custom Nameservers)

If you were using custom nameservers at GoDaddy (like Cloudflare), update them:

1. Go to Domains → Registrations
2. Click Edit next to your domain
3. Under Nameservers, select Use another host's nameservers
4. Enter your custom nameservers
5. Click Save Changes

Common custom nameservers:

• Cloudflare: nameservers ending in .cloudflare.com
• External DNS: Your hosting provider's nameservers

Set Up Auto-Renewal

Prevent domain expiration by enabling auto-renewal:

1. Go to Domains → Registrations
2. Click Edit next to your domain
3. Toggle Auto-Renew to On
4. Verify your payment method is current
5. Click Save Changes

Why this matters: Expired domains can be lost forever, taking your website and email offline.

Lock Your Domain

Protect against unauthorized transfers:

1. Go to Domains → Registrations
2. Click Edit next to your domain
3. Enable Transfer Lock
4. Click Save Changes

Security: Keep your domain locked unless you're actively transferring to another registrar.

Troubleshooting GoDaddy Transfer Issues

Transfer Rejected: "Domain is Locked"

Solution:

1. Log into GoDaddy
2. Go to My Domains → [your domain]
3. Toggle Domain Lock to Off
4. Wait 10 minutes
5. Re-initiate transfer at DreamHost

Authorization Code Not Working

Common GoDaddy issues:

• Code contains spaces before/after
• Code was copied incorrectly
• Code expired (request new one)

Solution:

1. Request a fresh auth code from GoDaddy
2. Paste code into a plain text editor first
3. Copy only the code characters (no spaces)
4. Enter into DreamHost transfer form

Transfer Pending for 7+ Days

Likely cause: You haven't approved the transfer in GoDaddy, and it's waiting for auto-approval.

Solution:

1. Check email for GoDaddy transfer approval message
2. Check spam/junk folder
3. Log into GoDaddy → Pending Transfers
4. Manually approve the transfer
5. Transfer completes within 24-48 hours

GoDaddy Charged Me for Renewal During Transfer

Why this happens: GoDaddy auto-renewed before transfer completed.

Solution:

1. Contact GoDaddy support for a refund
2. Explain the domain transferred to another registrar
3. GoDaddy typically refunds the renewal charge

Prevention: Disable auto-renewal at GoDaddy before initiating transfer (Step 1).

Email Stopped Working After Transfer

Cause: MX records didn't transfer correctly or were reset.

Solution:

1. Check your DNS screenshot from Step 1
2. In DreamHost panel, go to Domains → Manage Domains → DNS
3. Add the correct MX records:
   • Google Workspace: ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM (priority 1), plus others
   • Microsoft 365: yourdomain-com.mail.protection.outlook.com
   • GoDaddy email (if keeping): smtp.secureserver.net and mailstore1.secureserver.net
4. Wait 4-24 hours for DNS propagation

Website Went Down After Transfer

Cause: A record didn't transfer or was reset.

Solution:

1. Check your DNS screenshot from Step 1
2. Identify your website's IP address
3. In DreamHost panel, go to Domains → Manage Domains → DNS
4. Verify A record points to correct IP
5. Add or update A record if incorrect
6. Wait up to 48 hours for DNS propagation

Find your IP: If you don't know your website's IP, ping your domain before transfer: ping yourdomain.com

Migrating Your Website from GoDaddy to DreamHost

Transferring your domain registration is separate from migrating your website hosting. If you want to host your website on DreamHost (recommended for better performance), you'll need to migrate your website files.

Migration options:

Option 1: Professional Migration Service

DreamHost offers professional migration services for WordPress sites. Contact their support team for pricing and availability.

Option 2: Manual Migration

1. Download website files from GoDaddy via FTP
2. Export MySQL database from GoDaddy
3. Upload files to DreamHost via FTP
4. Import database to DreamHost
5. Update wp-config.php (WordPress) with new database credentials
6. Update DNS to point to DreamHost

Option 3: WordPress Migration Plugin

Use a plugin like Duplicator or All-in-One WP Migration:

1. Install plugin on GoDaddy site
2. Create backup/export
3. Install WordPress on DreamHost
4. Install plugin on DreamHost site
5. Import backup/export
6. Update DNS

See our detailed guide: How to Migrate Your Website to DreamHost

Cost Comparison: GoDaddy vs. DreamHost Long-Term

Before transferring, understand the long-term cost implications.

5-year cost comparison (.com domain):

Savings over 5 years: $74.95 by transferring from GoDaddy to DreamHost

Even better option: Check Namr to compare prices at specialty registrars like Porkbun ($10.14/year renewal) or Namecheap ($13.98/year renewal) for even greater long-term savings.

Should You Transfer Your Domain or Just Point It?

Transfer domain registration if: ✅ You want simplified management (domain + hosting in one place) ✅ You're consolidating services at DreamHost ✅ You're tired of GoDaddy's aggressive upselling ✅ You value free privacy protection

Keep domain at GoDaddy and point DNS if: ✅ You have multiple years pre-paid at GoDaddy ✅ You might switch hosting providers in the future ✅ You prefer separating domain and hosting for redundancy ❌ GoDaddy renewal pricing is terrible—transfer or move to a cheaper registrar

Best option: Transfer away from GoDaddy (their pricing is uncompetitive), but compare DreamHost against specialty registrars using Namr to find the absolute best long-term value.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will transferring my domain affect my website?

No. Domain registration transfers don't affect your website hosting. Your website remains on GoDaddy servers (or wherever it's hosted) until you separately migrate your hosting. DNS settings typically transfer with your domain, keeping everything functional.

How long does a GoDaddy to DreamHost transfer take?

Typical transfers complete in 5-7 days. If you manually approve the transfer in your GoDaddy account immediately, completion can happen in as little as 3 days. Maximum duration is 10 days.

Will I lose email during the transfer?

No, email continues functioning normally during domain transfers, as long as DNS settings (specifically MX records) remain configured correctly. Verify MX records after transfer completes.

Can I transfer an expired domain from GoDaddy?

It depends. If the domain is in the grace period (usually 30 days after expiration), you may be able to renew and transfer. If it's in redemption period, you must recover it first (expensive). If it's past redemption, the domain may be lost.

Best practice: Never let domains expire. Transfer well before expiration.

Does transferring cancel my GoDaddy hosting?

No. Domain registration and web hosting are separate services. Transferring your domain doesn't affect your GoDaddy hosting account. You must separately cancel hosting if you no longer need it.

Will I get a refund from GoDaddy?

Generally, no. Domain transfers are one-way, and GoDaddy doesn't refund unused registration time. However, if GoDaddy auto-renewed your domain during the transfer, you can request a refund for that renewal.

Can I transfer back to GoDaddy if I change my mind?

Yes, but you must wait 60 days after the transfer to DreamHost completes. ICANN enforces this 60-day lock to prevent transfer hijacking.

Conclusion: Make the Switch from GoDaddy to DreamHost

Transferring your domain from GoDaddy to DreamHost saves money, simplifies management, and eliminates GoDaddy's aggressive upselling. The process takes 5-7 days but requires only a few minutes of actual work.

Key takeaways: ✅ Unlock and obtain auth code from GoDaddy first ✅ Initiate transfer at DreamHost with the auth code ✅ Approve quickly in GoDaddy to expedite the transfer ✅ Verify DNS settings after transfer completes ✅ Enable privacy and auto-renewal at DreamHost

Cost savings: Transferring from GoDaddy to DreamHost saves $74.95 over 5 years compared to GoDaddy's renewal and privacy fees.

Even better savings: Use Namr to compare domain prices across 20+ registrars. Specialty registrars like Porkbun and Namecheap often beat both GoDaddy and DreamHost on renewal pricing, saving you even more over the long term.

Ready to escape GoDaddy's high prices? Log into your GoDaddy account, unlock your domain, and start the transfer process today. Your wallet will thank you.