How to Transfer a Domain From GoDaddy to Bluehost

How to transfer your domain

Transferring your domain from GoDaddy.com to Bluehost.com is simply a matter of signing up for a new hosting account at Bluehost and, most importantly, assuring your domain is pointed to the correct domain name system (DNS) servers.

Instructions

Sign Up With Bluehost

1. Go to Bluehost.com's site and scroll to the bottom of the home page. Click the small link at the bottom that says "Terms." Be sure that you have thoroughly read and agreed to the terms of service before signing up for a hosting account.

2. Return to Bluehost's home page by using the back button in your browser or clicking on "Home" in the left navigation menu. Click the large, green "Sign Up Now" button on the home page. This will take you to a page which will give you the options of either registering a new domain or transferring a domain you already own. Fill in your domain name under "I have a domain." Be sure to double=check for typos or misspelling. Click "Next."

3. Fill out your personal contact information on the billing information page. In section one, entitled "Account Information," fill in your name, address, telephone numbers and email address. You will also create your own password in this section. All fields marked with an asterisk (*) are required.

4. Choose the hosting package you wish to purchase, 12, 24 or 36 months. Note that you will pay for the entire period chosen, up front, at this time. It is not a month-to-month contract, despite the price showing "$6.95 per month." The entire hosting package is billed in advance to your credit card. Below this, enter your credit card information and check the box verifying that you have read and agree to Bluehost's Terms of Service. Press the "Next" button at the bottom of this section.

5. Look for a confirmation message telling you your account is now active, provided the charge to your credit card was successful. At the bottom of this page, in the green box, click on the message that says "Domain Transfer Help Page - Click Here." Go to your domain registrar (the place where you originally registered your domain) and change the current DNS server information (for example, the NS1hostname.com, NS2hostname.com, etc.) to match the DNS servers listed on the Domain Transfer Help Page for Bluehost. It may take a few days for this information to filter through the entire Internet and for your domain to become fully transferred.

6. Once your domain has fully transferred, you may begin uploading all of your files to your new web hosting space at Bluehost, via FTP.

Tips & Warnings

• It is very important that you change the DNS information for your domain to Bluehost. Otherwise, your website will not be transferred. In order to know when the filtering process has completed, upload a special, dummy html page to your new web space at Bluehost. It can be something as simple as a blank page with the words "domain is transferred" on it. Then, to check, type your domain name into the location bar of your browser and press Enter. When your new dummy page shows up, you will know your domain transfer is complete.

• Make sure to read Bluehost's Terms of Service before signing up, to prevent any unexpected consequences. In particular, be aware that your credit card will be charged for the full amount of any hosting package you order at the time of sign up. Bluehost's terms of service detail its cancellation and refund policies and you will want to be sure you are familiar with these policies in case you decide to cancel your account before the end of your purchased term.

References

• Bluehost

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish
• Bluehost's Terms of Service