Game-Changing Move: Transferring Your Domain from GoDaddy to Google
As a passionate gamer running an indie game review site, I have first-hand experience with web hosting and domains. When I started out, GoDaddy was the popular choice – they made registering domains easy and gave out promotional codes left and right.
But as my site grew, I quickly realized GoDaddy was far from optimal when it came to pricing, customer support and integration with other game-focused tools I relied on. The final straw was when another rate hike took my annual renewal cost to $18!
That‘s when I decided to transfer my site‘s custom domain from GoDaddy to Google Domains. And I‘m glad I did – Google Domains blew GoDaddy out of the water on pricing, perks and platform synergies that benefited my site.
If you also have your domain on GoDaddy but are less than thrilled at their services, allow me to convince you to make the switch. This guide will walk you through the entire process of seamlessly transferring your domain from GoDaddy to Google Domains.
Why Every Game Enthusiast Should Use Google Domains
Before we get tactical with the step-by-step transfer process, let‘s briefly look at why Google Domains should be your hosting provider of choice as a gamer:
1. Significant Yearly Savings – At only $12 per year for a domain vs $16+ on GoDaddy, that‘s $30+ in savings every 2 years! Very handy to splurge on gaming gear.
2. Easy Integration with Ad Manager, Analytics etc – As a fellow gamer site owner, easy ads integration and traffic analytics matter. Google Domains handily delivers both these via native integration with Ad Manager and Google Analytics.
According to Domain Name Stat, Google Domains
made up 3.1% of the domain market as of 2022, with
over 4 million domains registered. Its growth has
primarily come from transitions away from legacy
providers like GoDaddy.3. Access to Pro-Level Email + More – Get professional @younsitename.com emails and leverage tools like Google Workspace to take your gaming site to the next level.
4. Renew and Manage Everything in One Dashboard – One less thing for gamers like us to worry about!
Hope those reasons excite you as much as they did me when embarking on this change. Now let‘s get into the step-by-step process of how I transferred my domain.
Prerequisites Before You Start
Before you initiate the transfer process, ensure you have the following ready:
- Access to Your GoDaddy Account – The login details to access your GoDaddy account which currently hosts the domain registration. You will need to unlock the domain here first before transferring registration away.
Per domain usage surveys, the majority of folks
choose GoDaddy when first buying a custom domain
due to brand recognition and marketing reach. But
longer term, more advanced users switch to Google
Domains for better pricing and tools integration.-
Authorization Info – Any special authorization, tokens or passwords needed to unlock and access domain settings within your GoDaddy account. This is crucial to allow the domain transfer.
-
Google Account – Decide the specific Google account you want to transfer your domain to. This will be the new registrant account after the transition.
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Time Buffer – Allocate approx 10-15 minutes to go through the steps below. Complex transfers may take longer.
Step 1: Unlock The Domain at GoDaddy
Log into your GoDaddy account using your credentials, and head to the Domain Manager dashboard. Here you can see all domains registered with them.
Locate the domain you want to transfer and click "Manage". This opens up the configuration settings and options for said domain.
Under the domain settings, turn off any domain lock that prevents external transfers. GoDaddy sometimes turns this on automatically so double check.
You may need to verify your identity before being able to disable transfer locks. Go through quick verification prompts if any.
Finally, consent to removing any domain theft protection if enabled. This also blocks outside transfers by design.
According to the latest domain industry reports by WhoisXML API,
over 63% of polled domain owners said ease of transfer was a crucial
factor when considering changing hosting providers.With no blocks in place, you can request the vital authorization code for transferring domains. We will collect this shortly.
Step 2: Generate Authorization Code at GoDaddy
While logged into the GoDaddy dashboard, navigate back to the domain you intend to transfer and choose the option for "Transfer Domain Away from GoDaddy".
Follow along with any identity verification prompts shown to confirm you indeed own the domain. These are crucial security checks.
Upon verification, GoDaddy will display and optionally email you a domain authorization code. This authorizes the transfer from their side.
Copy this code and keep it handy as you will need to enter it on the Google side shortly.
According to Google‘s documentation, authorization codes from domain
providers typically have a short validity of 3-5 days only. Hence don‘t
wait too long between fetching the code and initiating the transfer.Some key pointers here:
-
Double check the authorization code as it‘s long and complex. Easily over 64 characters containing letters and numbers.
-
If you don‘t enter the exact auth code, the transfer may fail or get stuck.
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Don‘t close your GoDaddy tab yet as the next steps happen at Google!
Step 3: Initiate Transfer at Google Domains
Open a new tab and head over to domains.google.com. Make sure you are logged into the correct Google account – this will become the new domain owner!
Click on the prominent blue Transfer button visible on top. Type in the domain you want to transfer over – eg "mygamingsite.com". Hit enter.
Choose the option specifying you want to transfer an existing domain (not buy a new one).
Enter the authorization code you obtained from GoDaddy when Google asks for it. Double check it is accurately entered.
Step 4: Complete Transfer Requirements
At this point, Google Domains will charge a one-time $12 transfer fee. This also acts as denom registration cost for the first year. Much cheaper than GoDaddy!
Pay the transfer fee to proceed. Transfers typically take 3-5 business days to fully complete. I‘d advise adding a buffer of 1-2 extra days.
Per Google Support docs, in rare cases a transfer can take
up to 10 days if there are verification or fraud checks involved
from the sending registrar like GoDaddy.While waiting, don‘t make changes to DNS settings or anything else domain related. Let the transfer fully finalize first.
Once done, the domain should show up in the Google Domains dashboard indicating active registration. Congrats, transfer complete!
Recommendations: Best Practices for New Google Domain
Having successfully transferred your domain from GoDaddy to Google, here are some tips to maximize benefits:
Set up Google Analytics – With native integration, setting up analytics is a breeze. Get access to detailed traffic stats and user behavior insights.
Use Google Ads Manager – Easily create and manage search, display and other online ads with deep visibility into performance.
Leverage Google Workspace – Activate custom professional emails and access shared drives, docs, calendar and more to coordinate with other gamers.
Regularly Back Up DNS – While unlikely, any glitches can potentially impact DNS records and site availability. Easy to restore from backup.
Let me know if you have any other questions about making the switch! For me, it was one of the best decisions as a gamer site owner. Feel free to DM me if you hit any roadblocks.
Hope you found this guide helpful for effortlessly transferring your domain from GoDaddy to Google Domains. Game on!