How to Move Your Website and Email off GoDaddy

Know What You Have First

GoDaddy can hold several parts of your online setup at once. Before you move anything, make a list of what you actually use there. It might include:

• Your domain name registration.
• Your DNS settings, which point your domain at your site and email.
• Your website hosting.
• Your email.
• An SSL certificate.

Each part can move on its own. Many owners move the website and email first, then decide about the domain later. There is no rule that says you must move everything.

The Biggest Risk Is Email

Websites are easy to test before you switch. Email is harder. Mail keeps arriving the whole time you are moving.

Two things can go wrong. First, if your DNS moves and the MX records do not come with it, new mail has nowhere to go. Second, when you point mail at a new provider, old messages stay behind. Microsoft notes that existing email stays at your old host unless you migrate it.

Plan the email move with care. Do not cancel the old email until you are sure every message is safe.

Step by Step

Follow these steps in order. Do not skip ahead.

1. Back up everything. Download your website files and database. Export email, contacts and calendars for every user.
2. Copy every DNS record. Take a screenshot or export of your full DNS list. That includes A, CNAME, MX and TXT records. TXT records often hold proof of ownership for other tools.
3. Lower your TTL. TTL tells other computers how long to remember a record. A day or two before the move, set it to a short value, such as 300 seconds. Changes then spread faster.
4. Set up the new hosting. Copy your site files and database over. Test the site on a temporary address before anyone sees it.
5. Set up the new email. Create every mailbox at the new provider before you change any MX records.
6. Rebuild your DNS at the new home. Add every record from your list, plus the new website and email records.
7. Switch the nameservers. At your registrar, point the domain at the new DNS host. This is the moment traffic starts moving.
8. Check email and the website. Send mail in and out. Load the site from your phone and a computer. Keep checking for a few days.
9. Move old mail. Migrate old messages into the new inboxes and have each person confirm.
10. Cancel old services last. Only cancel old hosting and email once everything works.

Google says new MX records can take up to 72 hours to be recognized. So watch both the old and new inboxes during that window.

Should You Transfer the Domain Too?

You do not have to. Your domain can stay at GoDaddy while your website and email live somewhere else. The DNS and nameservers decide where traffic goes.

Some owners like to keep all their accounts in one place. If that is you, transfer the domain after the website and email are stable. Moving everything on the same day adds risk for no real gain.

How a Domain Transfer Works

GoDaddy's help center lists these steps to prepare a domain for transfer:

• Turn off the domain's transfer lock.
• Turn off Domain Privacy.
• Set Domain Protection down to none.

Then, in your GoDaddy Domain Portfolio, choose the domain and pick the option to transfer it to another registrar. GoDaddy asks you to confirm your identity. You then get the authorization code, often called an auth code.

Give that code to the new registrar when you start the transfer there. Watch your inbox for an approval email and approve it. GoDaddy says transfers typically take five to seven days to complete.

The 60-Day Lock

Timing matters. ICANN's Transfer Policy lets a registrar deny a transfer within 60 days of when the domain was first registered. It can also deny one within 60 days after a prior transfer.

ICANN also describes a 60-day lock after a change of registrant, which means a change to the owner details. GoDaddy says its domains cannot be transferred within 60 days of a new registration, a transfer or a contact change if that lock was applied.

So if you just bought the domain, or just changed the owner name on it, you may need to wait. Plan the transfer around those dates.

Things That Often Get Missed

• Website forms that still send to an old email address.
• SSL on the new host, so the site loads with https.
• Email settings on every phone and laptop.
• TXT records for tools like email marketing or search verification.
• Auto-renew charges on old plans you no longer use.

Getting Help

A move like this is mostly careful list-keeping. If you would rather not do it alone, T3CHS can plan and run the move with you. See our contact page to start.

Common Questions

Will my email stop working when I move my website?

It can if the MX records are not copied to the new DNS host. Copy every record first and create new mailboxes before you switch.

Do I have to move my domain away from GoDaddy too?

No. Your domain can stay where it is while your website and email live somewhere else.

Why can't I transfer my domain right now?

Transfers can be blocked for 60 days after a new registration, a prior transfer or an owner change. Check those dates first.

How long does a domain transfer take?

GoDaddy says transfers typically take five to seven days. Approving the transfer email quickly helps.

What happens to my old emails after I switch?

They stay at the old host until you migrate them. Move and check them before you cancel the old service.

What is an auth code?

It is a password for your domain transfer. ICANN says your registrar must give it to you within five calendar days of your request.

Sources

1. GoDaddy Help: Transfer My Domain Away From GoDaddygodaddy.com
2. ICANN: Transfer Policyicann.org
3. ICANN: Domain Name Registrant FAQsicann.org
4. Microsoft Learn: Connect Your Domain by Adding DNS Recordslearn.microsoft.com
5. Google Workspace Admin Help: Set Up MX Recordsknowledge.workspace.google.com

Last reviewed September 27, 2026.