To move a domain from GoDaddy to Flashcloud, unlock it and get its authorization code at GoDaddy first, then start the transfer from our side: Marketplace > Domains > Transfer one in, type the full domain, and click Check eligibility. A free year gets added to the domain's remaining registration, and WHOIS privacy comes included if the TLD supports it.
The two halves of this process happen in different places, and mixing them up is a common way a transfer stalls. Here's the order that works.
Step 1: unlock the domain at GoDaddy
In your GoDaddy account, find the domain and locate its Domain Lock (sometimes labeled "Transfer Lock") setting, then switch it off. This is the same lock covered in unlocking a domain for transfer: it exists to stop unauthorized transfers, and toggling it off doesn't affect your site or email in any way. It's reversible, so there's no risk in unlocking it before you're fully ready to start.
Step 2: get the authorization code
Still in GoDaddy, find the domain's Authorization Code (also called an EPP code or transfer code) and copy it somewhere safe. You'll need this during the transfer flow, so grab it before you start rather than mid-process.
Before you unlock and pull the code, check a few things
- ICANN generally requires a domain to be past its initial registration or last transfer by a minimum window before it's eligible to move again - a very new domain may not qualify yet.
- If the domain is close to expiring, renew it at GoDaddy first. A transfer that's still pending when the domain expires can get messy or fail outright.
- Make sure the WHOIS contact email on the domain is one you actually check. GoDaddy will send a confirmation message there, and if it goes unanswered the transfer can stall or auto-cancel depending on GoDaddy's policy.
- If GoDaddy has WHOIS privacy on and you can't get the confirmation email, turn privacy off a day before you start so the real contact address is reachable.
Step 3: start the transfer from your Flashcloud account
Sign in to portal.flashcloud.com and go to Marketplace > Domains > Transfer one in. Type the full domain name and click Check eligibility. If the domain passes, follow the prompts; keep the authorization code from Step 2 handy, since every registrar transfer needs it.
When the transfer completes, the domain's registration is extended by a year automatically, on top of whatever time it had left, and WHOIS privacy is turned on for you if the TLD supports it. See WHOIS privacy for which TLDs don't allow a privacy proxy at all, since that's set by the registry, not by us.
What happens to your site and DNS during the move
A domain transfer only changes who the registrar is. It doesn't touch nameservers, DNS records, or hosting by itself. If your site is already hosted somewhere else and you just want the domain moved, a domain transfer by itself doesn't change your site or DNS. If you're also moving hosting to Flashcloud, set up DNS here first and point the domain's nameservers to ns1.flashcloud.com and ns2.flashcloud.com as described in changing nameservers at GoDaddy, Namecheap, and Cloudflare, so there's no gap. For the general mechanics of what a transfer does and doesn't affect once it lands, see transferring a domain away from Flashcloud, which covers the same handoff from the other direction.
If the transfer doesn't go through
Most failures trace back to one of three things: the domain wasn't actually unlocked, the authorization code was mistyped or had already expired, or the confirmation email at GoDaddy went unanswered past the window. Double-check the lock status and re-pull a fresh code if more than a few days passed since you copied it, then try Check eligibility again.
If eligibility keeps failing for a reason that isn't obvious, or the domain is stuck mid-transfer, open a ticket from Support in the portal. A real person will look at the domain's status and sort out what's holding it up.