To move a domain from IONOS to Flashcloud: unlock it and get the authorization code from your IONOS account, then start the transfer from our side at Marketplace > Domains > Transfer one in. Type the domain and click Check eligibility to confirm it's ready to move, then follow the transfer steps. Completion adds a free year to the domain's registration and includes WHOIS privacy at no charge.
Step 1: Unlock the domain at IONOS
IONOS locks domains by default to stop unauthorized transfers. You need to unlock it before we can request the move. See Unlocking a domain for transfer for more on what this lock does.
- Sign in to your IONOS account and go to the domain overview.
- Select the domain you're moving and open its settings.
- Find the transfer lock option (IONOS labels this under the domain's security or transfer settings) and turn it off.
The exact menu wording shifts as IONOS updates their dashboard, so if you don't see "transfer lock" right away, check under a "Domain security" or "Manage domain" section instead. If you can't locate it, IONOS support can point you to it directly, or you can search their help center for "unlock domain."
Step 2: Get the authorization code
The authorization code (also called an EPP code or auth code) proves you own the domain and are allowed to move it. Request it from IONOS through their account interface or support, from the same domain settings page where you found the lock toggle. Save it somewhere you can paste from; you'll need it in the next step.
Step 3: Start the transfer at Flashcloud
Once you have the domain unlocked and the auth code in hand:
- Sign in to portal.flashcloud.com and go to Marketplace.
- Open Domains and click Transfer one in (also reachable from the main Domains section via Transfer).
- Type the full domain name, including the extension.
- Click Check eligibility.
- Follow the prompts to complete the transfer; keep the authorization code from IONOS handy, since every registrar transfer needs it.
This is run from the receiving end, the same general direction as Transferring a domain away from Flashcloud covers in reverse.
What you get on completion
When the transfer finishes, Flashcloud adds a free year to the domain's remaining registration term, and WHOIS privacy is included at no extra cost. See WHOIS privacy for what that does and doesn't cover, especially if your TLD is one of the ones that doesn't support a privacy proxy at all.
Before you approve: set up DNS
If your domain currently points to hosting elsewhere, or you're using IONOS's DNS for email or other records, set up matching DNS records at Flashcloud before the transfer completes. Once it moves, IONOS is no longer authoritative for that domain, and anything not replicated on our side goes dark until you add it. See Pointing your domain to your hosting account for the nameserver and A record options. Make sure the registrant contact email on the domain is one you can actually read, since that's where IONOS sends the confirmation for the transfer.
If something stalls
If IONOS won't remove the transfer lock, contact their support directly to request it. If the transfer doesn't complete after you've entered the auth code and confirmed eligibility on our end, open a ticket from Support in the portal.