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Windsor, CT 06095
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Transferring and Managing Domain Names at Invisible Gold

Transferring and Managing Domain Names at Invisible Gold
Domain names are the key to your online presence. It's important to pick good ones, and it's important to keep them registered.

Invisible Gold offers a service where we register and manage domains for our clients. This means that they just need to pay one company and we automatically renew them as needed.

Note: Be careful that you don't accidentally pay another company to renew your domain for you. One scam artist, Domains of America, may send you an invoice in the mail. If you have any questions, please just call or email us.

Invisible Gold Customers: You can send the login/password for your previous domain registrar and we can try to help you through this process.


Step 1. Unlock the domain

Every domain has a "lock" setting. We keep our domains "locked" so they cannot be transferred away. Usually, to unlock a domain, you need to log into the management website and turn off "registrar-lock". Each company will call the registrar-lock by a similar name.

If you do not have access to your domains, it's a good idea to check all of your records and see if your old web designer may have the information for you. It's professional courtesy for your current web designer to help you transfer your domain to another one. However, keep in mind that they are probably losing a customer and might not be happy about it. They also can hold this over your head if you have unpaid invoices.

Step 2. Make sure you have access to the email address listed for the "Registrant"

Every domain has two contact addresses: the registrant and generic address. The registrant is typically the owner of the domain and is the most important address. It's basically the legal owner. In most cases, we try to make sure that your information is listed here.

However, we also put a generic address, domains@invisiblegold.com, as the email contact. This way we get the billing updates and save you from the spammers that use this address.

When a domain is transferred, the new registrar will first check to see if it is unlocked. If so, then the new registrar will send an email to the current registrant. Chances are that this is you or your old web designer. You usually need to confirm the domain transfer in this email and maybe enter into a new legal agreement with the new registrar.

To make a domain easy to transfer, you can change the registrant contact address to domains@invisiblegold.com or keep an eye out for the confirmation email once the transfer is submitted (a few steps from now.)

Step 3. Generate and AUTH or EPP code.

The AUTH or EPP code is like a password that allows you to transfer a domain. These days it's not enough to unlock the domain.

We need this code to initiate a transfer. If the EPP code is incorrect, the domain cannot be transferred.

You can usually get the code by logging into the old registrar or asking your old web designer to send it to you. Often it will be automatically emailed to the email address listed as the registrant.

Step 4. Invisible Gold initiates the transfer

With the domain name and EPP (AUTH) code, we can begin the transfer.

If the domain is unlocked and the email sent to the registrant address is verified, the domain will start to transfer. Each company (old registrar) has a different process. Some will release the domain right away causing the transfer to take only a few minutes while some registrars will hold onto the domain for 5-6 days.

Once the domain is released, Invisible Gold can manage it for you.

Useful Tool: Who Is

Whois is an old computer command that lists who owns a domain, the email addresses, and a variety of other information. Today you usually access it through a web page, however some registrars only search in their database.

Network Solutions has a very good whois search that reviews every registrar I have ever worked with and is extremely thorough. You can access it from a link on www.networksolutions.com or currently from: http://www.networksolutions.com/whois/index.jsp

Ownership Concerns

We're very sensitive to ownership issues surrounding domain names. Your name should be listed as the registrant. This gives you an option to take control back by contacting the registrar directly. The "whois" method listed above will enable to look at your domain to make sure it is accurate.