Yearly Pro and Pro Plus plan members can transfer their existing domain to Format and get an additional year added on free. Regular cost is US$20 per year. Any time remaining from your previous registrar will be applied as free time at the end of your first year.
This is available for domain names ending: .com , .net, .org, .ca, .xyz and .me
It is not possible to transfer domains that have different TLD's (Top Level Domains).
WARNING: If you have email hosting, an existing Google Workspace account or other domain connections, please note that Transferring a domain will remove any additional records from the DNS Zone and may cause an interruption to these services.
Please contact us first via in-app chat (icon lower-right corner) before transferring a domain.
If you would prefer to not reset these records, you can instead connect your domain from where it is currently registered.
Get your current domain's transfer authorization code
Log in to your current domain host registrars control panel and copy the authorization Code for your domain.
Domain hosts (registrars) may name this differently but you are looking for a code possibly identified as EPP Code , auth code or transfer keys
You will also need to Unlock Domain to allow the transfer to work.
Example of Transfer Authorization Code and Domain Unlocking
Above is an example of how your domain host may display:
Transfer Authorization Code (select and copy for accuracy)
Domain Lock (unlocked)
Once you have this code, go to your Format Account.
Transfer a Domain
Click 'Settings' from left sidebar
Click 'Domain and Email'
Go to 'Transfer a Domain' area and enter the 'Domain to be Transferred'
Click 'Transfer'
You can also 'Upgrade To Transfer Your Domain Free' if this option is available.
Enter the authorization code
Displaying domain name you are transferring
Enter 'Authorization Code' from your current domain host
Ensure domain shows as being unlocked at your current domain host
Click 'Continue'
Transfer details
Domain name being transferred
Authorization Code
Enter your name, this is required and must be a correct, legal name
Add your address details accurately
Add your email address and phone number. Please use an email address that is not associated with this domain name. You may need to verify this email within 14 days of registration.
Read the legal fine print
Read and agree to our Terms of Service. By clicking 'Complete Purchase' you are agreeing to our Terms of Service. This is a requirement for registering a domain
View more on our Domain Pricing page
'Complete Purchase' after you have re-checked all details are correct
Click 'Next'
Transfer Confirmation
Domain name being transferred
The transferring domain has an extra years registration additional to any remaining time period by Format.
Free for Pro Yearly and Pro Plus Yearly plans. US$20 for Basic Yearly and Monthly plans.
If you have email hosting, an existing Google Workspace account or other domain connections, please contact us with the necessary DNS Zone records so we can add on your behalf.
Click 'Complete Transfer'
Transfer underway
If all information has been entered correctly you will see a message thanking you for transferring and advising the estimated time to transfer.
Click 'Go to Domain Settings'
Domain Settings
Click 'Domain & Email'
Transferring Domain name
Status, this will show 'Needs Email Verification' but from experience, none is sent for verifying. Please allow up to 15 days for transfer to complete (it is usually around 1-2 days).
Cancelling a Domain Transfer
If you have started to transfer a custom domain name to Format, but then decided you do not want to do this, please contact your current domain registrar immediately so they can cancel the transfer. We are not able to cancel this from Format's end.
Speed of Transfer
If you have concerns about how long this may be taking, please reach us on our live chat or email us at info@format.com We can check the progress and advise any steps that may need to be taken, we have sometimes seen domains transfer in a few minutes, while others have taken up to fifteen days to transfer, this is not something that we can speed-up unfortunately.
Why am I unable to transfer the domain I own?
Domains that have been registered or already transferred within the previous 60 days are not eligible for transfer, as per Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) regulations.
If your domain was recently registered or transferred by another domain host, you will instead need to connect the domain to your Format site. Please see our guide How to Connect a Custom Domain.
Why will my site not connect at the HTTPS://[domain].com version of my domain?
Format does not offer SSL certificates (HTTPS) on root domains (your domain without www.)
Your domain will be available at the following variations of the domain:
[Domain].com
Reach us online at our live chat or via our email info@format.com if you have any more questions. We’re happy to help!