I got an error when trying to transfer my domain. What does it mean and what should I do?

Althought usually very straightforward, domain transfers can sometimes be frustrating if the process doesn't go smoothly. There are a few measures in place intended to make sure your domain is not stolen or transferred by someone who is not authorized to transfer it which sometimes causes transfer issues. Fortunately your domain can be transferred without having any downtime to your website.

You can always check the status of your domain transfer by logging into your client area and going to Domains->My Domains. Then select the domain you want to manage. On the next page you will see the current status as well as any errors.  The error message listed there will help you understand what the issue is and how to fix it. Additional details can be found below.

If you get an error, you will have the opportunity to fix it and submit the transfer again without getting in touch with us from the above screen.

Below are the possible error messages you may receive and contain additional details on what you can do to fix it.

Auto verification of transfer request initiated

A verification email was sent to you in order to verify that the transfer should go through, but you have not yet clicked the link within the email to verify the transfer.

What to do

Check your email (including your spam folder) for the verification email, and approve the transfer.

Some email addresses will reject domain transfer emails as spam. This may include emails ending in @comcast.com, @me.com, @mac.com and others. To fix this issue, cancel the domain transfer with your current domain registrar and try using a different email address (such as a free @gmail.com). To do this, you must update the email associated to your domain with your current domain registrar. We cannot change this for you since we do not yet have access to your domain.


Awaiting auto verification of transfer request

We have received your transfer request and are obtaining the current domain information in order to generate the verification email that will be sent to the email address associated with your domain.

What to do

No action needed.

  

Canceled by customer

You cancelled the domain transfer

What to do

No further action required.

 

Canceled - cannot obtain domain contacts from UWhois

The losing registrar blocked Whois queries for more than a week, so the transfer request automatically canceled.

What to do

Submit a new transfer request.

  

 

Canceled - contact information on account rejected by CIRA registry.

The contact information provided with this transfer request was rejected by the .ca registry.

What to do

Submit CIRA-compliant contact information, then submit a new transfer request.

 

Canceled - domain contacts did not approve transfer of domain

Transfer failed: the Registrant or Administrative contact rejected transfer. We sent you an email asking you to approve the transfer but the approval link within the email was never clicked.

What to do

We will have to initiate the transfer again. Please login to your client area and go Domains->My Domains. Then click the 'Manage Domains' button and you will see the option to Resubmit the transfer.

Ensure that your email address associated with the domain is correct. You can only do this with your current domain registrar. So verify with them what email is being used for the domain.

IMPORTANT: Some email addresses will reject domain transfer emails as spam. This may include emails ending in @comcast.com, @me.com, @mac.com and others. Try using a different email address (such as a free @gmail.com). To do this, you must update the email associated to your domain with your current domain registrar. We cannot change this for you since we do not yet have access to your domain.

 

 

Canceled - domain contacts did not respond to verification emails

The transfer was canceled because neither the Registrant nor the Admin contact responded to verification emails. We sent you an email asking you to approve the transfer but the approval link within the email was never clicked.

What to do

We will have to initiate the transfer again. Please login to your client area and go Domains->My Domains. Then click the 'Manage Domains' button and you will see the option to Resubmit the transfer.

Ensure that your email address associated with the domain is correct. You can only do this with your current domain registrar. So verify with them what email is being used for the domain.

IMPORTANT: Some email addresses will reject domain transfer emails as spam. This may include emails ending in @comcast.com, @me.com, @mac.com and others. Try using a different email address (such as a free @gmail.com). To do this, you must update the email associated to your domain with your current domain registrar. We cannot change this for you since we do not yet have access to your domain.

 
 

Canceled - Domain is currently not registered and cannot be transferred

This message appears under two circumstances:

  • The domain does not exist -- either the domain name was mistyped or is not currently registered
  • The domain is in a status where it cannot be transferred. This may happen if the domain was registered less than 60 days ago, the domain has recently expired (within the last 60 days) and is pending a delete, or the current domain registrar has locked the domain.

What to do

Check for typographical errors in the transfer request. If there are no typographical errors and you know the domains are currently registered, submit a support ticket.

 

Canceled - domain is currently undergoing transfer by another registrar

A transfer request for this domain has been submitted by another registrar.

What to do

If you have submitted a transfer request through another registrar, log on to your account at the other registrar and cancel the transfer request.

If you have not submitted a transfer request elsewhere, contact the domain Registrant and Admin contacts and alert them that the transfer requests they receive are not yours.

 

Canceled - Domain is locked at current registrar or is not yet 60 days old

This message can appear under the following circumstances:

  • The domain name is locked at the current registrar.
  • The domain name was registered or transferred fewer than 60 days ago.
  • The domain name is in Expired status.
  • The domain name is already in this account.

What to do

If the domain name is locked at the current registrar, contact the registrar and request lock removal, then submit a new transfer request.

If the domain name was registered fewer than 60 days ago, wait until the domain is older than 60 days, then submit a new transfer request.

If the domain name is already in this account, no action is needed.

 

Canceled - Domain name is invalid or is Invalid for Transfers

The domain name does not exist (often because of a typo in the transfer request) or is a top level domain we don't support.

What to do

If the domain was misspelled, submit a new transfer request with the spelling corrected.

If we don't support the top level domain, we cannot accept transfer of the domain. You can still update your nameservers to point your domain to our servers and it will work the exact same way. This just means your domain is not managed through our system.

 

Canceled - Domain validation string is invalid

The validation string that is supplied with an auto reseller order was invalid or missing.

What to do

Correct the validation string, and resubmit the transfer request.

 

Canceled - Domain was not retagged or was not retagged in time by losing registrar

This is for .uk domains only. A transfer was created and submitted, but the domain was not retagged to ENOM.

What to do

When transferring a .uk domain your will need to use the tag ENOM when transferring. Contact your current domain registrar and ask them to use the ENOM tag so we can resubmit the transfer.

 

Canceled - Invalid EPP/authorization information - Please contact current registrar to obtain correct key

Transfer failed due to an invalid EPP key/authorization code. Authorization/EPP codes are special codes that can only be obtained from the current domain registrar and help ensure that only the true owner of the domain can transfer the domain somewhere else.

What to do

Contact current domain registrar and request that they resend the Authorization/EPP code and send it to you. Once you have the authorization code, you will have to resubmit the domain transfer. Please login to your client area and go Domains->My Domains. Then click the 'Manage Domains' button and you will see the option to Resubmit the transfer. You will also have the option to enter the new EPP code.

 

Canceled - Maximum registration period exceeded

If this transfer were completed, the expiration date of this domain would exceed ICANN's limit of 10 years from today's date.

What to do

Wait until the domain name's expiration date is 9 years or less from today, then submit a new transfer order.

 

Canceled - Registrant info is missing

Registrant information was not provided for a .eu or .ca domain name.

What to do

Provide valid Registrant information with your current domain registrar, then submit a new transfer request.

 
 
 

Canceled - The current registrar has rejected transfer (please contact them for details)

The current registrar rejected the transfer request.

What to do

Contact the current registrar, resolve the reasons they rejected the transfer, and submit a new transfer order. If you cannot resolve the problem by working with the losing registrar, submit a support ticket with us.

 

Canceled - Unable to transfer due to unknown error

Your transfer request has failed for unusual reasons.

What to do

Submit a new transfer request. If the transfer fails a second time, contact us.

  

Domain awaiting transfer initiation

Domain is in the process of transferring. Transfer has been approved and losing registrar is in the process of releasing the domain. The transfer should complete within 24 hours.

What to do

No action required.

 

Domain transfer initiated and awaiting approval

Domain is in the process of transferring. Transfer has been approved and losing registrar is in the process of releasing the domain. The transfer should complete within 24 hours.

What to do

No action required.

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