This topic answers frequently asked questions about transferring domain names to and from Alibaba Cloud and provides solutions.
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Domain name transfer-in
What is a domain name transfer-in?
A domain name transfer-in is the process of moving a domain name that you registered with another registrar to Alibaba Cloud for management. After a successful transfer, Alibaba Cloud becomes your domain name registrar and provides services such as domain name renewal, information management, and security settings.
How do I transfer a domain name to Alibaba Cloud?
For more information about the transfer-in procedure, see Transfer a domain name to Alibaba Cloud.
How do I check whether my domain name can be transferred in?
You can check whether the domain name suffix is listed on the Domain Name Pricing Overview page and whether the Transfer-in column shows a price instead of a hyphen (-). If these conditions are not met, the domain name cannot be transferred in.
What are the rules for a domain name transfer-in?
Supported for transfer-in: Visit the Domain Name Pricing Overview page, and confirm that a price is displayed for your domain suffix in the Transfer-in column.
NoteAlibaba Cloud supports the transfer-in of domain names with English and Chinese prefixes. The transfer-in of domain names with prefixes in other languages, such as Russian or Japanese, is not supported.
Registration time: The domain name must have been registered for more than 60 days.
Expiration date: The domain name must expire in more than 15 days and less than 10 years.
Domain name status: The domain name cannot be in an abnormal state, such as `clientTransferProhibited`, `serverTransferProhibited`, or `clientHold`.
Legal status: The domain name must not be involved in any dispute, arbitration, or court-ordered transfer restriction.
Renewal status: The domain name has not reached its maximum renewal period of 10 years. If a domain name has been renewed to its maximum validity period of 10 years, it cannot be transferred in.
If you recently renewed the domain name with the original registrar, you must submit the transfer-in request at least 45 days after the successful renewal. Otherwise, according to registry regulations, the one-year extension from the renewal may be canceled. The original registrar is supposed to refund the renewal fee, but the domain's validity period will not be extended by one year after the transfer.
Contact information: Make sure that the administrative contact information for the domain name is correct. All subsequent confirmation emails related to the transfer-in will be sent to the administrative contact's mailbox.
Is there a fee for a domain name transfer-in?
The transfer-in operation itself is free. However, according to ICANN regulations, you must extend the domain name's registration by one year when you transfer it to a new registrar. The price for this extension varies for domain names with different suffixes and is usually the same as the price for a one-year renewal. You can view the transfer-in prices for various domain names in the Transfer-in column on the Domain Name Pricing page.
For example, if the original expiration date of a domain name is August 1, 2016, you must pay a one-year fee for the transfer-in. After the transfer is successful, the expiration date of the domain name is extended by one year to August 1, 2017.
The prices shown in the price list are for standard domain names only. For premium domain names (Gold domain names), the price is obtained from the registry's API in real time. The price of a premium domain name is subject to the actual settlement price of the order.
How long does a domain name transfer-in take?
A domain name transfer-in to Alibaba Cloud must be confirmed by the original domain name registrar. The time required for a successful transfer depends on the processing time of the domain name registry or the confirmation time of the original domain name registrar. The transfer process usually takes five to seven days.
Can I transfer in a domain name that I just renewed?
If you recently renewed your domain name with the original registrar, you must submit the transfer-in request at least 45 days after the renewal is complete. Otherwise, according to registry regulations, the one-year extension from the renewal may be canceled. The original registrar is supposed to refund the renewal fee, but the domain's validity period will not be extended by one year after the transfer.
How do I transfer a domain name to Alibaba Cloud if it was registered less than 60 days ago?
A domain name can be transferred to another registrar only after 60 days from its registration. If your domain name was registered less than 60 days ago, you must wait until the 60-day period is over before submitting a transfer request.
Can I transfer in a domain name that is about to expire?
The domain name must expire in more than 15 days and less than 10 years.
How do I transfer an expired domain name to Alibaba Cloud?
You must renew the domain name with the original registrar and ensure that more than 45 days have passed since the successful renewal. Then, you can submit a transfer-in request to Alibaba Cloud. If a domain name is transferred to another registrar less than 45 days after a successful renewal, the registry refunds the renewal fee to the original registrar. This means the renewal at the original registrar is voided, and the renewal at the new registrar takes effect. As a result, the one-year extension is not applied. If this occurs, you must contact the original registrar to request a refund of the renewal fee.
Are DNS records transferred along with the domain name?
No, they are not. After a successful transfer-in, the DNS resolution is still hosted by the original DNS provider. To transfer the DNS resolution to Alibaba Cloud as well, we recommend that you first transfer the domain name's DNS resolution to Alibaba Cloud DNS and then perform the domain name transfer-in. For more information about how to migrate DNS resolution, see Smoothly migrate DNS resolution for a domain name to Alibaba Cloud DNS.
Does a domain name transfer-in affect DNS resolution?
Some user scenarios may be affected. For more information, see How to avoid DNS resolution issues when transferring a domain name not registered with Alibaba Cloud to Alibaba Cloud.
Does a domain name transfer-in affect ICP filing information?
A domain name transfer-in does not affect ICP filing information. The ICP filing remains valid unless you actively cancel it or it is canceled by the service provider.
How do I fill in the registrar name and contact information for a domain name transfer-in?
To transfer a domain name from its current registrar to Alibaba Cloud for management, the current registrar will require you to fill in the information about the new registrar (Alibaba Cloud). You can fill in the following information.
Full name of registrar: Alibaba Cloud Computing Ltd. (d/b/a HiChina)
Registrar contact: 4008013260
What can I do if the original registrar does not approve the transfer-out?
If the original domain name registrar restricts or rejects the transfer-out without authorization, the registrant can file a complaint using one of the following methods:
For international domain names: Click Complaint regarding international domain names to file a complaint.
Why was the expiration date of my domain name not extended by one year after the transfer-in?
A fee is required to transfer a domain name to Alibaba Cloud. After the domain name is successfully transferred, its expiration date is automatically extended by one year. If the expiration date of your domain name is not extended after a successful transfer-in to Alibaba Cloud, check the following possible causes and solutions:
Cause 1: The domain name was successfully renewed after it expired, but it was transferred to another registrar less than 45 days after the successful renewal. After the domain name is successfully transferred, the registry refunds the renewal fee to the original registrar. This means the renewal at the original registrar is voided, and the renewal at the new registrar takes effect. As a result, the expiration date is not extended by one year.
Solution: Contact the original domain name registrar to request a refund of the renewal fee.
NoteTo protect your rights, if a domain name has been renewed with the original registrar after it expired, we recommend that you wait for 45 days after the successful renewal before submitting a transfer request.
Cause 2: The domain name has not expired. You have paid the renewal fee to the original registrar, but the original registrar has not yet renewed the domain name with the registry before it is transferred to Alibaba Cloud. As a result, the expiration date is not extended by one year.
Solution: The expiration date provided by some registrars may be inaccurate. The expiration date of a domain name is subject to the result of a WHOIS lookup at the registry. You can also query the WHOIS information of the domain name on multiple platforms.
A domain name transfer must be approved by the registry. If your payment for the transfer fee to Alibaba Cloud fails, the registry will not approve the transfer. A successful transfer to Alibaba Cloud indicates that you have successfully paid the transfer-in fee. To protect your rights, we recommend that you consult the original registrar to verify the actual expiration date before the transfer and contact them to request a refund of any renewal fees paid.
After a domain name is transferred from a third-party service provider to Alibaba Cloud, is the remaining validity period still available?
According to ICANN regulations, the maximum validity period of a domain name is 10 years. When you purchase or renew a domain name, you do so in one-year increments, and the total validity period cannot exceed 10 years. For example, if a domain name expires in six months, you can renew it for a maximum of nine years. After the renewal, the validity period is 9.5 years.
According to the regulations of the domain name registry, when a domain name is transferred from one service provider to another, it must be renewed for one year with the new service provider. The validity period of the transferred domain name is the original validity period plus one year. For example, if a domain name has two years remaining with the original service provider, the validity period becomes three years after the transfer. However, if the original validity period is 9.5 years, you still need to pay for a one-year renewal when you transfer the domain name, but the validity period may not be extended by a full year because the total validity period cannot exceed 10 years.
Domain name transfer-out
How long does a domain name transfer-out take?
A domain name transfer-out moves a domain name from Alibaba Cloud to another domain name registrar for management. The transfer process usually takes five to seven days. A domain name transfer-out means that your domain name will no longer benefit from Alibaba Cloud's domain name services.
What are the rules for a domain name transfer-out?
If the domain name uses Alibaba Cloud DNS, you must change the DNS servers to those of the new service provider and configure the DNS records before you transfer out the domain name. This prevents resolution failures after the transfer is complete.
For some domain names registered or transferred in before 2016, the contact fields may be incomplete due to a registry system upgrade. You must complete the required fields by transferring the domain name ownership, and then apply for an authorization code again.
Transfer-out rule | Description |
The domain name registrar must be Alibaba Cloud. | None |
The domain name must be transferred out more than 60 days after the registration date. | None |
The domain name must be transferred out more than 15 days before the expiration date. | We recommend that you transfer out the domain name 30 days before it expires to prevent expiration during the transfer process. |
The domain name must be transferred out more than 60 days after the last successful registrar transfer. | None |
The domain name status must be Normal. |
|
The domain name must be renewed or redeemed more than 45 days after it expires. | Transfer out the domain name more than 45 days after the last renewal. After the transfer, the validity period of the domain name can be extended by one year. |
A domain name transfer-out cannot be repeatedly performed. | You cannot perform multiple transfer operations on the same domain name at the same time. Wait for the previous transfer operation to complete before starting a new one. |
How do I transfer a domain name out of Alibaba Cloud?
For more information about the transfer-out procedure, see Transfer a domain name from Alibaba Cloud to another account.
Can a domain name transfer-out be canceled?
If you have initiated a domain name transfer-out and the request has not been approved, you can follow these steps to cancel the transfer:
Log on to the Alibaba Cloud Domain Names console and click the domain name that you want to transfer out to go to the Basic Information page.
In the left-side menu bar, click .
ImportantIf the Domain Name Transfer-out page does not have a Cancel Transfer-out button, it means the domain name has been successfully transferred out and the transfer-out cannot be canceled. You can wait for 60 days and then transfer the domain name back to Alibaba Cloud. For the transfer-in operation, see How to transfer a domain name to Alibaba Cloud.
How do I check the status of a domain name transfer-out?
You can check the transfer-out status by performing a WHOIS lookup or by checking with the destination registrar. The following procedure describes how to query the registrar information of a domain name using WHOIS lookup.
Go to the WHOIS lookup page.
Enter the domain name to be checked and click Query.
If the registrar of the domain name is not Alibaba Cloud, the transfer-out is successful.
If I transfer out a domain name before it expires, is the validity period affected?
Normally, the remaining validity period of a domain name is not affected. For example, if your domain name expires on March 1, 2024, and you apply for a transfer-out in December 2023, the validity period will generally be extended by one year after a successful transfer to the new service provider. The new expiration date will be March 1, 2025.
If you renew the domain name before transferring it out, we recommend that you wait for 45 days after the renewal before applying for the transfer-out. This ensures that the one-year validity extension is applied after the transfer to the new registrar.
Authorization code
What is an authorization code?
An authorization code is also known as a transfer code or an Extensible Provisioning Protocol (EPP) key. Common names for it include EPP Code and Auth Code. Each domain name has a unique authorization code.
When you transfer a domain name to another registrar, you must provide the authorization code from the current registrar to the new one. For more information about how to obtain an authorization code, see Obtain the authorization code for a domain name.
What can I do if the proxy does not provide the authorization code?
You can first file a complaint directly with the registrar.
If the registrar does not cooperate, file a complaint with the ICANN registry.
According to the regulations of the relevant domain name management authorities (ICANN's Transfer Policy), the original registrar cannot refuse or restrict the transfer-out of a domain name without authorization, nor can it charge extra fees for the transfer-out for any reason.
If the original registrar obstructs the domain name transfer-out or demands a fee for it for any reason, the registrant can go to the Transfer Complaint Form to file a complaint.
After I obtain the authorization code, how long do I have to submit a transfer-in request to the new registrar?
An authorization code is valid for 15 days. After you obtain an authorization code, submit a domain name transfer-in request to the new registrar as soon as possible. If the authorization code expires, you must obtain a new one.
Domain name transfer-in failures
If a domain name transfer-in fails or is canceled, will the fee be refunded?
Yes, it will. If a domain name transfer-in fails, the transfer-in fee you paid will be refunded through the original payment channel. Note: Vouchers will not be refunded.
Domain transfer-in failed: The domain name is in a status that prohibits transfer
Cause 1: A transfer prohibition lock is enabled for the domain name.
Solution: Contact the original domain name registrar to disable the transfer prohibition lock. Go to the WHOIS lookup page and enter the domain name to view its status.
Cause 2: The domain name has been renewed to the maximum validity period of 10 years. After a successful transfer-in, the validity period is extended by one year, which would cause the total validity period to exceed 10 years. As a result, the transfer-in fails.
Solution: We recommend that you wait for a period of time and try to transfer the domain name again when its validity period after the transfer-in would be within 10 years.
What do I do if the transfer-in fails with the message "The domain name format is incorrect. Please enter it again"?
Cause: Alibaba Cloud does not support the transfer-in of domain names with the specified suffix.
Solution: To view the domain name suffixes that can be transferred to Alibaba Cloud, see the Pricing of Alibaba Cloud Domain Name Service page.
What do I do if the transfer-in fails with the message "The original domain name registrar rejected the transfer-in"?
Cause: The original domain name registrar rejected the transfer, or you rejected the transfer through the original domain name registrar.
Solution: You must contact the original domain name registrar to resolve the issue.
What do I do if the transfer-in fails with the message "The domain name failed the naming audit"?
Cause: The domain name does not comply with naming conventions.
Solution: If the domain name fails the naming audit, it cannot be transferred to Alibaba Cloud. For more information about domain name naming conventions and transfer-in rules, see Domain name naming conventions and Instructions on transferring a domain name to Alibaba Cloud.