All Products
Search
Document Center

Domain Names:Transfer a domain name

Last Updated:Jun 08, 2026

"Transfer" can mean changing your registrar, moving a domain between Alibaba Cloud accounts, or changing its registrant. Identify your goal below and follow the correct procedure.

Concepts

Concept

Purpose

Core Changes

Registrar transfer

Change your domain's registrar.

The domain moves from one registrar to another, such as from GoDaddy to Alibaba Cloud.

Inter-account transfer

Move the domain to a different account under the same registrar.

The domain moves from Alibaba Cloud Account A to Account B. The registrant stays the same.

Change of Registrant

Change the domain's legal owner.

The registrant changes from Person A to Person B. The domain stays under the same account.

Scenarios and references

Find your scenario below.

Scenario

Description

Estimated time

Reference

Transfer to Alibaba Cloud

Transfer a domain from another registrar to Alibaba Cloud.

Typically 5-7 business days.

Depends on registry and registrar processing time.

Transfer a domain name to Alibaba Cloud

Transfer out from Alibaba Cloud

Transfer a domain from Alibaba Cloud to another registrar.

Transfer a domain name out of Alibaba Cloud

Transfer between Alibaba Cloud accounts

Move a domain from one Alibaba Cloud account to another.

Effective immediately.

Transfer a domain name to another Alibaba Cloud account

Change the registrant

Change the domain's registrant (owner) or update registrant contact information.

Typically 3-5 business days.

Update registrant information

Note

Direct transfers between China Site accounts and International Site accounts are not supported.

To move a domain from an International Site account to a China Site account, perform a standard registrar transfer: Initiate a Transfer Out to get the authorization code, then start a Transfer In in the destination account.

Billing

Scenario

Billing

Transfer to Alibaba Cloud

Charged. The transfer is free, but ICANN requires a one-year registration extension, so you pay a one-year renewal fee.

Transfer between Alibaba Cloud accounts

Free.

Transfer out from Alibaba Cloud

Free from Alibaba Cloud. The new registrar charges a one-year renewal fee.

Change the registrant

Free.

FAQ

  • Will my website go down during a domain transfer?

    • Inter-account transfer: No. DNS resolution is unaffected.

    • Registrar transfer: No impact if you keep the same DNS servers. If you also migrate DNS, perform a smooth DNS migration before transferring the domain.

  • Why did my domain name transfer fail?

    Common reasons:

    • The domain is within the 60-day lock period after registration or a previous transfer.

    • The authorization code (Auth Code) from the current registrar is incorrect or missing.

    • The domain is in clientTransferProhibited state. Disable the transfer lock at your current registrar.

    • The domain has expired or is involved in a legal dispute.