If your previous website company manages your church’s domain name, moving it into a GoDaddy account your church controls lets you manage renewals and decide where the domain points. The steps depend on where your domain is currently registered.
1. Create a GoDaddy account for your church
- Go to GoDaddy and select Sign In. Under New Customer, select Create My Account.
- Use an email address your church controls and can access independently of your previous website company.
- Follow the prompts to create the account. Save the login details where authorized church staff can find them and turn on two-step verification. Creating the account is free.
2. Contact your previous website company
You can copy and send this message. Replace the text in brackets with your church’s details.
Hi [Name],
We’d like to move [yourchurch.org] into our church’s own GoDaddy account. Could you confirm where the domain is currently registered?
If it’s already at GoDaddy, please send an account transfer request to [email used for your new GoDaddy account]. If it’s registered elsewhere, please unlock the domain and let us know how we can securely retrieve the transfer authorization code.
Could you also send us a copy of our DNS records and confirm whether you’ll continue hosting those records after the transfer? Please keep our website, email, and DNS services active while we coordinate the move.
Thank you!
Before you start the transfer, check their answer about DNS. DNS records direct visitors to your website and route messages to your email provider. If the previous company says its DNS service will end when the domain moves, contact Church Plant Media so we can help coordinate the change first.
3. Complete the transfer
If your domain is already registered with GoDaddy
- Your previous company starts the move by selecting Transfer to another GoDaddy account and entering your new account’s email address. They can also enter your GoDaddy customer number if needed.
- Sign in to your church’s account and open the GoDaddy Transfers page. Select Transfers In, then Accept Transfer. If the domain isn’t listed, open GoDaddy’s invitation email and select Activate Now.
- Select your domain, review the contact information, and select Continue. Accept the terms and select Begin Transfer. Accept the invitation within 10 days before it expires.
If your domain is registered somewhere else
- Once your previous company unlocks the domain and gives you the authorization code (also called an EPP code or transfer key), sign in to your church’s GoDaddy account.
- Open GoDaddy’s domain transfer page and enter your domain name. When GoDaddy shows the domain is unlocked, enter the authorization code and select Continue.
- Review the transfer price, choose or decline optional Domain Protection, and complete checkout. Ask your previous company to watch for an approval request from the current registrar. Most transfers take 5–7 days. You can check progress under Transfers In.
If the registrar reports a 60-day transfer lock, ask when the domain becomes eligible. A recent registration, transfer, or change to the registered owner’s details can trigger a lock. If those contact details need updating, it’s usually best to finish the transfer first.
4. Confirm your church has control
Once the domain appears in your GoDaddy Domain Portfolio, confirm that the registrant information lists your church and an email address you monitor. Check the expiration date, add your church’s payment method, and turn on auto-renew. Finally, visit your website and send a test email both to and from a church mailbox before canceling any services with your previous company.