The short answer: turn off the domain lock at Squarespace or Wix, request the authorization code (it is emailed to the domain's registrant contact), and enter it in the transfer panel at Force Domains. Before you start, save every DNS record so your website and email keep working, and check that the domain is not inside a 60-day lock.
Moving your domain does not move your website
A domain transfer changes only where the domain is registered; your website and email stay wherever they are hosted. That is the part that surprises most people, and it decides how you plan the move.
Squarespace says plainly that transferring a domain does not move your hosting or cancel your site; if you are leaving entirely, you cancel the site subscription separately. Wix says that when a domain is transferred away from Wix, your Wix site is disconnected from it and business email stops until you add the email records again at the new host.
So before you request a code, decide which of these three situations is yours:
- Keep the site where it is, move only the domain. You register the domain with us and point it back at the platform. Wix explains how in connecting a domain you own to your Wix site; for Squarespace, ask its support before you start.
- Move the domain and rebuild the site. You need the new site ready, on the builder, WordPress or a site we build, before you switch the domain over, so there is no gap.
- Move the domain and email only. Common when the site is being redone later. The key is copying the email records exactly.
Check these five things before you transfer a domain
Most failed transfers come from a lock, a wrong email address or a missing DNS record. Check all five before you click anything.
Is the domain outside every 60-day lock?
ICANN's Transfer Policy lets the current registrar deny a transfer within 60 days of registration or of a previous transfer, and requires a 60-day lock after a change of registrant unless the registrar let you opt out beforehand. Squarespace lists three such locks: new registration, registrant contact update and recent transfer in. Wix applies the same three. In June 2026 the ICANN Board adopted revised transfer rules that will change these locks once they are implemented; no effective date has been set, so the 60-day rules above still apply for now.
Is the registrant email correct and working?
Both Squarespace and Wix email the authorization code to the registrant contact. If that address is old or belongs to a former web designer, fix it first, keeping in mind that a contact change can start a 60-day lock.
Have you saved every DNS record?
Take screenshots or copy every record: A and CNAME for the website, MX for email, and TXT records for SPF, DKIM, DMARC and any site verifications. Squarespace notes you cannot edit DNS or nameservers while a transfer is pending.
Is DNSSEC turned off?
Squarespace says DNSSEC must be removed before the transfer, because it cannot be turned on or off while a transfer is pending.
Has the domain expired?
Wix says an expired domain can be transferred only during its grace period. Renew or transfer well before the expiration date.
If you bought the domain recently and a lock blocks you, you do not have to wait to launch. Point the domain to your new site now, and transfer it when the lock ends.
How to transfer a domain out of Squarespace, including former Google Domains
At Squarespace you switch off the domain lock and request a transfer code, which is emailed to the registrant contact. Domains that came from Google Domains follow the same process, since Squarespace now manages them; Squarespace has a page about the Google Domains migration, and Google's own help on transferring a domain to another host points to the same Squarespace steps.
Open the domain in Squarespace
Sign in, go to Domains and select the domain you want to move.
Turn off Domain Lock
Switch the Domain Lock toggle off. If Squarespace says it cannot unlock the domain, a lock period has not ended yet.
Request the transfer code
Click Request transfer code and confirm with your password or two-step verification. Squarespace says the code arrives by email, usually within 24 hours. Check spam.
Use only the newest code
Each request creates a new code, so give us the most recent one.
Watch for the confirmation email
Depending on which company is the registrar behind your Squarespace domain, you may get an email that lets you approve the transfer early or reject it within a few days. Do not reject it by mistake.
Squarespace says transfers can take up to 15 days. If you use Google Workspace through Squarespace, update its MX records at your new DNS host; Squarespace notes that you keep managing Workspace through Squarespace unless you cancel it.
How to transfer a domain out of Wix
At Wix you start the transfer from the Domains page, and Wix emails the authorization code (EPP code) to the registrant contact. Wix recommends turning off private registration first so you do not miss transfer emails.
Unlock the domain
Wix requires the domain to be unlocked before the transfer starts.
Choose Transfer away from Wix
In your Wix account, go to Domains, click the Domain Actions icon next to the domain and select Transfer away from Wix.
Confirm twice
Review the information, click Transfer Domain, then I Still Want to Transfer.
Get the EPP code by email
Wix sends the code to the registrant contact email. Domains ending in .uk work differently and use a tag change instead of a code.
Wix says the transfer usually takes up to 7 days and can show as pending or in progress meanwhile. Only the site owner, or a co-owner who also owns the payment method for the domain, can start it.
How to start the transfer at Force Domains
Once you have the code, the rest happens in our storefront: you enter the domain, paste the code and pay the transfer price, which the storefront shows before you pay.
Open the transfer panel
Go to the transfer section of our domains page and enter the domain you are moving.
Paste the authorization code
Use the newest code from Squarespace or Wix, exactly as it appears in the email.
Check out in the storefront
Review the transfer price and complete the purchase. Checkout is on our storefront.
Approve any emails
Approve confirmation emails from the old or new registrar promptly; ignoring them can slow the transfer.
Re-create your DNS records if needed
When the transfer completes, compare the DNS records at the new host with your screenshots and add anything missing, starting with MX for email.
How to keep your website and email working during a domain transfer
Your site and email keep working only if the DNS records that point to them exist at whichever DNS host is active after the transfer. The table shows which record does what.
| Record | What it controls | What breaks without it |
|---|---|---|
| A or CNAME | Where your website lives | Visitors get an error instead of your site |
| MX | Which service receives your email | Incoming email bounces or disappears |
| TXT (SPF) | Which servers may send email for your domain | Your messages are more likely to land in spam |
| DKIM (TXT or CNAME) | A signature that proves your email is genuine | Same as above, and some receivers may reject mail |
| TXT (DMARC) | What receivers should do with mail that fails SPF or DKIM | Less protection against people faking your address |
| TXT (verification) | Proof of ownership for Google Search Console and other tools | You may need to verify the site again |
If you are also moving email to a new provider, read how to switch email without losing messages, and see our business email plans.
Does transferring a domain add a year to the registration?
Yes, for most domains. ICANN's Transfer Policy says a completed transfer results in a one-year extension of the existing registration, so you keep the time you had left plus one year, up to a total of ten years. The storefront shows what the transfer costs before you pay. A free domain offer from Squarespace does not carry over, according to Squarespace, so plan for the normal yearly renewal after the move.
Common domain transfer mistakes and how to avoid them
The costly mistakes all happen before the transfer starts, which is why the checklist above matters.
- Changing the registrant contact right before transferring. It can start a 60-day lock. Request the transfer first if the old address still works, or ask about an opt-out before you change it.
- Not saving DNS records. Email is the usual casualty. Screenshot every record, even the ones you do not recognize.
- Cancelling the old site too early. Keep the old site and its subscription until the new site and domain are live and tested.
- Using an old code. A new request makes earlier codes useless. Use the newest one.
- Waiting until the last week before expiration. Transfers can take days, and expired domains have fewer options.
If you would rather not handle DNS and email records yourself, our website design service connects your domain, email and hosting as part of the project, with a written quote with a fixed price before we start. If you are still choosing a name, see what to do when the domain you want is taken.