9 Common Errors When Transferring a Domain
- Alireza
- Apr 19, 2023
- 3 min read
Updated: Sep 10, 2023
Domain name transfer is not very challenging if you follow some simple instructions. However, occasionally you may fail to launch your recently bought domain. This blog post discusses common errors while transferring a domain that causes domain transfer to fail.
9 Reasons Causing a Domain Transfer To Fail
Here are the common mistakes that many domain owners make while transferring a domain name:
1. Owner Response or Approval is Awaiting
When you try to transfer a domain name from a registrar, an email will be sent to the email address displayed in the WHOIS for that domain’s registrant/owner. If you encounter the status “Awaiting Owner Response or Approval,” it means the domain owner has not taken any action to approve the transfer. They must follow through on the transfer email they got.
2. Verify the Admin Email Address
As previously stated, the current owner contact must approve the transfer for the domain to be conveyed. When trying a domain transfer, the status “Check Admin Email Address ” indicates that the email address for the Administrative Contact is either invalid or impossible to deliver. You should change itin the WHOIS information for that domain.
3. The Domain Has Been Locked
Your domain transfer request will be denied if the domain is currently locked. To proceed with the transfer, you must first unlock the domain at its current registrar.

4. Waiting Period of 60 Days Post Renewal
A domain must be at least 60 days old from the registered or transferred date. You must wait until 60 days have passed before resubmitting your request.
5. Ownership Update Waiting Period of 60 Days
If the domain owner changes their first or last name in their WHOIS, the domain may be locked for 60 days. This is done to avoid fraud.
6. Domain Name Expired
If your domain has expired, a domain transfer will fail. You must first renew the domain, then wait 60 days before requesting the domain transfer again.
7. The Domain Is Set to Private
If you have enabled domain privacy or WHOIS Privacy on your domain, your domain transfer request will fail. To finish the transfer, you must disable the domain privacy feature at the recent registrar.
8. No Authorization Code Provided
The transfer will fail if you don’t submit the authorization or EPP code when attempting to transfer the domain. To move the EPP/Authorization Key to another registrar, you must first request it from the existing registrar.

9. Payment Failed or Not Completed
The payment process is one of the critical aspects of a successful domain transfer. Any wrong or incomplete action related to the payment can cause the domain transfer to fail. You should use a reliable escrow service to secure the payment while transferring a domain name. For instance, you can use Domchain, which secures the payment by blockchain technology and transfers all the money in less than two hours.
What Is Domain Hijacking?
Domain Transferring is not possible if you do not own an authorization code. However, some people may want to transfer a domain name without a verification code, called domain hijacking, which is illegal.
How Can I Know Whether My Domain Transfer Has Failed or It is Delayed?
Usually, a domain transfer takes about 5-7 days to complete. As a result, if your domain transfer is not completed after a week, you can start looking for the errors that may have caused the transfer to fail and fix them.

Why Does It Take a Minimum of 5 Days To Transfer a Domain?
As mentioned earlier, the domain transfer needs data approvals from both registrars. Since domain hijacking can occur due to a lack of observance by both parties, a minimum of 5 days is dedicated for security reasons.
For instance, a domain’s owner might be on vacation and not check their email, which can be why some others hijack their domain name.
Conclusion
Domain transferring is referred to the action when you move your website’s hosting from one registrar to another. Although domain transferring is not challenging if you follow some simple guides, sometimes it may fail due to unwanted errors.
Overall, the errors are related to the registrar and the escrow service you choose to transfer the domain cost with. If all the data on both registrars is provided correctly and the money is transferred successfully, the domain transfer will be completed within a week.
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