What Happens to My Website During a Domain Transfer
A domain transfer moves your domain registration from one registrar to another. It does not automatically move your website, email, or hosting. In most cases, your website remains online during the transfer.
Key Point: Registrar and Hosting Are Separate
A domain transfer changes where your domain is registered. Your website stays wherever it is hosted unless you change DNS or move hosting separately.
- Registrar controls domain ownership and renewals
- Hosting provider controls website files, databases, and server resources
- DNS settings determine where visitors are sent
What Usually Stays the Same During a Transfer
During the transfer window, the domain remains active at the current registrar until completion.
- Your website should continue to load normally
- Your email should continue to work normally
- Your nameservers typically remain unchanged
- Your DNS records remain served by the current DNS provider
When a Website Can Go Offline During Transfer
Websites usually go offline only if DNS is changed or DNS records are missing.
- Nameservers were changed during the transfer
- DNS zone was not recreated at the new DNS provider
- DNS records were deleted or overwritten
- Domain expired during the transfer process
If you do not change nameservers or DNS records, a transfer alone rarely causes downtime.
Nameservers During Transfer
Nameservers determine which DNS provider answers for your domain.
- If nameservers stay the same, your website and email should remain stable
- If nameservers change, DNS propagation begins and your site may temporarily not resolve
If you plan to move DNS to A7 Host, do it carefully and ensure all required records exist before switching.
DNS Propagation Considerations
If you change nameservers or DNS records during a transfer, some visitors may see different results until propagation completes.
- Some networks may show the new location
- Other networks may still show the old location
- This can last up to 24 hours in many cases
Email Considerations During Transfer
Email depends on DNS records, especially MX records. If MX records are missing or incorrect, email delivery may fail.
- Do not delete MX records during transfer
- Recreate MX, SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records before changing nameservers
- Test sending and receiving after DNS changes
Recommended Best Practice to Avoid Downtime
To reduce risk, keep the transfer and hosting migration as separate steps.
- Complete the domain transfer first
- Confirm nameservers and DNS remain unchanged
- After transfer completes, plan DNS or hosting changes separately
How to Confirm Your Website Will Stay Online
Before starting a transfer, confirm where your DNS is currently hosted.
- Check which nameservers are currently assigned
- Confirm DNS records exist at the active DNS provider
- Do not change nameservers unless you intend to move DNS
What to Expect After the Transfer Completes
Once the transfer finishes, your domain will appear under A7 Host in the client area. Your website behavior should remain the same if nameservers were not changed.
- Domain ownership and renewals are now managed at A7 Host
- Nameservers usually remain as they were unless you change them
- Website remains hosted where it was previously
When to Contact Support
Contact support if:
- Your website stops loading during transfer without DNS changes
- Your email stops working after the transfer starts
- You changed nameservers and are unsure which records to add
- Transfer is completed but DNS appears incorrect
Support portal
https://www.a7host.com/billing
