How to move your domains off GoDaddy
Its common internet knowledge that GoDaddy is one of the worst, most unfriendly registrars out there. Go to NoDaddy for all sorts of nasty things that GoDaddy that make them completely disreputable, or google "godaddy sucks" for a thousand other reasons.
What's less common is knowing how to actually get your domains off GoDaddy once you've had enough and have smartened up about finding a good registrar. Its simple once you know the process and can ignore the five thousand gratuitous options that godaddy has on their control panel.
First, you must make sure your domain is unlocked.
- go to your domain control panel
- click the checkbox(s) next to the domains you want to unlock
- click the "Locking" button
- choose "unlock" and click ok That will take a few minutes to process...in the interim go sign up for a NameCheap account (referral link) so you can have a nice, usable control panel and a reputable registrar. I've also heard good things about dotster, but have not used them personally. Now, once your domain has been unlocked at godaddy, go back to the control panel there and get an authorization code:
- Click on the domain name itself that you want to transfer
- You are now on the "show details" page from hell -- the link you want is Authorization Code: Send by Email - click on that "send by email" link, then click OK in the confirmation page that comes up.
- Check your email in a few minutes, and you'll have the auth code (aka EPP Code) you need! Use that code at the new registar you want to transfer to, and you'll be off godaddy soon enough
There is a helpful page here showing this process with screenshots, but it loads very slow. Here's a cached copy that may work better.
I'm happy to say the last of my domains will be off godaddy by tomorrow, and I'll be 100% godaddy free.