How to Transfer a Domain from One Account to Another

If you've registered a domain with Bluehost and want to move it to another Bluehost account, the process of transferring is easy. Follow this step-by-step guide to ensure a seamless transition with minimal downtime.

• Accessing the Domain tab
• Assigning the Domain
• Troubleshooting
• Summary

Accessing the Domain Tab

Domains can be assigned from the Hosting Manager (Account Manager). To begin, you will need to sign in to your Bluehost account.

Assigning the Domain

To learn more about this, please refer to this article: What Is The Difference Between Addon Domain, Parked Domain & Subdomain?

1. From the Hosting tab, click the ADD SITE button.
   
2. Fill out all required fields to complete the site creation process. You can either Install WordPress, Transfer an Existing WordPress site or Other (empty environment) to create a blank site.
   
3. If you are using a domain name that is not in the same account as the hosting package, you will need to update your DNS settings. 
4. Depending on the domain you are assigning to, you must verify the ownership of the domain name.
   • If you are assigning a new domain, use one of the following:
     • Name Servers: Update your Name Servers to ns1.Bluehost.com and ns2.Bluehost.com.
     • A Record: Point the A record to the IP address indicated on the screen.
     • Create HTML Page: Create an HTML page on your existing host containing the case-sensitive text provided.
     • EPP Code: This will not transfer your domain name, but use the EPP code to verify ownership.
   • If you are assigning an Addon or Parked domain from another Bluehost account and you see an error similar to this:

     The domain "example.com" is currently an Addon domain on the myexample.com account. Please type the myexample.com password to verify your ownership of the domain. 

     Enter one of the following:
     • Password: Type the account password where the domain is currently associated with verifying your domain ownership.
     • EPP Code: This will not transfer your domain name, but use the EPP code to verify ownership.

     Note: If you recently purchased the domain, either from a new purchase or an auction, and cannot get the domain removed from your account, you will need to contact support. You will also be asked to provide proof that you own the domain. It can take 3 days or longer to resolve due to legal protocols.

     Important: The domain registration will be ready to auto-renew on the new account. Within 24 hours of assignment, our system will automatically renew the domain on the new account.

   • If you are assigning a Primary domain from another Bluehost account, the account where the domain is currently the primary needs to be fully canceled or renamed.
     • If you want to keep the original account and move the domain over, that account will need to be renamed using any domain name that is associated with the said account. To do so, please check the How To Change Your Primary Domain article.
     • If you don't want to keep the original account, it must be canceled before the domain can be moved. Please follow the How To Cancel My Hosting Account article to cancel the account.
5. Choose how you would like to assign the domain (Addon or Parked).
   • Addon Domain: An addon domain name functions as its domain and website, separate from your primary domain.
   • Parked Domain: A parked domain name will load the same website as your primary domain.
   • Unassigned Domain: An unassigned domain is attached to your account but does not point to a website or have a dedicated folder. Choose this option if you're not ready to host the domain yet. You can assign the domain as an addon or parked when you're ready.
6. Specify a directory you would like the Addon to point to.
7. Click the Assign this Domain button at the bottom of the page to assign the domain. Once complete, you should see the domain listed in the Domains tab.

Troubleshooting

There are a handful of possible reasons you cannot add or assign a domain to your account through the Domain Manager. Let's go through the causes and see which applies to your situation.

• The number one reason a domain cannot be added is that it fails to verify ownership. Make sure you have followed one of the required methods to confirm ownership.
• Have you changed the name servers (NS) or created an A record for the domain you are attempting to assign? If you have changed the NS or A Record, it is possible that enough time has not been allowed for DNS propagation, which can take 4-8 hours for individual record changes and 24-48 hours for nameserver changes.
• If you create the page to verify ownership and still do not verify, our system may be blocked from querying that page.
• It's also possible that the "text" you are supposed to enter is not correct. It is case-sensitive. For example, 0e259158 is different from 0E259158.
• If you chose to send a verification code to the email address and it didn't come through, there is a high possibility that your email service provider is greylisting the email because they think it's spam. There are two ways to resolve this. Change the Admin and Registrant email in the whois, or contact us to have a support agent resend the email.

Summary

Assigning a domain between accounts is a simple process with the right guidance. Just make sure to go through each step carefully and confirm you're putting in the right details as you go along.

Ready to streamline your domain transfer process? Discover more about Bluehost's domain services today!

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