What is an Auth Code for a domain transfer?

An au­thor­isa­tion code is a security key needed to transfer a domain between re­gis­trars. It confirms that the current domain owner has approved the transfer. Without this code, moving a domain to another provider is not possible.

What is an Auth Code and what is it used for?

The Auth Code (short for Au­thor­isa­tion Code), sometimes also referred to as the AuthInfo Code, works like a domain password that is only available to the re­gistered owner. It is made up of a com­bin­a­tion of 6 to 16 letters and numbers.

In a domain transfer, the Auth Code serves as proof of au­thor­isa­tion. Your new provider needs this proof to host the domain on their server. This ensures that you are indeed the re­gistered owner and prevents any unlawful domain takeover. Re­quest­ing the Au­thor­isa­tion Code is therefore the first and most crucial step in any domain transfer.

How to obtain the Auth Code for your domain?

Option 1: Request the Auth Code from the registrar

In most cases, the hosting provider also acts as the domain registrar. They register the domain for you and supply the ap­pro­pri­ate hosting plan. To initiate a transfer, you simply need to request the Auth Code from your current provider—usually by com­plet­ing a short form on their website. In some cases, you may need to contact customer service directly. You will then receive the auto­mat­ic­ally generated AuthInfo Code, which must be provided to your new domain provider.

Beyond hosting providers, there are also in­de­pend­ent domain re­gis­trars. When you re­gistered your domain, you should have received contact details for your registrar, which you can use to request your domain’s Auth Code.

Option 2: Request the Auth Code from the registry

If you re­gistered your domain directly with the registry for your top-level domain, you must request the Auth Code from that registry. For example, if you own a domain with the .uk extension, the re­spons­ible registry is Nominet, where you can manage your domain directly through its online services.

For other country-specific domains (e.g., .fr or .co.uk) as well as newer generic domain ex­ten­sions like .shop, .music, or .london, the re­spect­ive re­gis­tries are re­spons­ible for issuing the Auth Code.

How long is an Auth Code valid?

The validity of an au­thor­isa­tion code depends on the domain provider and the as­so­ci­ated top-level domain. In most cases, an Auth Code is valid for up to 30 days. Some re­gis­trars set shorter time­frames to increase security during domain transfers. Once a code expires, a new one must be requested from your current provider before the transfer can continue. For generic TLDs, longer validity periods are common, while stricter rules may apply to country-specific domains.

It’s best to use the au­thor­isa­tion code as soon as you receive it to complete the transfer. Delays can result in error messages from the new provider, forcing you to restart the process. To avoid issues, check the validity period with your current registrar in advance.