Operation GoDaddy Exodus

Two Domains, One Deadline, and a Surprisingly Quick Escape!

How a routine domain transfer turned into a minor drama — and was over almost before I knew it.

I’ve owned and managed quite a few domain names over the years.
Some have become working websites. Others are projects in development.
And some? Well, they were brilliant ideas at the time! 😂

Like many people, I’ve had domains registered with GoDaddy for years.
But recently, I decided it was time to start moving them elsewhere.

WHY? Their Pricing is Highway Robbery…
I’ve had one domain with them for 20 Years and it turned into $28 USD / Year JUST for the domain… and elsewhere, I am paying around $10.88 USD (at the time of writing).

I did get onto the support and asked the question,
“Why do they charge Ferrari Prices for something basic…?” and the reply was “It’s standard Pricing”.

They did offer a discount (as I had insisted) and it was still not in the ball park…

So I chose to transfer them to Dynadot (whom I have been using for many years without an issue).
And so began what I’m now calling…

Operation GoDaddy Exodus!

The Mission

I decided to start with two domains:

• timbrownlaw.com — my main personal domain.
• i-want-online-now.com — another domain in my collection, due for renewal the very next day. (This was a test)

Now, transferring a domain isn’t complicated in theory.
You unlock it at the existing registrar, obtain an authorisation code, submit a transfer request to the new registrar, and wait.

Easy! Or so I thought.

The First Hurdle: The 60-Day Warning

GoDaddy displayed the usual notice about domains being ineligible for transfer within 60 days of registration, a previous transfer, or certain changes to registrant details.

There was even a mention of 120-day restrictions on some bundled domains.

Wonderful!

Fortunately, these were existing domains, and the warning was just that, a warning. So I carried on.

Then Dynadot Went into Maintenance!

I’d initiated the transfers and was preparing to follow their progress when Dynadot decided it was time for scheduled maintenance.

Seriously?
Of all the times! 😂

Remember, one of these domains was due to expire the following day.
Not exactly ideal timing.

Fortunately, the transfer requests had already made it through.

The Domain That Wouldn’t Leave

Then came an email from Dynadot.

Apparently, i-want-online-now.com was showing a LOCKED status at GoDaddy.
Dynadot couldn’t complete the transfer while that lock remained.

No worries, I thought. I’ll just go back to GoDaddy and unlock it.
Except…

The domain had disappeared from my normal domain management screen!

In fact, I couldn’t readily find either domain in the places I expected to see them.

I had manually approved the outgoing transfers, but the GoDaddy interface wasn’t making it easy to understand what was happening.

At that point, I was starting to get just a little concerned.
And by a little concerned, I mean there may have been some colourful Australian language involved.

The Unexpected Happy Ending

Then I checked Dynadot again.
And there they were.

Both domains!
Transferred successfully and sitting in my Dynadot account.

The expiry dates showed:

• i-want-online-now.com — 10 October 2027.
• timbrownlaw.com — 11 November 2027.

Both registrations had been extended by a year.

And the best part?

The whole process had taken roughly an hour, possibly less.

Despite the warnings, the maintenance, the lock notification and my confusion over the GoDaddy management interface, the transfers had completed remarkably quickly.

Why Did It Happen So Quickly?

One important step appears to have made a difference.
After submitting the transfer requests, I went into GoDaddy and explicitly approved the outgoing transfers.

Domain transfers can take several days if left to complete automatically.
Approving the transfer at the losing registrar can substantially reduce the waiting time.

I can’t guarantee this will work as quickly for everyone, but it certainly appears to have helped in my case.

What I Learned

Here are a few things I’d recommend if you’re thinking about moving your domain names.

1. Don’t wait until the last day if you can avoid it.
I got lucky. Starting a transfer just before expiry isn’t something I’d normally recommend.

2. Check your domain’s transfer eligibility first.
Recently registered or transferred domains may be restricted, and some contact-information changes can trigger locks.

3. Keep your authorisation codes secure.
These codes are what allow you to authorise the move to another registrar.

4. Look for an outgoing transfer approval option.
This may make the difference between waiting several days and completing a transfer much sooner.

5. Don’t panic at every notification.
A message reporting a lock may reflect the domain’s status at an earlier point in the process. Check the latest status before assuming something has gone wrong.

6. Always check your DNS afterwards.
Moving a domain registration isn’t the same as moving your website hosting. Make sure your nameservers, website and email are still working after the transfer.

The Bigger Picture: Taking Control of Your Domain Portfolio

This little adventure reminded me of something important.

Over time, it’s easy to accumulate domain names across different registrars, hosting services and projects.

Before you know it, you’re juggling expiry dates, renewal fees, DNS configurations and a whole collection of ideas you’ve promised yourself you’ll finish one day.

That’s one reason I’ve been developing MyHomeSite, my own website and online project management system.

Among its planned features is a domain portfolio manager to help keep track of registrations, expiry dates and related information.

It’s still in development, and an early database refresh wiped out my test data, another adventure for another day!

But the principle remains the same.
The more control you have over your online assets, the easier it becomes to manage them.

Operation GoDaddy Exodus Continues

Two domains have now made the move. There are more to follow.

I’m not suggesting everyone should abandon GoDaddy. Different registrars suit different people, and your experience may be completely different from mine.

But for my own needs, I’ve decided it’s time for a change.

And after today’s experience, I’m rather pleased with how things turned out.

Sometimes the biggest hurdle isn’t the technology.

It’s making the decision to get started.

And if there’s one thing I enjoy, it’s learning something useful along the way and sharing it with others.

Have you moved your domain names between registrars?
I’d love to hear how it went, especially if you had an adventure of your own!

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This article is based on my personal transfer experience on 9 October 2026. Registrar policies, transfer times and pricing can change, so always check the current conditions before starting a transfer.

If you are paying more than $15 USD per year for a Dot Com Domain… Go Shopping… as you can transfer them… and get an extra year registration to boot…