Using a domain you already own

If you already have a domain — from GoDaddy, 123-reg, Namecheap, Fasthosts or anywhere else — you can absolutely keep it. You have two routes.

Option A: point it at us (keep it where it is)

You leave the registration with your current provider and change its nameservers to ours. We then manage the DNS while they continue to handle the billing and renewals.

Good because: it is quick, usually live within an hour, and you keep whatever arrangement you already have.

Watch out for: you are still responsible for renewing it. If it lapses, your website goes down and so does your email.

How to do it

1. Tell us the domain when you sign up, or add it later from your dashboard under Domains.
2. We show you two nameserver addresses.
3. Sign in to your current provider and find the nameserver setting. It is usually under “DNS”, “Nameservers” or “Domain settings”.
4. Replace the existing nameservers with the two we gave you.
5. Save.

It usually takes minutes. It can take up to 48 hours.

Before you do this, read keeping your email working. Changing nameservers moves your DNS wholesale, and email is the thing that breaks if nobody thinks about it first.

Option B: transfer it to us

The registration itself moves to us, and it is then included in your subscription like a domain we registered.

Good because: one less bill, one less renewal to remember, and we can fix things without asking you to log in somewhere else.

Watch out for: transfers take about five days, and that timescale is set by the provider you are leaving.

How to do it

1. At your current provider, unlock the domain and request the authorisation code (also called an EPP or auth code).
2. Send it to us.
3. We start the transfer and tell you when it completes.

A domain cannot be transferred in its first 60 days of registration, or within 60 days of a previous transfer. That is an industry rule, not ours.

Which should I choose?

If you are unsure, choose Option A. It is faster, reversible, and gets your site live now. You can always transfer later.

Choose Option B if you are tired of managing renewals somewhere else, or if you have lost confidence in your current provider.

I do not know where my domain is registered

Look for the annual renewal invoice in your email — search your inbox for the domain name. Failing that, get in touch with the domain name and we will look up who runs it and tell you.