Transfer Domain From Bluehost To Squarespace, Gandi Or Another Registrar Made Easy: 16 Steps With Pictures

As I was about to transfer domain from Bluehost to Gandi.net registrar and Interserver hosting in order to end my contract with Bluehost, it went pretty smoothly, and this guide can actually be of use to transfer domain from BlueHost to Squarespace or any other registrar.


Why transfer domain from Bluehost to Squarespace or another registrar?

As I was about to transfer domain from Bluehost to  Gandi.net   registrar and  Interserver hosting   in order to end my contract with  Bluehost,   it went pretty smoothly, and this guide can actually be of use to transfer domain from BlueHost to Squarespace or any other registrar.

I didn't like Bluehost and wanted to switch to Intserver hosting for few reasons:they locked my account twice for high usage without any communication, and their CPanel interface does not display resource usage, doesn't help much with troubleshooting issues, and the number of add-on domains is limited. They simply do not offer the best services compared to some others of the  best cheap web hosting   solution providers.

This guide can be followed to transfer domain from BlueHost to Squarespace, Gandi,  GoDaddy,    EX2Hosting,    Hostpapa,    Hostinger,    A2hosting,    Interserver,   or any other registrar!

How To Transfer Domain Name To A New Registrar - Bluehost

How to transfer domain from Bluehost? - summary

  • 1. Open  Bluehost,   go to Domains => Transfer
  • 2. Enter URL of BlueHost domain to transfer
  • 3. Select the domain to transfer in domain manager
  • 4. Unlock domain transfer and copy EPP code
  • 5. Go to transfer domain at your new registrar
  • 6. Enter domain name and select domain renewal
  • 7. Proceed with checkout and domain contacts check
  • 8. Enter authorization transfer code during checkout
  • 9. Proceed with domain renewal payment
  • 10. Validate contracts to continue to payment
  • 11. Pay for domain renewal with your favorite method
  • 12. Validate payment with your bank
  • 13. Wait for domain renewal order confirmation
  • 14. Finalize order and check domain status
  • 15. Check domain transfer status and wait for completion!
How to transfer domain from Bluehost to Squarespace or another registrar in pictures

1. Open BlueHost, go to Domains => Transfer

The first step if to find the corresponding transfer domain service in your BlueHost account, in their custom interface, and not in the CPanel interface of your website.

2. Enter URL of BlueHost domain to transfer

The BlueHost domain transfer service is a little bit hidden, and I found it faster by going to transfer domain services which is normally used to transfer an external domain to BlueHost and enter my own domain name that I want to transfer from BlueHost to  domain registrar   Gandi.

3. Select the domain to transfer in domain manager

Then I was able to select my own domain and access its transfer information and option.

4. Unlock domain transfer and copy EPP code

The first step before getting the EPP code, used to validate domain transfer between two registrars, is to unlock the domain transfer in the BlueHost interface.

This security ensures that nobody else that got your EPP code is able to transfer on your behalf.

Unlock your domain for transfer, and then copy the EPP code in  Bluehost,   to paste it later on your new  domain registrar   to start the transfer.

EPP code: An EPP code is a system generated code by your former domain registrar used by the new registrar to validate a domain name transfer
What is an Auth/EPP code? - Domain Transfers - Namecheap

5. Go to transfer domain at your new registrar

Now that you got this EPP code, the next step is to find the domain transfer interface on your new registrar interface.

6. Enter domain name and select domain renewal

Once you've found it, enter the domain name that you want to transfer from BlueHost to Squarespace or another registrar, and renew this domain.

In order to keep the domain at your new registrar and proceed with the transfer, you will either have to pay for the operation, or to renew the domain for at least one year, thus ensuring your registrar that this transfer will stay for a while.

7. Proceed with checkout and domain contacts check

Continue with domain renewal checkout and contacts check.

8. Enter authorization transfer code during checkout

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Finally, at the payment step most likely, enter the EPP code to transfer domain from BlueHost to Squarespace, Gandi,  GoDaddy,   Hostpapa or another registrar, in order to allow it to validate the transfer later on with your former registrar.

9. Proceed with domain renewal payment

Continue with payment that depends on the registrar system.

10. Validate contracts to continue to payment

Validate all contracts after having reading them, as each type of domain has specific requirements - if the domain is not yours already, and it is coming from another country, you might want to make sure that you are allowed to host it or administrate it from another country for example.

11. Pay for domain renewal with your favorite method

Continue the domain renewal payment process.

12. Validate payment with your bank

Validate the payment with your bank and make sure that the payment went through. In that case, paying for a domain renewal at  Gandi.net   can easily be done with a  TransferWise virtual bank account   like in the example, or with a PayPal account.

13. Wait for domain renewal order confirmation

Once the domain renewal order confirmation has been validated, the process is nearly over!

14. Finalize order and check domain status

The order can then be finalized after having been paid, and you can proceed with following the domain transfer status at the new registrar.

15. Check domain transfer status and wait for completion!

At  Gandi.net   it is very simple to follow a domain transfer status by opening the domain in the interface, and visually verifying which steps have been done and which ones are still pending.

Domain transfer status steps:

  • 1. Payment
  • 2. Transfer initialization
  • 3. Whois
  • 4. Authorization code verification by the registry
  • 5. Email confirmation
  • 6. Validation of the transfer by the former provider
  • 7. Transfer finalization

16. Validate domain transfer on BlueHost to speed it up

Once the last step to transfer domain from BlueHost to Squarespace will have been reached, it will also be visible on the BlueHost administration panel, and will be able to manually validate the transfer through a specific link to speed up the process.

In my case, the whole domain transfer from BlueHost to  Gandi.net   operation has taken less 4 hours!

Transfer Domain From Bluehost To Squarespace, Gandi Or Another Registrar Made Easy: 16 Steps With Pictures


Yoann Bierling
About the author - Yoann Bierling
Yoann Bierling is a Web Publishing & Digital Consulting professional, making a global impact through expertise and innovation in technologies. Passionate about empowering individuals and organizations to thrive in the digital age, he is driven to deliver exceptional results and drive growth through educational content creation.

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