Registering, Transferring & Renewing Domains

A domain name is an annual registration you hold through a registrar. This guide walks through registering a new domain, transferring one in or away, keeping it renewed, and understanding the locks and privacy settings that affect it.

Registering a New Domain

Registering a domain reserves the name for you, usually for one to ten years at a time. To register a new domain:

Search for the name you want and confirm it is available.
Choose your registration length and decide whether to enable auto-renew.
Add WHOIS/domain privacy if you would like to keep your contact details out of public records.
Provide accurate registrant contact information — this is required and must be kept current.
Complete the purchase and verify the registrant email if prompted.

If you registered your domain through Ultra Web Hosting, you can manage it in the client area. Once the domain is registered, point it at your hosting following the Nameservers guide.

Note Always keep your registrant contact email valid and monitored. ICANN requires this address to be reachable, and transfer approvals and expiration notices are sent to it.

Transferring a Domain In

Transferring a domain into a new registrar moves the registration itself; it does not touch your hosting. The process typically takes 5 to 7 days and follows these steps at the old registrar first, then the new one:

Unlock the domain at your current registrar (remove the registrar/transfer lock).
Get the EPP/authorization code (sometimes called an auth code or transfer key) from the current registrar.
Disable WHOIS privacy temporarily so the transfer system can read the contact details.
Confirm the registrant email is current and reachable, since the approval message is sent there.
Start the transfer at the new registrar and enter the EPP/authorization code.
Approve the transfer email when it arrives to speed things along.

Most transfers add a year of registration to the domain. The transfer completes on its own once approved, or after the standard waiting period elapses.

Tip Set your DNS up correctly before transferring so your website and email keep working throughout. If your domain currently uses our nameservers or an A record pointing to your hosting, keep those settings in place during the transfer.

Transferring a Domain Away

To move a domain from your current registrar to another provider, you do the reverse:

Unlock the domain at its current registrar.
Request the EPP/authorization code.
Temporarily disable WHOIS privacy if it is enabled.
Start the transfer at the receiving registrar using that code and approve any confirmation email.

If your domain is with Ultra Web Hosting and you want to move it out, open a support ticket or use the client area to unlock the domain and retrieve the code.

Renewals and Auto-Renew

Domains expire on a fixed date and must be renewed to keep them. To avoid losing a name:

Enable auto-renew so the domain renews automatically before it expires, provided a valid payment method is on file.
Watch for expiration notices sent to your registrant email as the date approaches.
Renew early if unsure — renewing before expiry is always safer and cheaper than recovering a lapsed domain.

For domains registered through Ultra Web Hosting, review renewal dates and auto-renew settings in the client area.

The 60-Day Transfer Lock

ICANN, the body that governs domain names, applies a 60-day lock after certain events. During this window the domain cannot be transferred to another registrar:

For 60 days after a domain is first registered.
For 60 days after a domain is transferred to a new registrar.
Some registrars also apply a 60-day lock after a change to the registrant contact details.

This is a standard, non-negotiable ICANN policy. If you plan to transfer a newly registered or newly transferred domain, you will need to wait out the lock period first.

WHOIS and Domain Privacy

Every domain has a WHOIS record listing its registrant contact details. Domain privacy (also called WHOIS privacy) replaces your personal information with a proxy so it is not shown publicly.

Privacy is generally recommended to reduce spam and protect your details.
You must temporarily disable privacy during a transfer so the process can read the contacts.
Re-enable privacy after a transfer completes if you want it back on.

Expiration, Grace, and Redemption

If a domain is not renewed by its expiration date, it moves through several stages before it is released:

Expiration — the domain stops resolving, so the website and email go offline.
Grace period — for a short window after expiry you can usually renew at the normal price.
Redemption period — after the grace period the domain enters redemption, where recovery is possible but carries a much higher redemption fee.
Release — once redemption ends the domain is deleted and becomes available for anyone to register.

Warning A domain that reaches the redemption period is expensive to recover and, once released, may be registered by someone else within minutes. Renew well before the expiration date — auto-renew is the safest option.

For any account-specific action — registering, transferring, renewing, or recovering a domain held with us — use the client area or open a support ticket and we will assist.