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Business

Jeff Lemay
Jeff Lemay
14,268 Points
Posted by Jeff Lemay
Jeff Lemay
14,268 Points

How to take over management of website

I've been lucky enough to land my first client (woo!) and I'm currently in the process of finalizing their responsive website. I have a couple questions about taking over their website though:

  • How do I go about transferring the domain to my company? Do I have the client call their current management company and tell them they're switching services and need the domain registration credentials?

  • Is there anything to worry about from the company I just "stole" work from?

I'll be hosting and setting up the email accounts (they currently don't even have branded emails), so I think all I need is the registration and access to DNS, etc. so the client doesn't lose their current address.

Any feedback is appreciated. Thank you!

2 Answers

Keith Monaghan
Keith Monaghan
9,494 Points
Keith Monaghan
Keith Monaghan
9,494 Points

Great question, JL.

There are some things to consider. The process to transfer the domain is fairly simple.

If your client is in possession of the account where the domain is registered (ie: GoDaddy), and they wish to remain in possession of it, then you can simply gain access to the account so you can adjust the DNS, etc (request access from your client). Once you have access then you can setup DNS settings to point toward your hosting account.

If, however, their domain is being managed by the other web developer then you will have your client ask the other web developer to do three things (or just two, see below).

  1. Unlock the domain
  2. Send you the transfer authorization code (it may have other names).
  3. After you request that the domain be transferred to your registrar they will need to confirm the transfer. This step isn't absolutely necessary but it can speed up the time it takes for the transfer. Some/most/all(?) registrars wait a few days after a request before they actually transfer the domain. Presumably, this is to let interested parties step in and stop the transfer if they didn't authorize it. The person in control of the account will usually have the opportunity to authorize the transfer immediately. If time isn't an issue then don't worry about this step.

Again, if their old developer is hosting the site and the domain then have your client ask them to:

  1. Unlock the domain
  2. Send you the transfer authorization code
  3. If time is an issue than follow up and ask them to confirm the transfer after you have made the transfer request through your registrar.

As for the attitude of the other developer, yeah, they could cause problems if they wanted to. In my experience, though, developers are usually ok to deal with in this regard.

I don't have a lot of experience (I've only transferred a few domains) so if I have something wrong, feel free to correct me. I didn't say anything about web hosting. So, if you need help with that ask a specific question.

Jeff Lemay
Jeff Lemay
14,268 Points
Jeff Lemay
Jeff Lemay
14,268 Points

Keith, thank you for the help!

I think I'm all set with web hosting. I'm planning to go with A Small Orange, after doing a good amount of research it seems like the best value for what I need.