> How to transfer a domain away from Squarespace: the domain lock, the transfer code, the 60-day locks, DNSSEC, and what happens to the site and the email. - Canonical: https://hadalmedusa.com/guides/how-to-transfer-a-domain-from-squarespace/ --- # How to transfer a domain away from Squarespace A domain held at Squarespace can be transferred to another provider from the domains dashboard. Squarespace's steps are to switch the domain lock off, request a transfer code, and give that code to the new provider. Squarespace says the transfer can take up to 15 days, and that moving the domain neither moves nor cancels the Squarespace site. Updated 6 October 2026 ## Before you start Check three things first. - No lock is active. Squarespace applies a 60-day lock to a newly purchased domain, to a domain whose registrant contact details were recently changed, and to a domain transferred in within the last 60 days. - DNSSEC is off. Squarespace says to remove it in the advanced settings before beginning the transfer, if it was ever added. - An account is open at the new provider. ## The steps Squarespace gives 1. Open the domains dashboard. 2. Click the domain to be transferred. 3. Switch the Domain Lock toggle off. 4. Click “Request transfer code” and confirm your identity. 5. Squarespace sends the code by email, with a subject line that begins “Auth code for”. 6. Give the code to the new provider, which starts the transfer. Squarespace calls the code a transfer authentication code. Other providers call the same thing an EPP code, a transfer key or an auth code. ## What happens to the site Squarespace states that the transfer does not move the site’s hosting and does not cancel the site. The Squarespace site keeps running, and keeps being billed, until the subscription is cancelled. ## What happens to DNS and email After the transfer, the domain’s DNS records are edited at the new provider and no longer at Squarespace. Copy every record before starting, and check them at the new provider as soon as the domain arrives. Email depends on those records. Squarespace’s advice for a domain with Google Workspace attached is to adjust the MX records at the new provider after the transfer, so that the email service is not interrupted. ## Transfer, or only point the domain? A website can move without its domain changing provider. The domain can stay registered at Squarespace and be pointed at a site hosted elsewhere. A transfer is for putting the domain and the new site under one account, or for leaving Squarespace entirely. ## Where the domain fits in a move Moving the domain is the last step of leaving, not the first. Our guide to [what a Squarespace site lets you take](https://hadalmedusa.com/guides/can-you-move-a-squarespace-site/) covers the export file, the rebuild and the redirects. ## Questions people ask ### How long does it take to transfer a domain from Squarespace? Squarespace says the transfer process can take up to 15 days to complete. The new provider starts it by accepting the transfer code. ### Why can't I transfer my Squarespace domain? A lock is the usual reason. Squarespace lists three, each lasting 60 days: a recently purchased domain, a recent change to the registrant's contact information, and a domain transferred to Squarespace in the last 60 days. ### Does transferring the domain cancel my Squarespace site? No. Squarespace states that transferring a domain does not move the site's hosting or cancel the current Squarespace site. The subscription is cancelled separately. ## Free competitor gap report A domain usually moves because the site is about to. Name up to three competitors and we measure your current site against theirs, then send you what a replacement should do that this one cannot. 1. Speed and technical health, side by side 2. On-page SEO and site structure 3. The content they are found for and you are not 4. Who holds the searches that matter in your market 5. A prioritised list of what to fix first [Request your free report by email](mailto:contact@hadalmedusa.com?subject=Competitor%20gap%20report%3A%20Guide%3A%20How%20to%20transfer%20a%20domain%20away%20from%20Squarespace&body=Website%3A%0D%0A%0D%0AWhere%20you%20compete%20(area%2C%20country%20or%20countries)%3A%0D%0A%0D%0ACompetitors%20to%20compare%20against%20(up%20to%20three)%3A%0D%0A%0D%0AAnything%20else%20we%20should%20know%3A%0D%0A%0D%0A) - **Address** — contact@hadalmedusa.com - **Include** — your site; up to three competitors; where you compete ## More in this series - [Why your Wix site is so slow, and what to do about it](https://hadalmedusa.com/guides/why-is-my-wix-site-so-slow/) - [Can you move a Wix site to another host?](https://hadalmedusa.com/guides/can-you-move-a-wix-site-to-another-host/) - [Why your Squarespace site is so slow, and what to do about it](https://hadalmedusa.com/guides/why-is-my-squarespace-site-so-slow/) - [Is Wix bad for SEO?](https://hadalmedusa.com/guides/is-wix-bad-for-seo/) - [Is Squarespace bad for SEO?](https://hadalmedusa.com/guides/is-squarespace-bad-for-seo/) - [How to speed up a Wix website](https://hadalmedusa.com/guides/how-to-speed-up-a-wix-website/) - [How to read the Wix Site Speed dashboard](https://hadalmedusa.com/guides/wix-site-speed-dashboard/) - [Wix site still slow after the fixes? How to find the limit](https://hadalmedusa.com/guides/wix-site-still-slow/) - [Is Wix slower than WordPress or Squarespace?](https://hadalmedusa.com/guides/is-wix-slower-than-wordpress/) - [Is Wix worth it for a small business?](https://hadalmedusa.com/guides/is-wix-worth-it-for-a-small-business/) - [How to speed up a Squarespace website](https://hadalmedusa.com/guides/how-to-speed-up-a-squarespace-website/) - [Can you move a Squarespace site to another platform?](https://hadalmedusa.com/guides/can-you-move-a-squarespace-site/) - [How to connect a Wix site to Google Search Console](https://hadalmedusa.com/guides/connect-wix-to-google-search-console/) - [How to speed up a WordPress website](https://hadalmedusa.com/guides/how-to-speed-up-a-wordpress-website/) - [Is WordPress bad for SEO?](https://hadalmedusa.com/guides/is-wordpress-bad-for-seo/) - [Why your Shopify store is so slow, and how to speed it up](https://hadalmedusa.com/guides/why-is-my-shopify-store-so-slow/) - [Is Shopify bad for SEO?](https://hadalmedusa.com/guides/is-shopify-bad-for-seo/) - [How to move from Wix to WordPress](https://hadalmedusa.com/guides/how-to-move-from-wix-to-wordpress/) - [How to move a store from Wix to Shopify](https://hadalmedusa.com/guides/how-to-move-from-wix-to-shopify/) - [How to move from Squarespace to WordPress](https://hadalmedusa.com/guides/how-to-move-from-squarespace-to-wordpress/) - [How to move a store from Squarespace to Shopify](https://hadalmedusa.com/guides/how-to-move-from-squarespace-to-shopify/) - [How to speed up a Shopify store](https://hadalmedusa.com/guides/how-to-speed-up-a-shopify-store/) - [How to transfer a domain away from Wix](https://hadalmedusa.com/guides/how-to-transfer-a-domain-from-wix/) - [Website platforms: fixing one, or leaving it: the whole topic](https://hadalmedusa.com/topics/website-builders/) - [All guides](https://hadalmedusa.com/guides/) - [Redesigns and rebuilds: what the service includes](https://hadalmedusa.com/services/website-redesign/)