Getting Up and Running

  • Resolved davidsmarts

    (@davidsmarts)


    10 years ago

    Hi WordPress Support!

    I’m in the process of transferring a domain name under out from your team (who I guess went to Wild West Domains, they redirected me to you) to BlueHost.

    The site is https://www.thinkingwithdavid.com.

    My current site is WordPress.com and I’ve spent a good amount of time begining my transition to www.ads-software.com. I’ve already transferred my content and am attempting to finalize the process.

    What recommended next steps can you provide?

    I believe I need something to do with an EPP code. Are there any other steps I should consider before making the switch (setting up a database, etc. or is this already completed by walking through the BlueHost setup)?

    Finally, I noticed on BlueHost that I my domain was registered 21 days ago, I must wait another 40 days before I can transfer. However, it also says my current domain is “transfer locked” and expires 2/14/2016 — is this when my domain expires or when I can transfer?

Viewing 11 replies - 1 through 11 (of 11 total)
  • Thread Starter davidsmarts

    (@davidsmarts)

    If it helps, the new site is currently listed under a temp URL:
    50.87.248.145/~thinkjc8

    I also want to ensure I maintain what little SEO authority I’ve garnered thus far. Any tips for redirects would be gladly appreciated!

    Hello David,

    Please note that your request requires making changes on your WordPress.com account, and the best place to get WordPress.com account-related support is their awesome support site at https://en.support.wordpress.com/

    To clarify some issues for you:

    1) Your domain name was registered on 2015-Feb-14 for one year by WordPress.com, a reseller for Wild West Domains — the actual domain REGISTRAR. You can make all the necessary changes in the “My Domains” section of your WordPress.com account, and you don’t need to deal directly with Wild West Domains at all.

    2) Your domain name will expire on 2016-Feb-14

    3) Domain registrars (yours is Wild West Domains) usually LOCK your domains to prevent unauthorized domain transfer (ie domain theft). If you the owner wants to transfer the domain to another registrar, you’ll need to first UNLOCK the domain, and obtain an EPP or AUTH code from your current registrar. You can do both in your WordPress.com account.

    4) Newly registered domains CANNOT be transferred from one registrar to another within the first 60 days. So to actually transfer your domain name, you’ll need to wait for the 60 days to be over.

    5) BUT… you DON’T have to actually TRANSFER the domain in order to have it work with your new host (I presume Bluehost). All you have to do is point the domain to BlueHost’s servers. To do this, login to your WordPress.com account and change the “Name Servers” to your BlueHost’s nameservers (these are ns1.BlueHost.com and ns1.BlueHost.com). Note that after the above change, it might take up to 24 hours before the change will “propagate” throughout the Internet and make your site accessible again.

    6) If you use the same PERMALINKS at BlueHost as you had at WordPress.com, all your links should work after all is said and done, there should be no need to do any redirects, and you shouldn’t lose any SEO juice.

    Hope that’s clear enough. Please forgive my many grammar booboos and verbosity, English is my third language.

    Thread Starter davidsmarts

    (@davidsmarts)

    Your English was quite clear, thank you. ??

    It was completely clear reading through, allow me to attempt your suggestions and I will reach out if I experience any issues or need your help again!

    Thread Starter davidsmarts

    (@davidsmarts)

    OK, based on your feedback in 5), it sounds as if my best course of action is not to transfer the domain, but rather “point the domain to BlueHost servers”. I found the nameserver values and have inputted them into the fields (it could take up to 72 hours, it says).

    Having done this, would you still recommend the process of unlocking and transferring the domain (through obtaining an EPP or Auth Code)? Or is the nameserver resolution a solid long-term fix?

    You do not need to transfer the domain registration – there is no problem with leaving it with WP.COM. And the process of changing the registrar is much more complicated and can take a couple of weeks.

    Further, you cannot change registrars for 60 days after the initial registration – this is not a WP rule – but ICANN. And you are inside that window.

    Also, your nameservers do not appear to have been changed, so you may want to double check those:

    https://www.whois.com/whois/thinkingwithdavid.com

    Thread Starter davidsmarts

    (@davidsmarts)

    that was strange that the nameservers were not updated. Perhaps I did it incorrectly. Am I supposed to input the numerical values given or input the words (i.e. ns1.bluehost.com, ns2.bluehost.com)?

    I believe ns1.bluehost.com, but WordPress.COM would be the best ones to answer any questions about changing settings there.

    https://en.support.wordpress.com/

    Thread Starter davidsmarts

    (@davidsmarts)

    OK great, it now looks like it’s pointing to my new site!

    Looking at the homepage, it doesn’t look as aesthetically pleasing as when I’m in editing mode.

    https://thinkingwithdavid.com/

    Also, when I navigate to my various pages, it looks like my temp url structure is still in tact. Will this take more time before the root domain switches over, or are there any manual steps I need to take?

    Thread Starter davidsmarts

    (@davidsmarts)

    I believe I took action when I shouldn’t have.

    In my settings, I adjusted my domain to be thinkingwithdavid.com rather than 50.87.248.145/~thinkjc8 — now I can’t access my .org site at all.

    Thread Starter davidsmarts

    (@davidsmarts)

    it somehow worked out simply by waiting!

    thank you and have a great day.

    Cool, yeah, DNS changes can be like that. Glad it’s all working now :)!

Viewing 11 replies - 1 through 11 (of 11 total)
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