How to Transfer a Domain from GoDaddy to Cloudflare

Before you start: the eligibility checklist

Most failed transfers fail on eligibility, not on the steps. Check these against both companies' rules before you touch DNS.

Rules as published Oct 30, 2026. Country-code domains can have extra requirements at both companies.

The late-renewal rule is easy to miss. Cloudflare says that if you renewed after the expiration date, transferring within 45 days of that original date may mean the registry does not add the extra year you pay for.

Stage 1: Move DNS to Cloudflare

Cloudflare's transfer guide states that it must be your authoritative DNS. Its registrar FAQ is plainer: all domains on Cloudflare Registrar use Cloudflare nameservers, and third-party nameservers are not supported. So DNS moves first.

1. Turn off DNSSEC at GoDaddy. If DNSSEC is on, remove the DS records. Cloudflare says changing nameservers while DNSSEC is active can make the domain unreachable. Wait at least 24 hours before the next step.
2. Add the domain to Cloudflare. Use the full DNS setup. Cloudflare can scan for your existing records, but its docs warn the scan is not guaranteed to find all of them.
3. Compare records line by line. Open the DNS records page at GoDaddy beside the new Cloudflare zone. Recreate anything the scan missed, especially email and verification TXT records.
4. Copy Cloudflare's two nameservers. Cloudflare assigns them and you cannot pick different ones.
5. Change nameservers at GoDaddy. In the Domain Portfolio, select the domain, then DNS, then Nameservers. Choose your own nameservers, paste Cloudflare's, and save. If Domain Protection is on, GoDaddy asks for a 2-step code or a one-time password.
6. Wait for Active. Cloudflare says activation usually takes minutes but can take up to 24 hours. You get an email when the zone is Active.

GoDaddy's own nameserver page warns that changing nameservers can break website or email connections. It also notes that most changes take effect within an hour, while global updates can take up to 48 hours.

If the zone is still pending after 24 hours, Cloudflare says to recheck the nameserver entries and confirm DNSSEC is off.

Protect email before you switch

The nameserver switch, not the registrar transfer, is the moment email can break. When nameservers change, every DNS record is served from Cloudflare's zone. Any record you did not recreate stops existing.

Records to check

• MX: where inbound mail goes.
• SPF (TXT): which servers may send as your domain.
• DKIM: the signing keys your mail provider gave you.
• DMARC: the policy record at _dmarc.
• Autodiscover and verification records: often CNAME or TXT entries your provider asked you to add.

Cloudflare's setup docs say mail-related records should be set to DNS only, not proxied. A proxied mail hostname will not deliver mail.

If you use Microsoft 365 from GoDaddy

GoDaddy's nameserver page specifically tells Microsoft 365 users to check their DNS settings before switching. Moving the mailboxes themselves is a separate process.

GoDaddy's help page on moving Microsoft 365 away says you contact a GoDaddy Guide to start it. It also warns not to delete your GoDaddy mailboxes before the move, and not to buy new Microsoft plans until the move is finished. Transferring the domain does not do any of this for you.

If you only need forwarding

Cloudflare's Email Routing handles inbound mail and can forward it to addresses you verify. It is available on the Free plan. It is forwarding, not a mailbox host, so it does not replace a paid inbox.

For a full walkthrough of keeping mail flowing during a move, see our guide on avoiding email downtime during a domain transfer.

Stage 2: Transfer the registration

Once Cloudflare shows the zone as Active, you can move the registration. GoDaddy's transfer checklist handles most of the prep in one pass.

1. Open the domain in GoDaddy's Domain Portfolio. Under Transfer, choose the option to transfer to another registrar.
2. Review the checklist. GoDaddy's checklist can unlock the domain, turn off Domain Privacy and set Domain Protection to none. You can also do these manually first.
3. Select Continue with transfer. With Domain Protection on, GoDaddy verifies you with a 2-step code (if 2-step has been on for 24 hours) or a one-time password sent to your account email.
4. Copy the authorization code. GoDaddy shows it on screen and also emails it to the domain's registrant address. Cloudflare notes these codes expire, so request it when you are ready to use it.
5. Start the transfer in Cloudflare. Open Transfer Domains in the dashboard, enter the code, and confirm payment. Cloudflare advises checking your payment method first, since a failed charge can leave a transfer half-started.
6. Confirm contact details. Cloudflare must collect accurate registrant information even though it redacts it from public WHOIS by default. Select Confirm transfer.
7. Approve the release at GoDaddy. Go to the Transfers page, open transfers out, select the In Progress tab, tick the domain and approve.

Why GoDaddy turns privacy off

GoDaddy's help page says Domain Privacy turns off during the transfer so your contact information carries over to the new registrar. Cloudflare then redacts that information from public WHOIS by default once it holds the domain.

If the domain is still locked

A domain showing clientTransferProhibited in WHOIS is still locked. Cloudflare's guide says some registrars use more than one lock, and each one has to be released. Our guide to fixing clientTransferProhibited covers how to read the status and clear it.

How long it takes and what to expect

The timeline has three parts: DNS activation, the transfer request, and the release from GoDaddy.

Checked Oct 30, 2026. Some country-code TLDs take longer.

In the Cloudflare dashboard the domain moves through three possible statuses. "Transfer in progress" means Cloudflare has submitted the request. "Pending approval" means GoDaddy has not released it yet. "Transfer rejected" means the request was declined, and you can select Retry.

If "Transfer in progress" lasts more than a day, Cloudflare says to confirm the domain is actually unlocked.

What it costs and what you get

Cloudflare's FAQ says it charges the registry and ICANN list price with no markup. Most transfers add one year to your current expiry date, so you lose no time you already paid for.

For a .com, that cost is set by Verisign and ICANN. Verisign raised the .com registry fee from $10.26 to $10.97 effective November 1, 2026, and ICANN's fee is $0.20 per transaction-year. That puts an at-cost .com year at $11.17 from November 1.

Trade-offs to accept

• No outside DNS. While the domain is registered at Cloudflare, you cannot use another DNS provider for it. You can delegate a subdomain elsewhere.
• No refunds on renewals. Cloudflare's FAQ says all renewals are final. Turn off auto-renew at least 30 days before expiry if you plan to let a name go.
• A new 60-day wait. ICANN's rule means you cannot transfer the domain again for 60 days after it lands at Cloudflare.

Leaving later is straightforward. Cloudflare's transfer-out guide has you unlock the domain under Configuration and copy the auth code. If you do not act on the request, it auto-approves on the fifth day.

If you want the general version of this process for any registrar pair, our domain transfer guide covers it.