If you’re experiencing problems transferring your domain to WordPress.com, this guide will help you resolve the most common issues and get your transfer back on track.
In this guide
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Ask our AI assistantThis section covers a couple of the most common reasons why you may not be able to start the transfer of your domain to WordPress.com.
Authorization codes (also called EPP codes) are required to complete domain transfers. If you’re having trouble with your authorization code:
- Check all email folders (inbox, spam, junk, promotional) for emails from your current registrar containing “authorization,” “auth code,” or “EPP code” in the subject.
- Log into your current registrar’s control panel and request a new authorization code from the domain management section.
- Verify the code format: auth codes are typically 8-16 characters and may contain letters, numbers, and special characters.
- Ensure you’re copying the entire code without extra spaces.
- Confirm your domain is unlocked at your current registrar.
The correct auth code should allow you to proceed to the next step without error messages.
Seeing a “domain already connected” message means the domain is currently connected to another WordPress.com site.
To resolve this issue:
- Visit your Sites list and click the Domains menu item.
- Locate the domain you want to transfer. If the domain is connected to another site you own, move the domain to the correct site.
- If you can’t find the domain connected anywhere, the domain may be connected to an entirely different WordPress.com site that you don’t have access to with your current account. Try logging out of your WordPress.com account and logging into any other WordPress.com accounts you manage.
If you have successfully started the transfer of your domain to WordPress.com you can follow the instructions in this section to check the status or understand why the transfer was not successful.
Most domain transfers take anywhere from 3 to 7 days to complete. Before troubleshooting, check where your domain transfer currently stands:
- Visit your site’s dashboard.
- Navigate to Upgrades → Domains (or Hosting → Domains if using WP Admin).
- Find your domain and check the Status column.
Learn more about the domain transfer statuses.
To troubleshoot extended delays, follow these steps:
- Check your email (including spam folder) for domain transfer confirmation requests from your current registrar.
- Click any confirmation links you may have missed.
- Contact your current registrar to ask if they’ve received the domain transfer request and if there are any holds or restrictions.
If your transfer has been pending for more than 7 business days after completing all the above steps, contact support with your domain name, transfer start date, and any emails received from your previous registrar.
In most cases, a domain transfer fails because of one of the following reasons:
- Privacy protection was not turned off for the transfer. Make sure to disable privacy protection with your registrar before re-starting the transfer.
- The domain expired, entered redemption, or was canceled after initiating the transfer. Contact your current provider to reactivate it and restart the transfer.
- It’s rejected by the current registrar. Contact your current registrar to ask why they rejected the transfer.
Once the underlying issue is resolved, restart the transfer.
This section covers common errors you may experience after successfully transferring your domain name to WordPress.com.
WordPress.com automatically provisions SSL certificates after a domain transfers successfully. If you do not see the SSL certificate, or the certificate’s status is pending, you can follow these steps to resolve the issue:
- Verify your domain is using WordPress.com name servers.
- Check that your DNS records are properly configured.
- Manually provision your site’s SSL certificate.
If you do not plan to host your site on WordPress.com, you should contact your hosting provider for assistance with setting up your site’s SSL.
If you are using WordPress.com hosting, you can follow these steps to troubleshoot site loading issues:
- Verify your domain is using WordPress.com name servers.
- Check that your DNS records are properly configured.
- Wait up to 48 hours for full DNS propagation.
- Ensure your transferred domain is selected as the “primary site address.“
If you are not using WordPress.com hosting, contact your hosting provider for assistance setting your site up on your domain.
Domain transfer only moves domain ownership — it does not move website content. Your website content remains with your previous hosting provider and needs to be manually moved to WordPress.com.
To migrate your content:
- For WordPress sites: Use the WordPress importer to move posts, pages, and media.
- For other platforms: Check our import guides for your specific platform.
- For custom websites: Rebuild your site on WordPress.com or use SFTP access.
