What do transfer statuses mean?

After you've submitted the transfer request for your domain, you can check on the status of the transfer by clicking on the "Transfer" button at the top of any page on Porkbun.

On the "Domain Transfers" page, you'll see your domain and the current status of the transfer. This guide will explain what the various transfer statuses mean!

pending transfer from losing registrar

This is the one you want to see! It means that you have completed all the steps on our end to have the domain transferred to Porkbun, and the transfer request was successful.

From this point it can take up to 5-7 days for the transfer to complete. Some registrars will expedite transfers out if you request it once the transfer is in process (but not all). For example, here's GoDaddy's guide on approving transfers to speed the process up.

pending transfer request

This status shows when a transfer has first been initiated. It means that the transfer is queued up but has not been fully submitted yet. Check back after a few minutes and the status should change.

bad authcode, pending submit

The registry is telling us the authorization code is bad. Check the authorization code you received from your old registrar and make sure it matches what we have listed on the Transfers page.

If you’re sure the auth code has been entered correctly, try asking your previous registrar to generate a new authorization code for this domain. You can enter the new code by clicking “Update authcode” under “Options”. This will restart the transfer. If you still get the “bad authcode” status after completing this step, contact Porkbun support.

domain status does not allow transfer

The status of your domain as listed in WHOIS is preventing the transfer from going through. Usually, it means the domain was not unlocked before the transfer, or the domain is less than 60 days old and ineligible for transfer.

Go to your old registrar and make sure the domain is unlocked. If it wasn't, unlock it, then log in to Porkbun, click "Transfer" and then "update auth code" — this will do more than just update the auth code, it will actually resubmit the transfer.

The transfer has been submitted and rejected too many times

This error is usually related to the "domain status does not allow transfer" error. It means our system has tried to automatically resubmit the transfer 15 times and was unable to do so successfully. Check to make sure the domain is unlocked and that your authorization code is valid.

This status can also come up if you purchased an aftermarket domain that hasn't been transferred to you by the seller yet.

pending owner confirmation | sent to you@youremail.example

A transfer authorization email has been sent to the email listed for the registrant's contact. Be sure to check your inbox, including your spam folder. When you receive the email, follow the link inside to authorize the transfer.

pending whois query

This status should only last a few minutes. If your domain has this status for longer than 20 minutes, contact Porkbun support.

BILLINGHOLD3

If you see this rare status, contact Porkbun support. This may happen if the price of your domain has changed during the transfer process.

transfer complete

The transfer has completed successfully! Within the next few minutes, the domain will be moved into your Porkbun account where you can manage it normally via the Domain Management page.

If you run into any issues with your domain transfer, don't hesitate to get in touch with our support team for assistance.