Support Start > Billing and Account Management > Signing Up > Transferring to Tiger Technologies

If you already own a domain name and you'd like to use it with our Web hosting service, visit our Web hosting with domain transfer page to order.

If you have an existing domain name that you'd like to renew without transferring your Web hosting to Tiger Technologies, we can do that, too. Our domain name only renewal page has the details.

The rest of this page has more tips and details about transferring to us:

• Make sure your domain name is ready to transfer
• Copying existing content
• How we handle Web hosting transfers
• Is there any risk of downtime?
• What if I want to do things differently?

Make sure your domain name is ready to transfer

After you sign up with us, you'll need to approve the transfer. Our "Getting Ready for a Domain Name Transfer" page explains ways to make sure the transfer goes smoothly.

Copying existing content

If you want to copy existing pages from the old server to our servers (rather than creating new pages on our servers), keep in mind that that doesn’t happen automatically. Our pages about copying a WordPress site or copying files using FTP will help you do that.

How we handle Web hosting transfers

Customers who transfer their hosting service to our company are often concerned that we'll make changes to their existing service before they're ready to switch.

We know that it might take some time to configure your website and email on our servers, so we never make DNS changes to "point" your website or email at our servers until you tell us it's okay to do so.

When you signup with us, we'll:

1. Activate your account so you can publish your files, configure your email, and so on.
2. Send you a test URL address you can use to preview your site on our servers before it "goes live".
3. Start to transfer your domain name to our company so we can provide you with free or discounted domain name renewal, unless you ask us not to on the order form. You'll need to approve the domain name transfer.

However, we won't automatically make any DNS changes to alter your existing website or email, even after the domain name has been successfully transferred. Instead, we'll send you reminders and wait for you to tell us it's okay to "point" your website and email at our servers.

After you tell us to make that change, most people visiting your website and sending you email will reach our servers right away. A small number of people may still reach the old hosting company for two or three days, though, so you should leave your hosting service "active" at the old company during that overlap period — this makes sure that your visitors will be able to view your site and send you email no matter which company they connect to. (You'll probably also be interested in our page explaining how to make sure you don't miss any email during a transfer.)

Doing things this way ensures that, as long as your current company doesn't automatically cancel your DNS, website or email service when you transfer your domain name (and they shouldn't), your services won't be touched until you're ready. It also makes sure that people will be able to access your website and send you email during the transfer, with zero "downtime".

Is there any risk of downtime?

The only potential problem is a rare situation. If your current DNS, website or email company does cancel your old service without allowing any overlap, some of your visitors may have trouble during the changeover.

This can happen if you're using free DNS or redirection services from domain name companies like GoDaddy, Network Solutions or eNom, and that company turns off the free DNS as soon as you transfer the domain name because you don’t have any services left with them.

If you think this might apply to you and you want to avoid that problem, you can update the DNS nameservers at the existing company two days before you approve the transfer of the domain name to us. That will guarantee a smooth overlap, because after two days, nothing will be connecting to the old nameservers at all. It’s safe to approve the domain name transfer after those two days have passed, because it no longer matters if the old company turns off the unused nameservers immediately.

What if I want to do things differently?

Although the section above describes the way we normally handle Web hosting transfers (as "safely" as possible), we're flexible. Advanced users are welcome to do things differently.

If you prefer to keep your domain name registered with another company, for example, that's fine.

And some customers may prefer to update the nameservers themselves immediately after signing up with us to speed up the hosting transfer. That's also fine, and this page explains our nameserver settings.