Find out who can sign into the registrar, renew the domain and change its DNS records. Those three jobs can belong to different people. Your business should control the registrar account and its recovery method so the domain stays with you if a vendor relationship ends.
Record access while everyone can still help
Save the registrar’s name, renewal date, recovery contact and the person who approves changes. Keep passwords in your password manager and give outside providers their own access where available. Avoid relying on a recovery address that will stop working if the domain itself goes down.
Treat mail as part of the move
DNS handles more than the website. Before moving it, make a copy of mail records and list the services that send email on your behalf. Test incoming and outgoing messages after changing providers. Use the website migration checklist to cover the rest of the cutover.
Check ownership before changing vendors
Ask a staff member to sign in directly while the relationship with the current provider is still active. Confirm the business can see the renewal date, review the recovery methods, and invite or remove other users. An invoice that lists a domain fee says who pays the bill. Direct access tells you who can act if the domain stops resolving or the bill goes to an old email address.
- Identify the registrar and the account the domain belongs to.
- Record who gets renewal and recovery messages. Use an address the business can access even during a domain outage.
- Give vendors separate access where available. Keep the main account under the business’s control.
Keep the website and email in view
A business can switch its web host without moving the domain’s registrar. Decide which part really needs to change before authorizing a move. Make a current copy of DNS records and write down which records serve email, the website, and any third-party services. After the switch, test from both directions by sending a message to an outside inbox and replying back.