Google may be best known for their search engine, but they also provide hardware, cloud computing services, advertising solutions and software products that you can connect to your Squarespace website. You can register domains with them that will then sync up seamlessly.
Google recently announced its decision to discontinue and transfer ownership of Google Domains to Squarespace, meaning all existing registrations and pricing will move over.
1. Log into your Google Domains account
Google recently made headlines when they announced their exit from domain registrar business and will sell over 10 million domains to Squarespace, all existing domains being moved over via their website dashboard. If this affects you personally, here are a few things you should keep in mind.
Begin by signing into your Google Domains account and selecting the domain you wish to transfer. Google will check its availability and give some details about its name (such as its length or whether users may have difficulty remembering it). Depending on your preference, DNS settings may need adjusting.
Once your domain is ready to transfer, the next step will be providing your new registrar with a transfer code. Google Domains makes this easy by offering two options for this: manually entering in the transfer code manually or clicking “Get a free transfer” which will have Google automatically send one out for you.
As part of the transfer, you will need a credit card on file in order to complete it; rest assured, however, that all billing information will remain safe. Once transferred, once your domain has been moved you’ll need to set up and begin creating pages – you could do this using one of many free website builders out there or one of the top web hosting providers such as Kinsta.
Once your domain has been transferred to Squarespace, you’ll have a convenient platform from which to manage it and all the tools necessary for building beautiful websites. Should any questions arise or any issues arise, don’t hesitate to reach out – our support team are always eager to assist!
2. Select the domain you want to transfer
Squarespace is well known as a website builder, but they’ve also emerged as an innovative domain registrar. Recently, they purchased Google Domains so as to acquire its former customers and promise the same pricing structure for 12 months after purchase. Unfortunately, after that period prices may increase and some customers may choose another registrar instead.
Transferring a domain between providers can be relatively painless; here’s how you do it:
Log into your account, navigate to the Domains tab, and then select the domain you would like to transfer. If it is locked, unlock it before proceeding. Your current domain provider should send an authorization code directly to either of your email accounts (Owner Contact or Admin Contact), once obtained enter it in the box provided.
Once you’ve entered the code, click Start Transfer. When your domain transfer has completed successfully, Squarespace will notify you via email that it has moved successfully – should any problems arise, don’t hesitate to contact your domain provider for help!
Note that it can take up to 72 hours for your newly transferred domain to connect to your site; during this period you may encounter blank pages or error messages resulting from DNS propagation delays.
To gain more insight into these delays, see: Why can domain updates take up to 72 hours?
Before trying to transfer a domain, it’s essential that the administrator email address for it remains correct and accessible. Any change could lock the domain and prevent transfers.
Once your domain has been transferred successfully, our comprehensive website dashboard enables you to seamlessly manage both your site and domain simultaneously. It is the ideal solution for people who require both their domain name and website in one convenient place – and if Squarespace is something you are considering using for both elements then here is where it all begins!
3. Enter the transfer code
Since Google announced it would exit the domain business and sell its portfolio to Squarespace, customers of Google Domains have been wondering how they can keep their current custom domain names. Luckily, Squarespace is offering discounted Google Domain pricing for an extra year; now is an ideal time to transfer your domain. Taking steps towards making that move should be straightforward but there are certain steps you should be aware of before beginning this process.
First, ensure your domain is ready for transfer by making sure it has at least 60 days old, the registrar lock disabled, and your authorization code (EPP code). You can do this either directly in your registrar’s settings or with an independent tool like this one. After conducting these checks, the transfer process can begin!
Sign into your Squarespace account and click on the domain you wish to transfer. This will bring up your Domains page, where a list of all of your registered domains with Squarespace should appear, along with an option for you to transfer it elsewhere.
Click the link and follow the prompts to provide your information and complete payment, before clicking Continue. When the Domain Transfer Status reflects a green progress bar, enter an authorization code obtained from Google Domains page of your account if applicable.
Once you enter the code, you should receive confirmation that your domain transfer was successful. However, the domain may still require connecting to your site; this can take up to 72 hours but usually much quicker. If there are issues connecting, try again or reach out to the new registrar as they might know more than us; alternatively you can always cancel pending transfers by going into Settings then Domains in your home menu.
4. Select the domain you want to transfer
As soon as Google announced it would sell off its domain registrar service, many users were left wondering about their options. As it turns out, they have multiple choices; such as waiting to transfer domains after the sale is complete; cancelling their Google Domains account and moving their domains elsewhere; or moving their domains directly onto Squarespace platform – making for the easiest possible management while keeping their existing site online while creating their new one.
No matter which option they select, it is important to remember that there will be some downtime during the domain transfer process. This is due to Squarespace having to connect their servers to those of Google Domains; once this step has been completed, Squarespace should resume providing its current level of service.
Start the transfer process utilizing your domain’s authorization code found within its registrar dashboard or the ICANN website, then enter that code on Squarespace’s domain transfer page to initiate.
Before beginning the transfer of a domain, it is vitally important that its contact details are accurate as changing this data can lock it for 60 days and prevent transfer to new providers. If an email address needs updating through its registrar dashboard.
Once a domain is transferred, it could take up to 72 hours before it links up with its new Squarespace site due to DNS propagation timeframes taking up to 72 hours for propagation. When that connection has been made successfully, visitors should see pages from their new website.
Squarespace allows users to transfer domains from other providers and provides various domain extensions – including country-code top-level domains (ccTLDs). At present, these ccTLDs are offered through Squarespace:
