I followed the steps here: https://developers.cloudflare.com/registrar/get-started/transfer-domain-to-cloudflare/#1-log-in-to-your-registrar-account
but when I go to Domain Registration -->Transfer Domain, I continually get a ‘Registry status: Client transfer prohibited’. I checked and unlocked this domain on dnsexit and have NOT updated any WHOIS information. I checked https://rdap.verisign.com/net/v1/domain/<mydomain.net> and for some reason the RDAP last update — ‘last update of RDAP database’ shows March 9 - I didn’t make any changes though to this WHOIS information.
Is this RDAP last update preventing me from transferring this “Unlocked” domain to Cloudflare? My domain will not be renewed again (have had it for a year) until June 2023 so this should not prevent transfer. I also received an authorization code to transfer the domain from current registrar (DNSexit).
clientTransferProhibited is a status code set by your registrar that prevents transferring. RDAP is just a protocol to view the registration data for a domain.
Unlocking your domain at your registrar should be enough to cause your registrar to remove that status code, and that change would be reflected in whois/rdap. There is usually a bit of delay between removing it and it updating, and then Cloudflare seeing the change on their end, but if you did it more then a few hours ago, I would reach out to your current Registrar about it and ask them to ensure the domain lock is removed on their end.
This is all slow, exact update time can vary on the registrar/registry for that tld, and if you are using an online tool that caches it, could be even longer, but I would say in my experience it’s mostly been within 30 minutes - an hour at max that it takes until changes are reflected. I would reach out to your current registrar either way to ensure they unlock the domain on their end.
I will also add - I can update the Lock status at my current registrar for this domain(dnsexit) and can see the RDAP status change from ‘Active’ to ‘client status prohibited’ once the change is made. However, is there an hour delay etc. from when my domain is unlocked to when Cloudflare can see this change (just need to wait)?
From me unlocking the domain and seeing the update in whois, to Cloudflare Registrar seeing the domain as transferrable has usually been maybe an hour of wait time.
Keep it unlocked and wait, don’t keep flipping it back and forth. As I said above, this stuff is all pretty slow. There’s no exact wait times, and I think it’s usually said it could take up to 24-48 hours for changes. Currently, from whois I still see the clientTransferProhibited status code.
Ok - thank you for that - would be good to add this in the “FAQ” for domain transfer at CF (e.g. could take an hour to see the unlock status change). In any case, I will try for an hour period to see if Cloudflare sees the unlock status change and update back here. The DNS zone config. etc. is actually proxy’d by Cloudfare already - that would not interfere with getting the unlock status update?
It can’t really be stolen.
Once you unlock the domain, you should be given an Authorization Code by your Domain Registrar, that Cloudflare needs to initiate the transfer. No one can just steal your domain without this code.
Even once you start the transfer, most registrars only approve it after 5 days, or after you go into their dashboard and approve the transfer to the new registrar there. During this time, you could reach out to your Registrar and have them halt any unauthorized transfers.
(This exact process differs slightly by TLDs I believe, and Registrars can pick to hold the domain for up to 5 days before transferring it, or less)
To reiterate again, I’m describing my personal experience of propagation times and delays based on the registrars/TLDs I use and what I’ve experienced. It could always be up to 24-48 hours.
That being said, I see the domain status of OK now for your domain in whois, so Cloudflare should see it as transferrable soon enough.
Chaika - thank you, yes, I was able to finally start the process of transfer yesterday after leaving it “unlocked” for approximately 30 minutes. The transfer request is “in-process” now, so will close out this topic. Thanks!