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Migrate domains

Use this as a reference, not a required sequence. Adapt the approach and code to suit the app and the user’s needs.

Hosting, DNS, registration/renewal, and old-URL redirects are separate. A working Netlify site does not mean the domain’s registrar moved.

Record the current DNS records and registrar before changing anything. Include apex, www, mail records, verification records, and other subdomains. Choose the canonical hostname and destination Netlify project.

In Netlify Domain management → Production domains, add the domain and choose the primary hostname. Follow Netlify’s external-DNS instructions or use Netlify DNS.

For external DNS, a subdomain normally uses:

Type   Name   Target
CNAME  www    YOUR-SITE.netlify.app

For the apex, use the ALIAS/ANAME/flattened-CNAME target shown by Netlify or its documented A-record alternative. Do not copy another project’s target. Keep MX, SPF, DKIM, DMARC, and unrelated records. If CAA records restrict certificate issuers, ensure they permit Netlify’s documented issuer. Lower DNS TTLs ahead of the cutover when practical.

If changing nameservers, create and verify the complete replacement zone first. Handle DNSSEC at the registrar before delegating; stale DS records can break all resolution. Moving nameservers is not a registrar transfer.

Netlify attempts certificate issuance after DNS is correct. Check Domain management for its status, then verify the ordinary URL:

curl -sS -o /dev/null -D - https://example.com/
curl -sS -o /dev/null -D - 'https://www.example.com/existing/path?check=1'

Replace the domain/path with yours. Check the primary host, alias redirects, path/query preservation, certificate validity, and application behavior—not just an HTTP 200.

Update OAuth callbacks and external webhooks. To redirect val.run URLs, add redirects once the migrated app is verified.

Switch only after data/auth checks pass. Keep old DNS values and a rollback plan. Treat any requested registrar transfer as separate work with its own completion, renewal settings, and costs. Confirm mail still arrives after the DNS change.

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