Use this guide to register a new domain through Cedros or move an existing domain's registration into Cedros-managed service. You will choose the domain and term, provide the registrant's contact details, submit the order, and check registration, DNS, and HTTPS separately.
If you only want a domain you already own to display your Cedros website, you can leave it at its current registrar. Follow Connecting a domain you already own.
Choose the right path
| What you want to do | Where to start |
|---|---|
| Buy a new domain | Open Domains in your Cedros account Portal and use Buy a domain. |
| Move an existing registration into Cedros-managed service | In the site's admin, open Settings → Site → Domains. Use Add domain → Transfer a domain when the managed-domain controls are available. |
| Keep your current registrar and connect the website | Use the existing-domain guide. No registration transfer is needed. |
In the Portal, an account owner or billing administrator can buy a domain. Managing an existing domain also depends on your site permissions. A missing control can reflect your role or the site's domain service; it does not mean you need to register the name again.
The Portal currently presents a .com purchase flow. Other domain endings and registration terms depend on the catalog and the screen you are using. An available name is not necessarily supported for purchase through Cedros: you need a successful quote before proceeding.
Before you place an order
Have the following ready:
- The exact domain you intend to register or transfer, such as
example.com, withouthttps://or a page path. - The correct Cedros site. If your account has several sites, check Site that will use this domain before continuing.
- The legal registrant's name, mailing address, country, and phone number with country code. Company and apartment or suite are optional; state or province is required for US and Canadian contacts.
- Access to the email address used for registration. The Portal uses your verified account email automatically. Site-admin forms can ask for a separate registrant email.
- Time to review the quoted domain, currency, total, term, and auto-renew choice before submitting.
Enter the intended registrant's real details, rather than a temporary employee or placeholder contact. In the site-admin flow, an existing saved registrant contact can be reused. If you start replacing that contact, complete all required fields.
Use the current quote for the selected domain and term. A price shown for one year, another domain ending, or an earlier quote does not establish the price of this order or a future renewal. The Portal's .com offer includes WHOIS privacy; do not assume the same inclusion for every domain ending.
Buy a new domain
Through your Cedros account Portal
- Open Domains and find Buy a domain. Select the intended site if a site selector is shown.
- Enter the domain and select Check availability. Check the spelling carefully, including hyphens and the domain ending.
- Review the returned price and Years. The web flow requests a quote after a successful availability check; if a Get price control is shown, use it. Changing the term requests an updated price.
- Under Register the domain, enter the legal owner's contact details. Review Auto-renew each year, which is on by default.
- Select Continue to payment and review the confirmation for that domain and term. Complete the checkout in Cedros Pay.
- Return to Domains and read the purchase status. Registration starts after payment is confirmed. A successful payment alone does not mean the registry has finished registering the name.
Checking availability or obtaining a quote does not reserve the domain. Do not announce it as your permanent address until the registration is complete.
If you leave checkout before paying, use Resume payment on the existing purchase when available. If you already paid, wait for that purchase to update; do not start another order.
Through a managed site's domain settings
Some sites expose purchasing directly in Settings → Site → Domains under Managed by Cedros Domains.
Select Add domain → Find a new domain, enter the name in Domain search, and select Search. For an available, supported name, review the quote, select an offered Term, check Auto-renew, and complete Registrant contact if required.
Select Register domain only when those details are correct. This submits a registration request from that screen; it is not the Portal's Continue to payment step. Read the resulting order or provisioning message before doing anything else. If the screen does not make the price or billing arrangement clear, ask Cedros support before submitting.
Transfer an existing domain
A transfer changes where the registration is managed. It does not copy your old website, mailboxes, or messages into Cedros.
Prepare with your current registrar
Check that you control the domain and can receive its transfer notices. Ask the current registrar to confirm that it is eligible to transfer, remove the transfer lock when appropriate, and provide the authorization code, also called an EPP, Auth-Code, or transfer code.
For domains covered by ICANN's transfer policy, a transfer may be blocked within 60 days of initial registration or a previous transfer, or by a 60-day change-of-registrant lock. Changing registrant details immediately before transferring can create a new lock. Ask the registrar about the specific restriction before changing contact information. See ICANN's transfer FAQ.
Prepare DNS and email before starting. Cedros's managed transfer can set new nameservers. Export or save the existing DNS records, and confirm with Cedros support how the destination DNS will retain the website, MX, SPF, DKIM, DMARC, and other records you still need. Do not assume the registrar transfer copies them. Keep the existing website and email service available during the transition.
Check the expiry date. If expiry is close, ask your current registrar and Cedros support how to keep the domain active while the transfer is processed. If the domain is already in redemption, ICANN's guidance says it must be restored at the current registrar before transfer. Country-code domains can have different rules; confirm the requirements for your domain ending. See the transfer FAQ.
Submit the transfer in Cedros
- Open the intended site's Settings → Site → Domains.
- In Managed by Cedros Domains, select Add domain → Transfer a domain.
- Enter the Domain, then move out of that field so Cedros can request the transfer quote. Review the quoted price and term.
- Enter the registrar's code in Transfer code. Check Auto-renew after transfer and complete Registrant contact if needed.
- Recheck the domain, contact details, and DNS transition plan, then select Start transfer. This starts the transfer request.
- Read the result and monitor the domain's status. Complete any legitimate approval or verification requested by the registrar, and retain access to the old registrar until the transfer is confirmed.
Do not post the transfer code in a support screenshot or ordinary message. Enter it only in the intended transfer field.
A submitted request is not a completed transfer. Timing depends on the registrar, domain ending, and any required approvals. If Cedros reports a lock, invalid code, or rejected transfer, resolve the stated cause with the current registrar before retrying.
If Transfer a domain is absent, contact Cedros support to confirm availability for that site and domain. The Portal's Buy a domain form is for new registrations; it is not a transfer form.
Understand payment and setup status
For a Portal purchase, use the message on the existing purchase to decide what to do:
| Purchase message or state | What to do |
|---|---|
| Waiting for payment confirmation | If you have paid, let the existing purchase update. If checkout was never completed, use Resume payment when offered. |
| Payment confirmed; preparing registration | Wait for registration processing. Do not pay again. |
| Registration submitted | The registrar request is in progress; wait for registry confirmation. |
| Registration complete | Find the domain in Your domains, then check DNS and HTTPS. |
| Refund pending | Registration could not complete and Cedros is refunding the payment automatically. Do not submit another payment while it is pending. |
| Refunded | The registration failed and the payment was refunded. Review the result before checking availability and requesting a fresh quote. |
| Unpaid checkout expired | Request a fresh quote if you still want the domain. This message is different from a completed payment awaiting confirmation. |
For a site-admin purchase or transfer, follow its Pending or Needs attention details. Record the order reference and exact error if one is shown. Repeatedly submitting the same domain is not a way to speed up provisioning.
After registration or transfer completes, check all of the following:
- Registration: the domain is listed under the expected site and the order or transfer has completed.
- DNS: the required records point to the intended website. In Portal Manage, review the records and use Re-check DNS and HTTPS; managed site settings offer Check setup when attention is needed.
- HTTPS: the exact address opens securely and serves your Cedros site. Test the root domain and
wwwseparately if both are configured. - Existing services: email still sends and receives, and any other service that depends on the domain still works.
If records need manual changes, use Setting up a domain with another DNS provider. Follow Choosing or changing your primary domain only after its DNS, HTTPS, and website checks succeed. Registration does not publish draft pages or prove that email is working.
Keep the domain renewed
Check Renewal in Portal Your domains. A Cedros-registered or transferred domain can show Auto-renews or Expires at end of term, with an expiry date when available. A domain connected from elsewhere can show At your registrar; renew that registration with its registrar.
Use the domain's Manage → Auto-renew control to review or change its renewal choice when your permissions allow. Managed site settings can also expose Turn on auto-renew or Turn off auto-renew. Confirm the saved setting afterward.
Auto-renew does not make every renewal payment automatic. If Portal shows a notice that the domain's renewal is due, an owner or billing administrator should use Pay renewal or Review renewal payment, as shown. Follow the notice's deadline; the Portal advises payment at least seven days before expiry.
Turning off auto-renew leaves the current term in place and allows the domain to expire at its end. Detaching a domain from a site does not cancel the registration or turn off auto-renew. Review domain renewal separately from your site's subscription; see Managing your plan and billing.
If something stops you
The name is available but no purchase price appears. Availability and Cedros catalog support are separate checks. Read the quote error, use an offered term, or ask support whether the domain ending is supported.
Continue to payment or Register domain is unavailable. Check the selected site, current domain and quote, permitted term, and required contact fields. For US and Canadian contacts, include state or province. An expired Portal quote needs a new price.
The purchase is still pending after payment. Reopen the same purchase and inspect its message. Contact support if it remains unresolved; include the domain, site, purchase reference, payment reference, time, and displayed status. Do not send card details or pay again to clear the status.
The transfer cannot start. Confirm the domain is eligible and unlocked, the code belongs to that exact domain, and the transfer quote succeeded. Follow any registrar approval request. Ask for the reason if the registrar rejects it.
The domain is registered but the website or email is wrong. Check DNS, HTTPS, and the active nameservers. A registration problem and a DNS problem need different fixes. Use the setup checks above before replacing records.
For help, include the exact error, intended domain and site, current registrar for a transfer, and the stage where you stopped. Keep passwords, transfer codes, full payment details, and private contact information out of screenshots. See Getting help and reporting a problem.