How to move a domain from Godaddy to AWS Route 53
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Seamless Domain Migration: From GoDaddy to AWS Route 53
Learn how to efficiently transfer your domain registration from GoDaddy to AWS Route 53, ensuring robust DNS management and integration with AWS services.
Migrating your domain's DNS management to AWS Route 53 offers numerous benefits, including tighter integration with other AWS services, improved scalability, and advanced DNS features. This article provides a comprehensive guide to transferring your domain from GoDaddy, a popular domain registrar, to AWS Route 53, ensuring a smooth transition with minimal downtime.
Preparing Your Domain at GoDaddy
Before initiating the transfer, several crucial steps must be completed within your GoDaddy account. These steps are designed to ensure your domain is eligible for transfer and to prevent any issues during the process.
1. Step 1
Unlock your domain: Log in to your GoDaddy account, navigate to your domain settings, and disable the 'Domain Lock' feature. This is essential for the transfer to proceed.
2. Step 2
Disable WHOIS privacy: If you have WHOIS privacy protection enabled, you must disable it temporarily. The transfer process requires the registrant contact information to be publicly accessible.
3. Step 3
Verify contact information: Ensure that the administrative contact email address listed for your domain is current and accessible. AWS will send critical confirmation emails to this address.
4. Step 4
Obtain authorization code (EPP code): This code is a unique password for your domain and is required by AWS Route 53 to authorize the transfer. You can usually find this in your domain settings under 'Transfer out domain'.
Creating a Hosted Zone in AWS Route 53
The first step in AWS is to create a 'Hosted Zone' for your domain. This zone will store all your domain's DNS records, such as A, CNAME, MX, and TXT records.
aws route53 create-hosted-zone --name example.com --caller-reference "unique_ref_$(date +%s)" --hosted-zone-config Comment="My new hosted zone" --region us-east-1
Example AWS CLI command to create a hosted zone for example.com
Creating a Hosted Zone in the AWS Route 53 Console
Initiating the Domain Transfer to Route 53
With your GoDaddy preparations complete and a hosted zone ready in Route 53, you can now initiate the domain transfer process within the AWS console.
1. Step 1
Navigate to Route 53: In the AWS Management Console, search for and select 'Route 53'.
2. Step 2
Select 'Registered domains': In the Route 53 dashboard, click on 'Registered domains' in the left navigation pane.
3. Step 3
Choose 'Transfer domain': Click the 'Transfer domain' button.
4. Step 4
Enter domain and authorization code: Input your domain name (e.g., example.com) and the authorization code (EPP code) you obtained from GoDaddy.
5. Step 5
Review and confirm: Follow the prompts to review your contact information and confirm the transfer. AWS will send a confirmation email to the administrative contact.
Updating Nameservers and DNS Records
Once the transfer is complete, or even before, you'll need to update your domain's nameservers and replicate your DNS records in Route 53.
1. Step 1
Identify Route 53 nameservers: After creating a hosted zone, Route 53 provides four unique nameserver (NS) records. Make a note of these.
2. Step 2
Update nameservers at GoDaddy (if transfer not complete): If the transfer is still pending, you may need to manually update the nameservers at GoDaddy to the Route 53 ones to point traffic to AWS immediately. This step is temporary as the transfer will eventually handle this.
3. Step 3
Migrate DNS records: Manually create all your existing DNS records (A, CNAME, MX, TXT, etc.) from your GoDaddy DNS settings into your new Hosted Zone in AWS Route 53. Ensure every record is accurately replicated.
4. Step 4
Verify DNS propagation: Use a DNS lookup tool (like dig or an online DNS checker) to confirm that your domain is now resolving to the Route 53 nameservers and that your records are correctly configured.
dig NS example.com +short
dig A example.com +short
Use dig commands to check nameservers and A records for your domain.
Domain Transfer Workflow from GoDaddy to AWS Route 53
By following these steps, you can successfully migrate your domain from GoDaddy to AWS Route 53. This transition empowers you with AWS's robust DNS management capabilities, paving the way for seamless integration with your cloud infrastructure.