GoDaddy Help

What happens after an auction ends?

Domains must be transferred to the buyer's account after a domain sale is completed through GoDaddy Auctions®. The method to move the domain name and who initiates the move depends on how the domain was purchased and if the seller and buyer accounts are registered with GoDaddy.


Now that you’ve won your domain, it's time to purchase it and move it into your account. 

Purchasing your domain

You'll need to make a payment before getting the domain moved to your account. 

  1. Go to the GoDaddy Auctions® page and sign in to your account. (Need help signing in? Find your username or password.)
  2. Select Bidding List, then Won.
  3. Select Pay for this domain, then continue through the checkout process.

Bids

After you’ve paid for your domain, the estimated delivery date varies depending on the auction type. 

  • 7-day auction listings: Typically delivered within 10 days after the payment is completed.
  • Expired and closeout auctions:
    1. Go to the GoDaddy Auctions® page and sign in to your account. (Need help signing in? Find your username or password.)
    2. Select Bidding List, them Won.
    3. Under Status, your domain’s estimated delivery date will be displayed.

For some transactions over $4,999, we use Escrow to complete the sale. The seller and buyer will receive instructions on this process and can always reach out to our Escrow partners for further assistance.

Offers

Domains purchased via Offer/Counter-offer or Buy Now should be delivered within 10 days after the payment is delivered.


If you’ve sold your domain, you'll need to do a couple things before you get the funds for your sale. We'll send an email after the sale with instructions on next steps. Don't forget to set up your Auctions payee account to get paid once the transaction is completed.

  • Domain had a reserve price that’s been met or had a winning bidder: Follow the instructions sent via email to transfer ownership of the domain to the buyer.
  • Domain had a reserve price that wasn’t met or there were no bids: You can re-list the domain or try our List For Sale option.

Moving the domain

Based on the instructions you received over email, you'll need to either transfer the domain from your current registrar or transfer the domain from your account to the buyer's account if the domain is registered with GoDaddy. You'll need to update the IPS tag on your .UK domain to GoDaddy before you begin transferring the domain to the buyer.

  • Domains registered somewhere else: Seller initiates the transfer by logging into their Auctions account > Selling List > Sold > Begin Transfer then follow our normal transfer process. You'll need to update the IPS tag on your .UK domain to GoDaddy before you begin transferring the domain to the buyer.
  • Domains registered with GoDaddy: Domains with domain protection enabled, you'll need to downgrade to no protection before transferring to another account. Once that's completed, the domain should be moved to the buyer automatically.

If there are any issues related to the transfer process, please email  auctions@godaddy.com or reach out to our GoDaddy Guides.

Related step

  • Set up my Auctions payee account
  • More info

  • Understanding GoDaddy Auctions® payment transactions
  • Sell my domain with GoDaddy's List for Sale
  • Set up my 2-step verification for the best security on your domains and account.