A little prep now saves a lot of headaches later. Before touching anything, run through this checklist:

• Your domain has been registered for at least 60 days — ICANN rules prohibit transfers on newer domains.
• Your domain is not expiring within the next 15 days. Renew it at Namecheap first if needed.
• You have access to the email address linked to your Namecheap account — you'll receive a confirmation email there.
• You have a recent backup of your website files and database.
• You know your website's tech stack (WordPress, static HTML, custom PHP, etc.).

Domains are "locked" by default to prevent unauthorized transfers — a good security feature you now need to temporarily disable.

1. Log in to your Namecheap account at namecheap.com.
2. Go to Domain List in the left sidebar and click Manage next to the domain you're transferring.
3. Under the Details tab, find the Transfer Lock toggle and switch it to OFF.
4. Save your changes. The lock is now disabled.

The Auth Code (also called an EPP code or transfer authorization code) is like a one-time password that proves you own the domain and authorizes the transfer.

1. Still in the Manage view for your domain, click the Sharing & Transfer tab.
2. Find the Auth Code section and click Send Auth Code to [your email].
3. Check your inbox — the code usually arrives within a few minutes.
4. Copy and save this code somewhere safe. You'll paste it into Hostinger shortly.

Before you can transfer the domain, you need a Hostinger account with an active hosting plan. If you already have one, skip ahead.

1. Go to hostinger.com and click Get Started.
2. Choose a hosting plan that fits your needs (Single, Premium, or Business Web Hosting all support domain transfers).
3. During checkout, select Transfer a domain instead of registering a new one, and enter your domain name.
4. Complete payment and verify your email to activate your account.

With your auth code in hand and Hostinger account ready, it's time to kick off the formal transfer.

1. Log in to the Hostinger hPanel dashboard.
2. Navigate to Domains → Transfer Domain.
3. Enter your domain name and click Transfer.
4. Paste the Auth Code you obtained from Namecheap.
5. Review the order summary and confirm the transfer.
6. Check your email — both Namecheap and Hostinger will send confirmation emails. You must approve the transfer from the Namecheap email.

Once approved, the actual transfer typically completes within 5–7 days, though it's often faster. You can monitor status in both dashboards.

While the domain transfer processes in the background, move your website files. The method depends on your site type.

Option A — WordPress sites (recommended): Use a migration plugin like All-in-One WP Migration or Duplicator. Export a full package from your old host, then import it at Hostinger via hPanel → WordPress → Auto Installer.

Option B — Manual file transfer via FTP/SFTP:

1. Download all your website files from Namecheap using an FTP client like FileZilla. Your FTP credentials are in your Namecheap hosting control panel.
2. Export your database (if applicable) from Namecheap's phpMyAdmin as a .sql file.
3. In Hostinger hPanel, find your new FTP credentials under Hosting → FTP Accounts.
4. Upload all files to the public_html folder on Hostinger using FileZilla.
5. Import your database via hPanel → Databases → phpMyAdmin.
6. Update your site's database connection settings (e.g., wp-config.php for WordPress) to point to the new database credentials.

Once the domain transfer is complete, Hostinger controls your DNS. You'll need to make sure DNS records are configured correctly so your domain resolves to the right server.

Common DNS records to verify or set in hPanel → Domains → DNS / Nameservers:

Your Hostinger server IP is visible in hPanel → Hosting → Manage → Dashboard. DNS changes take anywhere from a few minutes to 48 hours to fully propagate — use a tool like whatsmydns.net to track progress.

Before you declare victory, run through this final checklist to make sure everything is working end-to-end:

• Visit your domain in a browser — does it load the correct site?
• Test on both http://yourdomain.com and https://yourdomain.com (SSL should be active).
• Enable SSL in Hostinger via hPanel → SSL → Install if it's not already active. Hostinger provides free Let's Encrypt certificates.
• Send a test email to and from your domain email addresses.
• Click through key pages on your website to check for broken links or missing images.
• Log in to your CMS (e.g., WordPress /wp-admin) and verify everything functions correctly.
• Check that form submissions, payment gateways, and any third-party integrations still work.

You're live on Hostinger — nice work. A few final items to take care of:

1. Re-enable domain lock at Hostinger. Go to hPanel → Domains → your domain → Lock Domain and toggle it on.
2. Cancel your old Namecheap hosting plan (if separate from domain registration) to avoid being charged. Note: your domain is now at Hostinger, so you don't need the Namecheap hosting anymore.
3. Update auto-renewal settings for your domain at Hostinger so it doesn't accidentally expire.
4. Store a fresh backup now that everything is confirmed working on the new host.
5. Update any records that referenced your old server IP — CDN configurations, third-party integrations, or hardcoded server references in config files.