If you’re hosting your website with Xneelo (formerly Hetzner South Africa) and want to manage both your hosting and domain in one place, transferring your domain to Truehost is a popular option.

Many website owners make the switch to benefit from:

• Easy scalability as your website grows

• Lower domain renewal costs

• Simpler domain and hosting management

• Free DNS hosting included

• Local support that understands the African market

That said, a domain transfer isn’t something to rush into blind. Registries impose rules that both Xneelo and Truehost have to follow, and skipping a step can cost you days of delay, or, in the worst cases, a lapsed domain. This guide walks through the entire process end to end, from checking eligibility to confirming everything works post-transfer.

Before You Start: Eligibility Checklist

Domain transfers are governed as much by registry policy as by either company’s own systems, so a few of these requirements aren’t optional no matter who you ask:

• 60-day minimum age. Your domain must be at least 60 days past its original registration date or its last transfer date. This is a rule enforced across the industry by ICANN and the relevant ccTLD registries; not something either Xneelo or Truehost can waive.
• Not expired or in redemption. A domain sitting in an expired or redemption-grace state generally cannot be transferred until it’s renewed and back in active status.
• Auto-renew must be ON at Xneelo. This trips people up because it seems backwards, but Xneelo requires the Auto Renew toggle to be switched on before you can submit a transfer-away request.
• A working, correct WHOIS/registrant email. For gTLDs (.com, .net, .org, and similar), the authorization code is emailed to whichever contact is listed as the registrant, so that inbox needs to be one you can actually access.
• WHOIS privacy may need to be disabled. Some gTLD transfers require privacy protection to be turned off first so the authorization code can reach the real registrant address rather than a masked one.
• DNSSEC needs a heads-up to support. If DNSSEC is enabled on the domain, contact Xneelo support before initiating the transfer. Xneelo’s own documentation flags this explicitly, since an unplanned DNSSEC mismatch during a registrar switch can knock a domain offline.
• Back everything up first. Custom DNS records, website files, databases, and email should all be backed up before you begin. Xneelo removes custom DNS records from its servers a set period after cancellation, so don’t count on being able to retrieve them later.

Keep in mind that the 60-day lockout applies at the registry level. Even if Xneelo’s control panel lets you attempt a transfer earlier than that, the registry would reject it.

Step 1: Prepare Your Domain in Xneelo

Log in and locate the domain. In the Xneelo Control Panel, go to Products → Domains, select the domain you want to move, then open Advanced Settings and choose Transfer Away.

Start the transfer request.

• Confirm Auto Renew is switched ON. If it’s off, Xneelo won’t let the transfer proceed; flip it on first.
• Choose a reason for the transfer from the dropdown (select “Other” if nothing else fits).
• Confirm the request to submit it.

Get your authorization code. What happens next depends on the domain extension:

• gTLDs (.com, .net, .org, .biz, .info, .cc, .co, .mobi, .tv, and similar): After you submit the transfer-away request, Xneelo emails an Authorisation Code (also called an EPP code) to the registrant contact on file. Xneelo also unlocks the domain at the registry level so the transfer can move forward once your new host submits the request.
• .co.za and other South African ccTLDs: These work differently. Rather than an EPP code, the registrant receives a voting ticket or approval email directly from the registry, and the registrant approves the transfer that way. An EPP code generally isn’t part of the .co.za process.

If your website is also hosted with Xneelo, decide up front whether you’re moving just the domain (keeping hosting where it is) or moving both the domain and the hosting to Truehost. Whichever you choose, back up your website files, databases, and email before cancelling any hosting service. Once a hosting package is cancelled, the clock starts on when that content becomes unrecoverable.

Didn’t get the authorization email? You can resend it from the Domain Transfer section of the Xneelo Control Panel. If you change your mind partway through, you can also cancel the transfer request from the same place.

Step 2: Start the Transfer at Truehost

Check eligibility and fees. Before placing an order, confirm the domain qualifies for transfer and check whether a transfer fee applies for that particular extension.

Place the transfer order.

• Log in to your Truehost account.
• Go to Domains → Transfer Domain.
• Enter the domain name you’re moving.

Enter your authorization details.

• For gTLDs, paste the EPP/Auth code exactly as it was sent; extra spaces or missing characters are a common cause of failed attempts.
• For .co.za domains, there’s no code to enter; you’ll instead follow the approval process sent to the registrant’s email once the request is submitted.

Complete checkout. Pay the transfer fee if one applies. In most cases (as with transfers to any registrar), a successful transfer also extends the domain’s registration by one year.

Step 3: Approve the Transfer

This is the step most delays trace back to, simply because people miss the email.

• Check the registrant’s inbox for the approval request.
• Approve it before the stated deadline; codes and approval windows are time-limited.
• If it doesn’t show up, check spam or junk folders before assuming something’s gone wrong.

For .co.za domains, you’re approving the registry’s voting ticket rather than a registrar-issued email. For gTLDs and other international domains, you’re approving the transfer confirmation sent by your current (losing) registrar, Xneelo.

Step 4: Wait for the Transfer to Complete

Typical timelines:

• .co.za domains: Usually finalized within a few days of approval, since the process runs through the registry’s voting system rather than a longer international hold period.
• .com, .net, .org, and similar gTLDs: Typically 5–8 business days, partly because of the standard 5-day transfer window most gTLD registries build in to give the losing registrar a chance to flag disputes.

If approval doesn’t happen within the allowed window, the request expires, and you’ll need to start over from Step 1 or Step 2, depending on where it stalled.

What Happens to Your Website and Email During the Transfer

A domain transfer changes who administers the domain; it does not, by itself, move your website or email anywhere.

• Your domain generally stays online and resolving normally throughout the transfer.
• If your website will continue to be hosted elsewhere (not moving to Truehost), it should keep working without interruption, since DNS doesn’t have to change just because the registrar does.
• If you’re also relocating your hosting to Truehost, migrate your website and email first and only repoint your nameservers once the new environment is live and tested. Changing nameservers before the new hosting is ready is the most common cause of unnecessary downtime in these migrations.
• Regardless of your hosting plans, back up your DNS records, website files, databases, and email before you leave Xneelo; don’t rely on being able to pull them after the fact.

Post-Transfer Checklist

Once Truehost confirms the domain has landed:

• Confirm the domain appears correctly in your Truehost client area.
• Review and update nameservers and DNS records; some registrars reset these to defaults after a transfer completes.
• Re-enable domain lock and WHOIS privacy if you had them active before the transfer.
• Set your auto-renew preference in Truehost so the domain doesn’t lapse later.
• Test your website and email thoroughly to confirm nothing broke in the switch.

Troubleshooting Common Errors

Move Your Domain to Truehost Without Downtime

A domain transfer is much easier when you follow the right steps. Before you begin, confirm that your domain is eligible for transfer, request your EPP code (or wait for the approval email if you’re transferring a .co.za domain), and back up your DNS records to avoid unexpected downtime.

Then, initiate the transfer at Xneelo, complete the transfer request at Truehost, and approve the confirmation email when it arrives. Follow these steps in order, and your website should remain online throughout the process.

For reliable domain registration, fast web hosting, and responsive customer support, Truehost is an excellent choice. Transfer your domain today and enjoy affordable pricing, easy domain management, and dependable hosting, all from a single provider.

Transfer a Domain from XNeelo to Truehost FAQ 

Does transferring a domain cause downtime? 

Not inherently. The domain keeps resolving through the transfer as long as you don’t change DNS settings or nameservers prematurely. Downtime usually comes from a hosting migration happening at the same time, not from the domain transfer itself.

Do I need to transfer my hosting too, or just the domain? 

You can do either. Plenty of people transfer the domain but leave their website hosted where it already is. If you do want to consolidate both, plan the hosting migration first and switch nameservers last.

What if my domain is a .co.za? Do I still need an EPP code? 

No. .co.za transfers run on a registry voting-ticket system rather than an EPP code, so you’ll approve an email from the registry instead of entering a code.

What if my 60 days haven’t passed yet? 

You’ll need to wait it out; this is a registry-level rule that applies regardless of which registrars are involved. Mark your calendar and revisit the transfer once the window has passed.

Can I cancel a transfer once started? 

Yes, generally. On the Xneelo side, you can cancel a pending transfer-away request from the Domain Transfer section of the Control Panel before it completes.