ReSight·it › Leaving GoDaddy
How to leave GoDaddy's website builder and keep your domain and email
Many businesses bought their domain, email and website builder from GoDaddy years ago. You can replace just the website and keep the rest exactly as it is.
The move, step by step
- Rebuild the site first. The GoDaddy site stays online while the new one is built and checked privately.
- Check where your email lives. If your email is also with GoDaddy (or Microsoft 365 through GoDaddy), its DNS records must stay untouched. Note them before changing anything.
- Note forms and tracking codes. Website-builder forms stop working when you leave, and any Google Analytics or Ads codes need copying to the new site.
- Point the domain to the new site. The domain can stay registered with GoDaddy. You change only the records that point it to the website, not the email records.
- Test, then cancel only the website builder. Keep the domain and email subscriptions you still use. Cancel the website builder plan once the new site is checked.
What stays the same
- Your web address
- Your email, if it's with GoDaddy or Microsoft 365
- Your Google ranking, with page addresses kept or redirected
- Your Google Business Profile and ads
What changes
- The GoDaddy website builder and its forms
- Your website bill, which is usually lower
Questions
Can I keep my GoDaddy email?
Yes. Only the website part changes. The email records stay exactly as they are, and are checked after the switch.
Do I have to move my domain away from GoDaddy?
No. It can stay registered with GoDaddy in your name.
Will my site be down?
Usually for less than an hour on the day of the switch, while the change spreads. The old site stays live until then.
Rather have it done for you?
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