Moving from Bluehost

1. Point your domain to us Recommended

Your domain stays at Bluehost (you keep paying them for it). We host the new site. You just swap two settings.

Before you start: we'll email you two nameservers that look like xxxx.ns.cloudflare.com. Have that email open.

1. Domain registered at Bluehost: Bluehost Portal > Domains > the domain
2. Open the Nameservers tab, click Change Nameservers
3. Enter the two Cloudflare nameservers and save (24-48 hours)
4. Domain registered elsewhere: change it at that registrar

Official help page: www.bluehost.com/help/article/dm-domains-tab-nameservers

Changes usually show up within a few hours, at most 24 to 48. Your old site keeps working until the switch finishes.

2. Move your domain to us

We take over the domain itself, so you get one bill (ours) for website, hosting and domain. It stays registered in your name and we renew it at cost.

1. Log in to the Bluehost Portal > Domains and select the domain
2. Click the Move & Access tab
3. Click Request Auth Code
4. Select the transfer reason and click Continue
5. Click Continue With Transfer, then Send Auth Code
6. Code is emailed to the REGISTRANT email (may take up to 24 hours)
7. Give us the code (case-sensitive; no spaces)

Timing: Domain must be at least 60 days old; ICANN 60-day lock after contact change; Bluehost says transfers typically 5-7 days. The auth-code article does not describe an unlock step; domains are locked by default - unlock from the Portal if it does not release.

Then send us: the authorization code (also called the EPP or transfer code). Paste it in your dashboard or reply to our email. Don't post it anywhere public.

Official help page: www.bluehost.com/help/article/epp-auth-code

3. Keep Bluehost, let us in to fix or rebuild

Best if you only want fixes or a rebuild and want to stay on Bluehost. You invite us; we never need your login.

Bluehost calls it: Users & Roles > User Roles & Permissions (+ Add User); domain-level: Domains > Move & Access > Add User to manage Domain · Choose: Tech Contact (technical work incl. API access and product management, no payment/user management). Admin Contact if we must edit billing - avoid. For WordPress only, a separate WP admin user works.

Invite this email: hello@advancingwebsites.com

1. Log in to the Bluehost Portal
2. Click Profile icon (top right) > Users & Roles
3. Click Manage next to the account
4. Scroll to User Roles & Permissions and click + Add User
5. Enter our name and email, choose Tech Contact, click Invite
6. We accept the email and set our own user ID and password

Official help page: www.bluehost.com/help/article/am-users-roles

Stuck?

Reply to any email from us, or send a note with a screenshot of what you see. We'll walk you through it, or hop on a quick call.

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Steps checked against Bluehost's official help pages in October 2026. Screens change sometimes; if something looks different, tell us and we'll update this guide.