Moving from WordPress.com

1. Point your domain to us Recommended

Your domain stays at WordPress.com (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. Hosting Dashboard > Domains > the domain > Name servers (Settings)
2. Turn off 'Use WordPress.com name servers'
3. Enter the two Cloudflare nameservers
4. Click Save custom name servers (up to 72 hours)

Official help page: wordpress.com/support/domains/change-name-servers/

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. Open Hosting Dashboard > Domains (my.wordpress.com/domains) and click the domain
2. Under Actions click Transfer
3. Turn the transfer lock off ('Transfer lock off')
4. Click Get authorization code (emailed within ~15 minutes to the domain contact email)
5. Give us the code; start the transfer at Cloudflare Registrar. Make any DNS/nameserver changes BEFORE the registrar accepts the code
6. When the registrant emails a confirm/cancel link, click confirm to speed it up

Timing: 60 days after registering or transferring (status clientTransferProhibited before that). 5-7 days total. Once the new registrar accepts the code, DNS cannot be edited unless the transfer is cancelled. Privacy is switched off at start (older registrations may need it turned off manually under Contact details & privacy). Do not cancel the domain mid-transfer.

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: wordpress.com/support/domains/transfer-domain-registration/

3. Keep WordPress.com, let us in to fix or rebuild

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

WordPress.com calls it: Users > Add a team member (invite) · Choose: Administrator (needed to change themes, plugins, settings). Editor only manages content.

Invite this email: hello@advancingwebsites.com

1. Open the site dashboard
2. Go to Users > All Users, Team tab
3. Click Add a team member
4. Pick the Role (Administrator)
5. Enter our email or WordPress.com username
6. Click Send invitation
7. We click Accept invitation in the email (a WordPress.com account is created if needed)

Official help page: wordpress.com/support/invite-people/

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.

Print this guide All guides

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