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Disconnect a domain connected from another registrar ​

If you connected a domain that is registered somewhere else (GoDaddy, Namecheap, Cloudflare and so on), you can remove it from InstaWP at any time. Disconnecting stops InstaWP from managing the domain's DNS. The domain itself stays registered with your registrar, so you don't lose it.

💡 This page is for connected domains. To move a domain you bought through InstaWP to another registrar, see Transfer a domain out of InstaWP.

In this documentation, we will explore:

What happens when you disconnect ​

  • The domain's DNS zone and all its records are removed from InstaWP straight away.
  • Any site that uses the domain stops loading on it immediately, because nothing answers its DNS any more.
  • The domain is removed from your Domains list.
  • The domain stays registered with your registrar. Renewal and ownership are not affected.

⚠️ Disconnecting can't be undone. To use the domain with InstaWP again, you have to connect it again from the start, including the ownership check and the nameserver change.

Before you disconnect ​

Step 1: Note down the DNS records you still need. Open the domain and go to DNS. Copy any records you want to keep, especially mail records (MX, SPF, DKIM), so you can recreate them at your new DNS provider.

Step 2: Point the nameservers somewhere else. At your registrar, change the domain's nameservers from ns1.instawp.com and ns2.instawp.com to your new DNS provider, and add your records there. If you connected a subdomain, remove the two NS records for it from the parent domain's DNS instead. Doing this first keeps the domain working while you switch.

Step 3: Move sites off the domain. If the domain is a white label domain that sites, WaaS plans or configurations use, they have to be moved or deleted first. See If sites still use the domain.

Disconnect an active domain ​

Step 1: Go to Domains and click the domain name to open it.

Step 2: Select Settings in the domain's sidebar. A connected domain shows a Disconnect domain card here.

Domain Settings page for a connected domain with the Disconnect domain card and the Disconnect button

If sites are linked to the domain, the card also warns how many sites will stop resolving.

Step 3: Click Disconnect, check the domain name in the confirmation, and click Disconnect again.

Disconnect domain confirmation saying the DNS zone and all its records will be removed from InstaWP

InstaWP confirms that the domain is being disconnected and takes you back to the Domains list. Its DNS zone and site links are removed in the background.

If sites still use the domain ​

When the domain is a white label domain, InstaWP won't disconnect it while sites, WaaS plans or team configurations still use it. Instead, a Sites still use this domain dialog lists them and offers Switch sites to default domain.

Switching moves every listed site to the default InstaWP domain (for example site-name.instawp.site). Their URLs change, so links and bookmarks to the old addresses stop working. WaaS plans and team configurations on the domain switch too. Once nothing uses the domain, click Disconnect again.

If some sites can't be moved, they are listed on the Settings page with the reason. Move or delete those sites yourself, then try again.

Once no sites use it, you can also switch off White Label from the domain's White Label page. See Turn off White Label or remove the domain.

Remove a domain whose setup was never finished ​

A domain that is still waiting for ownership verification or nameservers shows Pending verification or Pending nameservers in the Domains list, with a Continue setup button. To remove it, click the delete icon next to Continue setup and confirm with Delete.

Domains list with a domain in Pending verification status, the Continue setup button and the delete icon

Nothing was set up for it yet, so nothing else is affected. If you leave it, a domain that is never verified is released automatically after 72 hours.

Troubleshooting ​

What you seeWhat it means
No Disconnect domain card on the Settings pageThe domain was bought through InstaWP, not connected. Use Transfer a domain out of InstaWP instead.
Sites still use this domainThe domain is a white label domain that sites, WaaS plans or configurations still use. Switch them to the default domain or delete them first.
The domain stopped loading after disconnectingExpected while the nameservers still point at InstaWP. Point them at your new DNS provider and recreate your records there.
You want to connect the domain to another InstaWP accountDisconnect it here first. The other account can then connect it.

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