What happened to Google Domains
Google's own Google Domains page gives three dates. On June 15, 2023, Google agreed to sell Google Domains registrations and related customer accounts to Squarespace. On September 7, 2023, the sale closed and "all Google Domains users became customers of Squarespace." By July 10, 2024, all domains had finished migrating to Squarespace. [1]
Squarespace's help article says that if you had a Google domain, "Squarespace is your new domain host." If you had no Squarespace account, it created one with your Google Domains account email. It gave owner permissions to the last person responsible for payment on the domain and manager permissions to other contributors. [3]
What moved and what did not
Squarespace lists the Google Domains features it supports: all DNS record types, custom nameservers, domain forwarding, email forwarding, DNSSEC and glue records. It lists Dynamic DNS and the ACME DNS API as not supported. [2]
The gaps have practical effects. Squarespace says dynamic DNS records "will remain as A or AAAA records pointing to the last IP addresses provided prior to migration, but they'll no longer update automatically," and ACME certificates "will work until expiration, but will not renew." If forwarding stopped, it says the likely cause is custom nameservers combined with Google's built-in domain or email forwarding, fixed by updating DNS records. [3]
| Feature | Status at Squarespace | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| DNS records, custom nameservers, glue records | Supported [2] | Spot-check records against your own notes |
| DNSSEC | Supported [2] | Confirm it is still enabled if you used it |
| Email forwarding | Supported, up to 100 aliases [2] [4] | Send a test to each alias |
| Dynamic DNS | Not supported; records frozen at last IP [3] | Move the record to a DNS host that supports updates |
| ACME DNS API certificates | Existing certificates expire without renewing [3] | Switch certificate validation method before expiry |
Renewal price: the check that decides whether to move
Squarespace says it honored all existing Google Domains customers' renewal prices "for at least 12 months after closing the acquisition," which closed on September 7, 2023. It gives no end date for that commitment. [2] [1] Its domain page says domains auto-renew and that it sends a reminder 30 days before renewal, and it describes free SSL certificates, WHOIS privacy for eligible domains, email forwarding with each domain, free domain forwarding and two-factor authentication options. [5]
To compare fairly, open your domain in the Squarespace dashboard and note the renewal price and date. Then look up the renewal price, not the first-year promotional price, at the registrar you are considering, and confirm what is included for free there. A transfer usually adds a year of registration: Namecheap says that when a transfer completes the domain is renewed for one year, depending on the extension, so the transfer price largely replaces your next renewal rather than adding to it. [7]
Email forwarding and DNS gotchas
Squarespace's email forwarding allows up to 100 aliases, each forwarding to one destination. On Squarespace-managed DNS it adds MX, TXT and DMARC records automatically, and removing them breaks forwarding. On custom nameservers you must add two MX and two TXT records yourself. It asks you to delete any existing DMARC record before creating a rule, does not support destinations at free providers that enforce DKIM, such as aol.com, icloud.com or yahoo.com, and says forwarding starts 24 to 48 hours after you verify the destination. [4]
Squarespace's forwarding article does not say forwarding continues after you transfer the domain away, so assume it does not and set up forwarding or a mailbox at your new provider first. Namecheap is explicit about DNS: a transfer does not switch nameservers to Namecheap, a previous registrar may delete its default DNS zone after transfer, which can cause downtime, and you cannot update nameservers once a transfer is initiated. [4] [7]
How to transfer to another registrar
ICANN's rules set the basics. Your registrar must provide the authorization (AuthInfo) code within five calendar days of your request, must offer a reasonable way to remove a transfer lock, and cannot deny a transfer because the domain expired or was not renewed unless you have not paid for a previous registration period; a name whose deletion has begun must first be restored by the current registrar. A registrar may deny a transfer within 60 days of initial registration or a previous transfer, and you cannot transfer within 60 days of changing the registrant name, organization or email unless your registrar offers an opt-out. [6]
Namecheap's documented steps follow that pattern: confirm the domain was registered or transferred at least 60 days ago and is unlocked, enter it on the transfer page, provide the Auth/EPP code and check out. Transfers take from 30 minutes to 8 days, and the previous registrar should release the domain within 5 to 7 calendar days or it is approved automatically. [7]
- Export or screenshot every DNS record in Squarespace, including MX, TXT (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) and CNAME records.
- Recreate those records at your new DNS host and point nameservers there before the transfer, so email keeps flowing. [7]
- Replace Squarespace email forwarding with forwarding or mailboxes at your new provider and test them. [4]
- Do not edit registrant name, organization or email right before the move; that can trigger a 60-day lock. [6]
- Unlock the domain and request the auth code in Squarespace, then start the transfer at the new registrar. [6] [7]
- Confirm the transfer email, then check WHOIS shows the new registrar and that the transfer lock is back on.
Who should stay and who should transfer
- Stay if your renewal price is acceptable, you run a Squarespace website on the domain, and you use none of the unsupported features. [3] [2]
- Transfer if you relied on dynamic DNS or ACME DNS validation, or if another registrar's published renewal price is meaningfully lower. [2]
- Delay a transfer if you changed registrant details within the past 60 days or the domain is within 60 days of registration. [6]
- Either way, log in once, confirm you are listed as owner, and turn on two-factor authentication. [3] [5]
Questions before you decide
Where did my Google Domains domain go?
To Squarespace. Google says the sale closed on September 7, 2023, when all Google Domains users became Squarespace customers, and all domains had finished migrating by July 10, 2024.
How do I log in to my old Google Domains domain?
Squarespace says to log in at squarespace.com/login and select Continue with Google. If you had no Squarespace account, it created one with your Google Domains account email.
Did Squarespace keep the Google Domains renewal price?
Squarespace says it honored existing Google Domains customers' renewal prices for at least 12 months after the acquisition closed. It gives no end date, so check the current renewal price in your dashboard.
Will my email break if I transfer?
It can. Namecheap warns that a transfer does not change nameservers and that an old registrar may delete its default DNS zone afterwards. Recreate MX and other records at your new DNS host, and set up forwarding there, before transferring.
Sources & verification
Product details and prices can change. Check the linked provider before buying.
- Google Domains: Squarespace has acquired Google Domains Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Squarespace Domains: Google Domains customers Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Squarespace Help: About the Google Domains migration to Squarespace Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Squarespace Help: Email forwarding with a Squarespace domain Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Squarespace Domains Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- ICANN: FAQs for registrants, domain name transfers Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Namecheap Knowledgebase: How do I transfer my existing domain to Namecheap? Accessed 30 Oct 2026
Sources link directly to providers. Product buttons may use separately labeled affiliate links. Read our disclosure.