Switching registrar modules in WHMCS: route per TLD, test, then move

You can switch registrar in WHMCS without a big-bang cutover. WHMCS lets you choose the registrar per TLD, so you can move one extension, test it, and then move the next. Changing that setting only affects new orders, though. Your existing domains stay where they are until you transfer them.

That second sentence is where most of the pain comes from, so I will spend most of this post on it.

Why one TLD at a time

Think about changing the lock on a shop door. You do not take away the old key and hand out the new one on the same morning. You cut the new lock, test it with your own key, keep the old key until everyone has the new one, and only then throw the old one away.

A registrar switch works the same way. If you move everything at once and something is wrong with prices, contacts or renewals, every customer notices on the same day. If you move one TLD, only the customers who buy that TLD notice, and you find the problem while it is small.

What changes, and what does not

In WHMCS, each TLD has its own registrar setting in the domain pricing settings. That setting decides which module WHMCS uses when a customer orders a new domain, or a registration needs to be sent. Each existing domain also has a registrar field of its own on the domain record.

This is what that means in practice:

• Change the registrar for a TLD, and new registrations in that TLD go to the new registrar.
• Existing domains do not move. They are still registered at the old registrar, and the old module still has to manage them.
• If you change the registrar field on an existing domain without transferring it, WHMCS will send commands to a registrar that does not hold the domain. They fail, and the failure often shows up on the day a renewal is due.

So the rule is simple: the registrar field in WHMCS must match where the domain actually lives.

The plan

1. Pick the first TLD. Choose one with enough orders to test, but not your biggest. A mid-sized TLD that you sell regularly is ideal.

2. Install and configure the new module. The AiVikings.ai WHMCS module is in the WHMCS Marketplace and has its own page. Our guide to installing the module walks through the first setup.

3. Check the prices. Import the catalog for the TLD, compare cost and retail price, and confirm renewal and transfer prices as well, not only registration. The post on catalog costs, retail prices and renewals explains the review.

4. Test with a real order. Place an order from a test client for a domain you actually want. Check that the registration reaches the new registrar, that the contact details look right, and that the nameservers are what you expect.

5. Route the TLD. Switch the registrar setting for that TLD to the new module. Keep the old module active. You need it for the domains that still live there.

6. Move existing domains in batches. For the TLD you are moving, transfer the existing domains with their authorization codes. Do a small batch first, then a larger one. When a transfer completes, check that WHMCS now shows the new module as the registrar for that domain.

7. Check expiry and sync. After each batch, compare expiry dates in WHMCS with the registrar. A transfer in a generic TLD usually adds a year, so the new expiry date can differ from the old one, and WHMCS should reflect that. If it does not, find out why before you touch any dates by hand.

8. Repeat, TLD by TLD. Keep the old registrar account funded until the last domain has moved.

Rolling back

Because you route per TLD, rollback is small. If something looks wrong, switch the TLD's registrar setting back to the old module. New registrations go back to the old registrar, and the domains you already transferred stay where they are. It is not pretty, but it is a rollback you can do in a minute, and not a weekend project.

Things to check on the way

• Contacts. Make sure the contact details sent to the new registrar match what the customer expects.
• Nameservers and DNS. A transfer normally keeps the nameservers, but check that they did not change.
• Renewal reminders. Check that reminders and invoices still go out the way your customers expect. The post on separating billing from registrar results covers the exception queue.
• Premium names. Premium domains are priced differently. Test one before you promise anything.

If you want the whole picture of reselling domains in WHMCS, start with the domain resale guide and the page for hosting companies and agencies.