What is an EPP / authorization code?
An EPP code — also called an auth code, authorization code, authInfo code, or transfer code — is a per-domain password your current registrar issues to authorize a transfer to another registrar. You unlock the domain, request the code, and enter it at the new registrar. Codes are case-sensitive and time-limited, so copy and paste one and use it promptly.
The many names for the same thing
EPP code, auth code, authorization code, authInfo code, and transfer code all refer to the same string. "EPP" comes from the Extensible Provisioning Protocol registries use; the code proves to the gaining registrar that the account holder authorized the move.
How to get your code
The exact clicks vary by registrar, but the pattern is always: unlock the domain, then request or reveal the authorization code. Some registrars display it in the dashboard; others email it to the registrant contact address (so make sure WHOIS privacy isn't hiding a mailbox you can't read).
Our per-registrar transfer guides show the exact unlock and auth-code path for each incumbent, sourced from their own help docs.
Copy it, don't type it
Authorization codes are case-sensitive and often mix characters that are easy to confuse (O and 0, l and 1). Copy and paste the code into the new registrar rather than typing it, and use it before it expires.
ccTLD exceptions
Not every TLD uses an EPP code. UK domains (.uk, .co.uk) use an IPS tag — you point the domain's tag at the new registrar instead of pasting a code. Other ccTLDs have their own mechanisms; check the registry's rules for your extension.
An EPP/auth/authorization/authInfo/transfer code is a per-domain password issued by the current registrar to authorize a transfer. Obtain it by unlocking the domain and requesting the code (shown in-dashboard or emailed to the registrant). It is case-sensitive and time-limited — copy-paste and use promptly. Exception: .uk/.co.uk use an IPS tag, not an EPP code.