Registrar lock is a status preventing a domain from being transferred to another registrar without your action.
WHY IT EXISTS
Unauthorised transfers are a real attack. A locked domain cannot be moved even if someone obtains partial access, which makes it a meaningful protection.
WHERE TO SEE IT
Domains > My Domains > click the domain. The lock status is shown and can be toggled.
LEAVE IT ON
For normal operation, the lock should be enabled at all times. There is no benefit to leaving it off.
WHEN TO TURN IT OFF
Only when you are deliberately transferring the domain to another registrar. Turn it off, complete the transfer, and the new registrar will normally lock it again.
Turn it back on if a planned transfer does not go ahead.
RELATED STATUSES
You may see registry-level statuses such as clientTransferProhibited in WHOIS, which is the lock. Others such as serverHold or clientHold indicate a suspension applied by the registrar or registry, usually for non-payment or a policy issue, and these require contacting us.
If a transfer is being rejected and you cannot see why, the lock is the first thing to check.
