Cancel IONOS, keep your domain and email

Last updated: 23 October 2026 · By Maurice, freeehouse team · About 3 minutes to read

Why does this matter with IONOS?

At IONOS, website, domain and mailbox are often in the same contract. According to the pricing page, the website builder includes one domain and one email address. If you cancel the whole contract, you can quickly lose more than you meant to. That is why IONOS recommends a list of all email accounts, mailboxes and forwards before cancelling.

Option 1: domain and mailbox stay at IONOS

For most businesses this is the simplest way. The domain stays registered, the mailbox keeps running, and only the website moves.

1. 1

   Open the domain's DNS settings in your IONOS account.

2. 2

   Set the A record for the main address to the new host's address, and do the same for the www record.

3. 3

   Leave MX records, SPF and all other email records unchanged.

4. 4

   Check that the new website shows up and emails still arrive.

5. 5

   Only then cancel the website service at IONOS, keeping domain and mailbox.

Make sure you remove old A records. In several of our go-lives in October 2026, old values stayed in place, and visitors landed on the old and the new site by turns.

Option 2: everything moves to another provider

If you want to leave IONOS completely, the domain and mailbox move too.

1. 1

   Create the mailboxes with the new provider.

2. 2

   Copy the old emails across, for example via your email program.

3. 3

   Request the transfer code for the domain at IONOS. For .de domains it is called AuthInfo and, according to DENIC, is valid for 30 days.

4. 4

   Start the transfer with the new provider, and first create all DNS records there exactly as they are now.

5. 5

   Only when everything works, cancel the IONOS contract.

Important: according to IONOS, a data export is no longer possible once a cancellation takes effect. Back up everything you need beforehand.

Which option is better?

If your mailbox works well and is cheap at IONOS, leave it there. Moving a mailbox is extra work and carries a small risk. If, on the other hand, you are at IONOS only for website and domain and want to simplify your contract, the full move pays off. Putting the domain with a low-cost provider usually costs just a few euros a year.

What about IONOS forwards?

Many businesses have set up forwards at IONOS, for example from info@ to a private mailbox. These are tied to the IONOS contract. Before you cancel anything, write down all forwards and set them up with the new provider if you are moving the domain.

With freeehouse, domain and mailbox stay at IONOS if you want that. We send you a guide with pictures for the one record, and after the switch we check that emails still arrive. Building the new site costs nothing. Move from IONOS

Example: what the switch looks like at IONOS

A simplified example, with domain and mailbox staying at IONOS. The values are placeholders.

The AAAA record is often forgotten. If it still holds the old address, some visitors keep landing on the old site.

How long does it take?

The change is saved immediately. It can take a few hours until all devices know about it. So do not schedule the switch for a day when many customers need your site, such as before a public holiday.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

• IONOS: Homepage-Baukasten, Tarife, accessed 23 October 2026
• IONOS Hilfe: Gesamten IONOS Vertrag kündigen, accessed 23 October 2026
• DENIC: Providerwechsel bei .de-Domains, accessed 23 October 2026

Providers' prices and terms change often. What counts is what's in your customer account and your contract. Not legal advice.

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