Last updated: 23 October 2026 · By Maurice, freeehouse team · About 3 minutes to read
Why is the domain at risk at STRATO?
According to the pricing page, the STRATO website builder includes a domain. That makes it part of the package. According to STRATO, cancelling a whole package also cancels all the domains and add-on products in it. With a cancellation by storno, the domain is even returned to the registry immediately. In the worst case, someone else can then register it.
Option 1: move the domain into a domain package at STRATO
According to STRATO, a domain you want to keep using should be moved into a domain package before a storno. The same applies analogously before cancelling a package. A plain domain package usually costs much less than a builder. Your email can keep running if the domain package includes mailboxes or your email is with another provider anyway.
Advantage: you do not have to move the domain to another provider. Disadvantage: you still have a contract with STRATO.
Option 2: move the domain to another provider with the auth code
For .de domains the move runs through the AuthInfo, commonly called the auth code. You request it from STRATO. According to DENIC, an AuthInfo is valid for 30 days. The new provider submits it, and the domain changes hands.
Beforehand you do three things:
- 1
Write down all DNS records at STRATO, especially MX and SPF for email.
- 2
Create the mailboxes with the new provider if email moves too, and copy the old emails across.
- 3
Create the records with the new provider exactly as they are at STRATO.
Only after the move has succeeded do you cancel the package at STRATO, normally at the end of the term. More in the guide Moving a domain with AuthInfo.
What about my STRATO mailboxes?
If your mailboxes are at STRATO, they are tied to the package. According to its own page, STRATO offers an email move service that copies emails, contacts and appointments and initially keeps them in the old account. You decide before cancelling whether to leave the mailboxes at STRATO or move them. Old STRATO mail contracts with many addresses are often cheap and are welcome to stay.
Which option is right?
- You only want to change the website and touch nothing else: move domain and mailbox into a smaller STRATO package, switch the website.
- You want to leave STRATO entirely: move the domain with the auth code, create mailboxes with the new provider.
- You are unsure: leave domain and email where they are for now and switch only the website. You can cancel later.
With freeehouse, domain and email stay where they are today. We tell you which STRATO package you can cancel and when, without the domain going with it. We do not charge for building the new website. Move from STRATO
Example: timeline for leaving STRATO
| When | Step |
|---|---|
| two months before the end of the term | commission the new website, back up DNS records |
| six weeks before | move the domain into a domain package or request the auth code |
| five weeks before | switch the website, check email |
| one month before at the latest | cancel the builder package normally |
| after the end of the term | check that domain and email keep running |
Frequently asked questions
Can I keep only the domain at STRATO?
Yes. Move it into its own domain package before cancelling the builder. According to STRATO, it is otherwise cancelled with the package.
Where do I get the auth code at STRATO?
In your customer login, under the domain. For .de domains it is called AuthInfo and, according to DENIC, is valid for 30 days.
Does moving the domain away from STRATO cost anything?
The transfer itself costs nothing or little at many providers. With the new provider you pay the ongoing domain costs.
What happens to my email when the domain moves?
It keeps running if the email records are created with the new provider exactly as they were. If the mailbox is at STRATO, you have to back it up or move it first.
Sources
- STRATO FAQ: Wie kann ich kündigen?, accessed 23 October 2026
- STRATO FAQ: Wie kann ich eine Bestellung stornieren?, accessed 23 October 2026
- STRATO: E-Mail-Anbieter wechseln, 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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