Google announced the suspension of new domain sales as it prepares to hand over Google Domains to the renowned website builder, Squarespace.
As of September 7, Google Domains stopped offering domains to both new and existing users. Interestingly, this information was only evident on the Domains website when accessed incognito or when signed out.
Despite the absence of a widespread email notification, a few astute users picked up on the change immediately.
Now, the Domains website encourages users to procure domains via Squarespace, and notably, through an affiliate link. “For new domain registrations, consider Squarespace,” suggests the site.
It was on September 7 that Squarespace took over all domain registrations and associated customer accounts from Google Domains. The transition of domains and accounts is expected to roll out over the forthcoming months.
Squarespace offers domains from $12/year, which aligns with Google’s pricing model for standard domains. Importantly, the transition doesn’t require existing Google Domains customers to migrate their domains.
They can continue using domains.google.com for domain management; however, adding new domains is no longer an option.
Users will notice a statement on their domain dashboard indicating that “Squarespace is now the official registrar for your domain,” but it also mentions that Google will oversee the domain during a transitional phase.
The finalized deal between Squarespace and Google Domains came to light on September 7, with the halt in new domain sales following shortly after the announcement.
