What's your take on Google Domains being sold to Squarespace?

[SenseiSteve]

Got this email -

Squarespace recently announced that it entered into an agreement to purchase all domain name registrations and related customer accounts from Google Domains. As a valued customer we wanted to make you aware of the following important information.

What happens now?

There is nothing you need to do at this time. Your domain will continue to operate and be managed by Google until it is time to move to Squarespace. That won’t happen until after the transaction closes and the migration process begins, which will likely take place over the next few months.

What happens next?

All customers will be moved to Squarespace Domains in the coming months. You will be notified once your domain has moved. Squarespace Domains is an independent domain registrar service provided by Squarespace.

Squarespace has publicly committed to continue to utilize Google Cloud DNS infrastructure, meaning reliability and performance regarding DNS will remain unchanged during the migration.

The purchase is currently subject to regulatory approval and other customary closing conditions. Upon the closing of the transaction, your domain account will be owned by Squarespace but you will continue to manage your domain(s) via Google Domains as you do today, with Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service continuing to apply.

Learn more about Squarespace’s plan for domains here.

Squarespace and Google are committed to a seamless transition. For a limited period of time post-close until your account is migrated to Squarespace, your account will be managed by Squarespace utilizing Google’s infrastructure. After this migration period Squarespace will be solely responsible for providing domain services to you. During the migration period after the closing of the transaction, your customer and, if applicable, billing information will be migrated to Squarespace. Upon migration – which will be at least 30 days from today – your data will be governed by Squarespace’s Privacy Policy and Squarespace’s Terms of Service will apply. Additionally, if you have a Google Workspace subscription billed by Google Domains, billing and support services for such subscription will be transitioned to Squarespace. Following closing of the transaction, you will receive instructions from Squarespace on how to manage your domain(s) via a Squarespace account (including DNS, WHOIS, and renewal settings).

You will continue to have the ability to transfer your domain(s) to another registrar prior to such migration or at any time thereafter.

In the meantime, if you need help with anything related to your domain please contact us. You can also learn more about Squarespace here.

 

[CanSpace]

The news broke probably about 6 weeks ago or so. At that moment we started to see a massive new wave of new customers moving their domains to us (namely .CA). At first we didn't understand what that influx was about (I wasn't even aware of Google Domains selling their business to SquareSpace), but then clients were telling us how they were not fans of the idea of having to deal with SquareSpace.

Every time you are forced to move a domain is probably a little annoying to customers, but it's good news for us. Can anyone else sell their domain registration business to SquareSpace, please?

 

[SenseiSteve]

I just got that email this morning and fortunately only have one domain with Google. Definitely not staying with SquareSpace.

 

[romes]

Gonna be honest, did not know google sold domains. Then again, been off the radar a while. Personally, I still use the domain reseller I got from WHMCS. I got it when I used to be a host and now keep it to host my own stuff. I find it easier that way. lol

 

[bigredseo]

I was bummed when I heard the news as we've used them for too many years as they were the cheapest in the space with free WhoIS protection and then an awesome Cloud DNS directly at Google.

Squarespace taking it was an odd one, and it took others off-guard also, including WordPress.
WordPress has launched a campaign "complaining" that they weren't approached by Google about purchasing, so in response they're paying 1 year renewal for 1 million domains. No strings attached, purely just a "we don't want SquareSpace to get them and use the number in their marketing campaign"

So if you have a Google Domain, and you like WordPress, you can transfer there for free (and still point your domain elsewhere) - and they're keeping the same $12/year price - unlike SquareSpace or GoDaddy etc.
Here's that link if anyone wants it: https://wordpress.com/setup/google-transfer/intro

 

[romes]

I think that is a smart move on Wordpress' part. Their site says they'll pay the first year as well? I think they will gain a lot of new customers with that. However, that will depend on their marketing of it as well.

 

[easyhostmedia]

In the EU and UK under GDPR Google or any other company cannot just sell or pass on your details without your written permission, but Google is one of these companies that think this 'we are a big company so laws do not apply to us' I just wish governments would grow backbones and challenge these large international companies

 

[zalvis]

Yes, just got this email. I have couple of domains with Google, never used Square Space before. Not sure how they are.

I know many people hate the idea of acquisitions of clients, I too. Because each companies has different policies and customer support systems.

But, I think this is a good move by Google, to sell of non performing products and step back from that segment.