The short version
Hibu’s terms say the domain it provides is registered to Hibu until you ask for a transfer, and that Hibu is not responsible for storing your content after you cancel. So the order matters: get the domain and your content in writing first, build the new site second, cancel last.
What Hibu’s own terms say
Read on November 10, 2026 from the pages linked under each line. Your signed order or agreement is what binds you, so treat this as the list of things to check in it.
- Your termThe minimum term, if any, is set per service and confirmed in your Confirmation of Order. After it, services continue month to month until cancelled. For one website service paid monthly, the terms give a 12 month term and an early termination fee that depends on the package, from $99 to $449.Source: Hibu terms, General Terms and Service Terms for Design
- How to cancelBy telephone at (877) 237-6120, Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Central. For Display Ads, the request must arrive at least 15 days before the end of the term or service month.Source: Hibu terms, General Terms and Display Ads terms
- The domain“The Domain Name we provide you for your website will be registered to us. Please notify us if you wish to transfer the Domain Name to your name, and we will assist you with that process.”Source: Hibu terms, Service Terms for Domains
- Your content after you cancel“We are not responsible for storing Your Data or Your Content following cancellation of the Services for any reason.”Source: Hibu terms, General Terms
The order that protects you
Find your term and your date
Open your Confirmation of Order. It states the minimum term for each service and when it started. Write down the end date, and for Display Ads the date 15 days before it. Cancelling inside the term can carry the early termination fee the terms describe, so the date decides what leaving costs.
Find out who the domain is registered to
Look the domain up at lookup.icann.org. The registrant is the owner on record. Hibu’s terms say the domain it provides is registered to Hibu, so if you see Hibu there, you are asking for a transfer, not just leaving.
Ask for the transfer and your content in writing
Send one email, and keep the reply. Ask Hibu to transfer the domain to your name, to send the authorization code, and to send a copy of your site content, photos and any forms data. The terms say Hibu will assist with a domain transfer once you notify it, and that it is not responsible for storing your content after cancellation, so ask before you cancel.
Build the new site while the old one stays live
Do not take the old site down first. We build the new one on a private address, and when it is ready you point the domain at it in one step. Searchers never find a blank page. The old site and the new one can run side by side until the day you switch.
Cancel by the method in the terms, then check Google
Cancel by phone, in the window above, and write down the date, the time and the name of the person. After the switch, confirm you are the owner of your Google Business Profile and that the website link on it points to the new site.
What it looks like with us
We build the new site on a private address while the old one stays live, then you point the domain at it in one step, so there is no day when searchers find nothing. The domain is registered to you from the start. The build is $500 and the plan is $349 a month with no contract. Cancel inside ninety days for any reason and we refund the $500 build in full, no questions asked. Monthly fees cover the months the system ran and are not refunded, and the site and domain stay yours either way.
Planning the switch?
Tell us when your term ends and we plan the move around that date, in writing, before you cancel anything.
Questions people ask before they switch
Will I lose my Google ranking if I leave Hibu?
We cannot promise a ranking either way. The most common cause of lost visibility in a move is losing the domain or changing page addresses without redirects. Keeping the domain and redirecting old pages to the new ones protects what you have built.
What if Hibu will not transfer the domain?
Its terms say it will assist with a transfer once you notify it. If you do not get an answer, send the request again in writing and keep the dates. If it still stalls, we can start on a new domain and move later, so nothing waits on the transfer.
How much does Gold Strategics cost?
The Business Operating System is $500 to build and $349 a month, website included, with no contract. Cancel inside ninety days and the build fee is refunded.
Keep reading
The full side-by-side with Hibu is at the Hibu alternative page. Other guides: how to leave Thryv, how to leave Townsquare Interactive, and do I own my website.