How to Add Custom Domain in Office 365?

There are users who want to change the default domain of Office 365 into the custom domain. Or who are getting started with Microsoft 365 and don’t know how to add custom domains. Either way, we will help you by explaining the methods to how to add domain in Office 365. Furthermore, we will explore a bonus tip so read the article to the end.

When a user first signs up in Microsoft 365, they will get a default domain: .onmicrosoft.com. This is used for the immediate access to Microsoft service. However, for professional use, you need a branded identity to maintain trust among the customers. For this you have to add a custom domain to your Office 365 account. Before creating your domain you need to understand the domain concept in Microsoft 365.

In the program, there are two types of domains which you can add. Primary Domain is the main domain which is associated with your tenant. New user account is created under this domain by default. The Additional Domain is another type of domain where you can add multiple domains and assign them to specific users, departments, etc. It is used to create the domain without needing to create separate tenants.

Prerequisites to Add Domain in Office 365

Before setting up a custom domain in Microsoft 365, there are some precautions you should take so that the process will run smoothly.

• First of all, you must own the domain name that you want to add. Also, you have access to the DNS management portal.
• Adding or managing the domain can only be done through global administrator permissions. Make sure that you have the required permissions.
• You will need to create or update DNS records during the verification process. So, ensure that you have proper DNS setup.
• Check the domain that you want to add is not already used in another Microsoft 365 tenant. Because only one domain is active in one Tenant.
• If you are changing your domain, it is compulsory to first store your data. We will talk about this later in the article.

So, first go through these lists and then, follow the below steps to link a new domain in Office 365.

Process to Set Up Custom Domain in Microsoft 365

The procedure of changing or adding a new domain is long. So we divided it into 3 parts for your easy understanding. So, without wasting a lot of time let’s go to the first part of the process.

Part 1: Add Domain in Office 365 Account

This part is where we create our custom domain in our account. Follow the steps properly to avoid any mistakes.

1. First, go to the Microsoft 365 Admin Center, sign in to the account using Global Administrator. Go to the Admin option.
   
2. In the left side of the screen, click on Settings then Domains option.
3. After that, press the Add domain button.
   
4. Now, type your domain name and click on Use this domain button.
   

Part 2: Verify the New Domain

Once you created the domain, now we have to verify it. Follow the steps below to do that.

1. After you created a custom domain. Microsoft will ask you to verify the ownership.
   
2. Choose Add a TXT record to the domain’s DNS.
3. Go to your domain registrar and log in. The TXT file you will get added to the DNS settings.
4. After that, go back to Office 365 and press the Verify button.

Part 3: Configure the DNS

Once you verify your domain, update the DNS. Following are the steps to do so.

1. If your domain registrar supports the DNS, you can automatically configure the DNS.
2. If not, then in your DNS manager copy and paste the value.
3. After that, wait when the DNS changes. After it completes, click on the Finish button.

Here are the steps to add a domain in Office 365. They are simple to follow, but once you complete the process. Follow the steps for post configuration.

Post Configuration Steps

• To make your custom domain default. Go to the Settings >> Domains option. Click your domain and select Set as default.
• After that, update all your users’ email addresses into a new domain. For this, go to the Admin Center >> Users >> Active Users >> Edit username/email.
• Make sure your new domain is set as the primary SMTP address.
• Inform all the users the changes you have made.

Hence, this is the complete process of linking new domains in Office 365. From the preparations to the post configuration, properly follow the steps. If you are having problems setting up your custom domain in Microsoft 365. Then contact our support team, they will definitely help you.

Why Need to Save Data Before Adding Domain?

If you notice, we told you at the beginning to take the backup of your data before adding the domain. Why is that? If you are new users who just started Office 365, then you don’t need it. But, if you are changing your domain then it is very crucial because of several reasons.

• After creating a new domain, the primary address of all the users also changes. If you don’t handle that correctly you can lose access to old emails.
• When you are manually configuring your DNS records. There is risk of errors that cause loss of Teams or SharePoint functionality, email downtime, etc.
• In the hybrid environment changing domains may create conflicts in your Azure AD or Exchange Online. That causes corrupt mailboxes, missing OneDrive files and many issues.
• If for any reason, something goes wrong in the process. Accessing and retaining data will be difficult.

That’s why it is important to first store your data and then create a new domain in your account. For this reason, we have perfect software for you.

Concluding Words

After reading this article, you can now easily add domain in Office 365. Here, we have provided a proper procedure to set up custom domain in Microsoft 365. Along with pre and post configuration steps. In addition, we also explained why it is important to backup your data and a great way to do that.