GoDaddy provides a version of Microsoft 365 tailored for small businesses, but many users find limitations in functionality compared to a direct Microsoft 365 implementation. One of the most common reasons for migrating away from GoDaddy is the lack of integration with third-party services.
For example, one of our recent clients needed to display their Microsoft 365 calendar on their Amazon Echo Show, but due to GoDaddy’s custom implementation of Microsoft 365, this integration was not possible. To enable full functionality, we assisted them in migrating their email, contacts, and calendar away from GoDaddy and into a directly managed Microsoft 365 account.
In this guide, we outline the full process of migrating your domain and mailboxes, highlighting key challenges and how to resolve them.
Key Takeaways
GoDaddy’s Microsoft 365 implementation has limitations, especially for third-party integrations like Amazon Echo calendars.
You must request GoDaddy to remove your domain from their tenant manually.
Even after GoDaddy confirms removal, you may still need to log into the old tenant to release the domain.
Ensure you update DNS settings in GoDaddy to point to Microsoft 365.
You must use Outlook Classic to export and import email data.
Wait for DNS propagation before testing email functionality.
Why Migrate from GoDaddy’s Microsoft 365 to Direct Microsoft 365?
Common Use Cases for Migration
Third-Party Integrations: Many integrations (e.g., Amazon Echo Calendar) do not work with GoDaddy’s Microsoft 365.
Limited Admin Controls: GoDaddy restricts certain Microsoft 365 admin features.
Better Pricing & Licensing Options: Direct Microsoft accounts provide more flexibility in licensing.
More Reliable Support: Microsoft’s own support is often superior to GoDaddy’s handling of Microsoft 365.
Understanding the Data Export Process
Before migration, you need to export your email, contacts, and calendar data from the old GoDaddy Microsoft 365 tenant.
Important: Use Outlook Classic on Both Mac & PC
Microsoft 365 only allows exporting email data from Outlook Classic (desktop versions). You cannot export a .olm or .pst file from Outlook Web or from the latest Outlook apps.
How to Access Outlook Classic:
On Mac: Open Outlook, go to Outlook > Legacy Outlook.
On Windows: Open Outlook Classic from the Start Menu (ensure you are not using the new Outlook preview).
Data Export Differences by Platform
Migration Type | Export Format | Import Format |
Mac → Mac | .olm | .olm |
PC → PC | .pst | .pst |
Mac → PC / PC → Mac | Requires Conversion | Use a converter tool (e.g., Stellar Converter, Emailchemy) |
For Mac to Mac transfers, Outlook for Mac Archive (.olm) is used. On Windows, Outlook Data Files (.pst) are required. If you’re switching between Mac and PC, you’ll need to convert the format using a third-party tool before importing.
Step 1: Request GoDaddy to Remove Your Microsoft 365 Tenant
Why This is Necessary
Your Microsoft 365 domain (yourdomain.com) is registered within GoDaddy’s tenant. Even after cancelling your GoDaddy 365 subscription, your domain remains attached to their Microsoft 365 organisation.
You must contact GoDaddy Support and request that they remove your domain from their Microsoft 365 tenant.
Common Issue: GoDaddy Says It’s Removed, But It’s Not
Even after GoDaddy confirmed to us multiple times that they had removed the tenant, we were still unable to verify the domain in the new Microsoft 365 account.
We kept receiving the following error message:
unearthed.land was already added to a different Microsoft 365 organization, NETORGFT13117353.onmicrosoft.com, which is managed by GoDaddy. To add this domain to this account you will need to contact GoDaddy support and have it removed from NETORGFT13117353.onmicrosoft.com. After removal, it can take between 15 minutes and a few hours before you can add the domain here. Please wait, then come back here and resume this step.How We Solved It:
We requested a temporary admin password from GoDaddy to access the old Microsoft 365 tenant.
We then logged into the old GoDaddy-managed tenant directly via admin.microsoft.com.
From there, we manually removed the domain from the old tenant.
Once we completed these steps, the domain was successfully released and could be added to the new Microsoft 365 account.
Step 2: Create a New Microsoft 365 Tenant and Verify the Domain
Once your domain is released from GoDaddy:
Sign up for a new Microsoft 365 Business Standard (or higher) account at Microsoft 365.
In the Microsoft 365 Admin Center, navigate to Settings > Domains.
Click Add Domain and enter your domain (e.g.,
yourdomain.com).Verify ownership by adding a TXT record to your GoDaddy DNS settings.
Final Thoughts
Migrating from GoDaddy’s Microsoft 365 to a directly managed Microsoft 365 solution offers greater flexibility, better support, and full integration with third-party tools. By following this guide, you can seamlessly transition without data loss and ensure full functionality of your email and calendar services.
If you are experiencing issues during migration, Microsoft’s Email Flow Analyzer (https://aka.ms/MEAnalyzer) can help diagnose common problems.
Need more help? Feel free to reach out to us! 🚀
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