The short answer: You can move Microsoft 365 away from GoDaddy without losing email or files by following GoDaddy’s official process, often called defederation. It keeps your existing Microsoft 365 organisation, so users and data stay put, and moves billing and sign-in from GoDaddy to Microsoft or another Microsoft partner. You buy new licences, every user resets their password, and any GoDaddy email add-ons are removed. Your domain can stay at GoDaddy.
Last updated: 2 November 2026. Process and prices checked against GoDaddy UK and Microsoft pages on that date.
In this guide
- What Microsoft 365 from GoDaddy is
- Why businesses move
- GoDaddy and Microsoft prices compared
- Two ways to leave GoDaddy
- The official process, step by step
- What to sort out first
- Your domain and DNS
- Common problems and how to avoid them
- Frequently asked questions
What is Microsoft 365 from GoDaddy?
When you buy Microsoft 365 through GoDaddy, you get real Microsoft 365 mailboxes and apps, but GoDaddy sits between you and Microsoft. GoDaddy sells it as a Microsoft Cloud Solution Provider, and its terms say GoDaddy, not Microsoft, provides your support. In practice that means:
- Sign-in runs through GoDaddy. Users log in through a GoDaddy sign-in page rather than directly at Microsoft.
- You manage users in GoDaddy’s dashboard. GoDaddy says admins set up there hold the Global admin role, but trying to use the Microsoft 365 admin centre often sends you back to GoDaddy.
- Some admin tools depend on your plan. GoDaddy says the Teams and SharePoint admin centres are only available on certain plans, and its support covers only basic Exchange and Azure tasks.
- The plan range is narrower. GoDaddy UK’s Microsoft 365 pages did not list Business Premium when we checked, the plan that includes Conditional Access and Intune device management.
Why do businesses move off GoDaddy Microsoft 365?
- Full control. Direct access to the Microsoft 365, Exchange, Teams and SharePoint admin centres, without being redirected to GoDaddy.
- Better security. Business Premium adds Conditional Access, which Microsoft includes through Entra ID P1, plus Intune and Defender for Business. These make it much easier to meet Cyber Essentials, which now requires multi-factor authentication on cloud accounts.
- Proper support. GoDaddy’s support statement excludes things many businesses need, such as custom Exchange settings and third-party integrations.
- Price at renewal. GoDaddy’s low first-year prices rise on renewal, and can end up above Microsoft’s own list prices.
How do GoDaddy and Microsoft prices compare?
| Plan | GoDaddy UK first year | GoDaddy UK renewal | Closest Microsoft plan (UK list price) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Online Business Essentials | £6.99 a month | £11.99 a month (£143.88 a year) | Business Basic, £5.40 per user per month |
| Business Professional | £7.99 a month | £15.99 a month (£191.88 a year) | Business Standard, £10.80 per user per month |
| A Business Premium equivalent | Not listed | Not listed | Business Premium, £16.90 per user per month |
When we manage Microsoft 365 for a business, licences are billed at cost and the management sits within our fixed monthly IT support. Our guide to Microsoft 365 business prices covers every plan in detail.
What are the two ways to leave GoDaddy?
| Defederate (GoDaddy’s official process) | Migrate to a new Microsoft 365 organisation | |
|---|---|---|
| Your users and data | Stay where they are | Copied across to the new organisation |
| Disruption | Low: password resets and new licences | Higher: mailboxes move, Outlook profiles rebuilt, some items recreated |
| Best when | You can still sign in and your GoDaddy plans are active | You want a fresh start, are merging into another organisation, or can no longer use GoDaddy’s process |
| What moves | Everything in the organisation | Mailboxes only with Microsoft’s cross-tenant tool; Teams chats, groups and documents need separate handling |
For most small businesses, defederation is the simpler route because nothing has to be copied. A new organisation makes sense when the old one is messy, or when GoDaddy’s process is not available because plans have lapsed. Microsoft’s cross-tenant mailbox migration needs set-up in both organisations and a paid one-off licence per user.
How to leave GoDaddy: the official process, step by step
This is GoDaddy’s published process for moving your Microsoft 365 organisation away. Microsoft’s own guidance points to it and warns against unofficial methods.
- Check your GoDaddy email plans are active, not suspended, and will not expire in the next five business days.
- Make sure you can sign in and still have access to your multi-factor authentication methods.
- Contact GoDaddy, who open a ticket and go through the move questions with you.
- On the next business day, GoDaddy emails a temporary password to your GoDaddy account contact address. That address must not be on a domain in the organisation you are moving.
- All admin accounts get the same temporary password. Admins sign in directly at Microsoft and reset every other user’s password. The GoDaddy sign-in page stops working for Microsoft 365.
- Buy replacement licences from Microsoft or another Microsoft partner, and assign them to users. If a new plan differs from the old one, remove the GoDaddy licence from the user first.
- Remove the GoDaddy email plans from your GoDaddy account once everything is working.
GoDaddy says its licences do not transfer, so plan for new licences for every user, plus any Visio, Planner, Power BI or Copilot subscriptions. GoDaddy suspends its plans seven days after your addresses are removed from its system, and stays listed as your reseller until its subscriptions expire.
What should you sort out before you start?
- Do not buy new Microsoft licences early. GoDaddy warns that buying mailboxes from Microsoft or another reseller before the move is finished creates a separate organisation that cannot be combined with yours.
- Do not delete mailboxes at GoDaddy before the move.
- Deal with add-ons. GoDaddy deletes email add-ons during the move. Email Backup backups cannot be restored once removed, and Email Archiving must be moved to a new archiving provider first.
- Check your GoDaddy contact email is not on the domain you are moving, or you will not receive the temporary password.
- Plan the password reset. Tell staff when it will happen and have someone ready to help with phones and laptops.
- Note your renewal dates. GoDaddy’s refund window on annual Microsoft 365 plans is the first seven days.
What happens to your domain and DNS?
Your domain can stay registered at GoDaddy, and GoDaddy can stay as your DNS host. Microsoft documents how to set up Microsoft 365 with GoDaddy DNS, and defederation does not move your domain out of your Microsoft organisation. After the move, check these records:
- MX points to your Microsoft 365 mail address, ending mail.protection.outlook.com.
- Autodiscover is a CNAME pointing to autodiscover.outlook.com.
- SPF is a single TXT record that includes spf.protection.outlook.com, merged with any other senders you use.
- DKIM is switched on, with the two selector CNAME records Microsoft gives you, because custom domains are not signed by default.
- DMARC is published, starting at p=none and tightening once SPF and DKIM are working.
Our free Sussex business email security research shows how often these records are missing or wrong.
Common problems and how to avoid them
- The admin centre keeps redirecting to GoDaddy. Microsoft says this is expected while GoDaddy still manages the organisation. Defederation is the fix.
- Users locked out after a DIY fix. Older online guides use PowerShell commands to change sign-in settings. Users have reported losing access to Microsoft 365 after trying them, and the MSOnline PowerShell module those guides rely on is being retired. Use the official process.
- The domain is still tied to GoDaddy after cancelling. If GoDaddy plans lapse before the move and you lose access, Microsoft may need a support case to release the domain. Start while your plans are active.
- GoDaddy still shows as your partner. Removing a partner’s admin roles does not end the relationship; GoDaddy stays listed until its subscriptions expire.
Get help moving off GoDaddy
We move businesses off GoDaddy Microsoft 365 and look after it afterwards, from our offices in Arundel and Chichester. We plan the timing, handle the password reset with your team, buy the right licences at cost, set up the security that GoDaddy’s plans left out, and check your DNS. We have supported businesses since 2015. See our Microsoft 365 services, get a quote or call 01903 255 159.
Frequently asked questions
Can I move my Microsoft 365 away from GoDaddy without losing my emails?
Yes. GoDaddy’s official process moves your existing Microsoft 365 organisation to Microsoft or another Microsoft partner, so your users, mailboxes and files stay where they are. You buy new licences elsewhere before your GoDaddy plans end. Email add-ons such as GoDaddy’s Email Backup and Email Archiving are removed, so deal with those first.
What is GoDaddy defederation?
Defederation is the process of moving a Microsoft 365 organisation out of GoDaddy’s control. GoDaddy stops handling your sign-in and billing, your admins sign in directly at Microsoft, and you buy licences from Microsoft or another partner. Microsoft says to follow GoDaddy’s official process rather than unofficial methods.
Do I have to move my domain away from GoDaddy?
No. Your domain registration and DNS can stay at GoDaddy. Microsoft documents how to set up Microsoft 365 with GoDaddy as your DNS host, and GoDaddy says removing a domain from Microsoft does not cancel its registration or DNS.
Will my users need new passwords after leaving GoDaddy?
Yes. On GoDaddy’s official route, all admin accounts get the same temporary password, admins sign in directly at Microsoft, and every user’s password must then be changed. GoDaddy says existing multi-factor authentication and security defaults are not reset.
Can I buy Microsoft 365 licences before the move is finished?
No. GoDaddy warns not to buy new mailboxes directly from Microsoft or another reseller until the move is finished, because that creates a separate organisation that cannot be combined with your existing one.
Is Microsoft 365 cheaper outside GoDaddy?
Often, once GoDaddy’s first-year discount ends. GoDaddy UK shows Business Professional renewing at £15.99 a month per mailbox, while Microsoft’s UK list price for Business Standard is £10.80 per user per month ex VAT. GoDaddy’s pages do not say whether VAT is included, so compare your own invoices.
Sources
- GoDaddy: Move my Microsoft 365 email away from GoDaddy
- Microsoft Learn: GoDaddy defederation process
- GoDaddy: Change my Microsoft 365 users’ admin permissions
- GoDaddy: Access advanced admin centers
- GoDaddy: Statement of support for Microsoft 365
- GoDaddy: Microsoft Office terms of use
- GoDaddy UK: Microsoft 365 plans
- Microsoft UK: Microsoft 365 business plans and pricing
- Microsoft Learn: Microsoft Entra licensing
- Microsoft Learn: Cross-tenant mailbox migration
- Microsoft Learn: Manage partner relationships
- Microsoft Learn: Create DNS records at GoDaddy for Microsoft 365
- Microsoft Learn: External DNS records for Microsoft 365
- Microsoft Learn: Configure DKIM
- Microsoft Learn: Configure DMARC
This guide reflects GoDaddy and Microsoft documentation and prices as published on 2 November 2026. Both change their processes and prices from time to time.
Free • 12 minutes • Written PDF report
Who actually holds the keys to your systems?
List the systems your business runs, answer plain-English questions about how they are controlled, and get a report with a red, amber and green rating for every area and what to fix first. Nothing on your systems is touched.
Cyber Essentials certified · Microsoft Partner · rated 5.0 on Google