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Sign-in & Login Problems

How to Restore Federated Authentication for Microsoft 365 Domains

Maira MehtabMaira Mehtab Sep 22, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user needs to revert a Microsoft 365 domain's authentication method from Managed back to Federated to resolve ongoing sign-in issues.

Product
Microsoft 365 / GoDaddy SSO
Device & OS
not provided
Scenario
A configuration change from Federated to Managed authentication has broken the GoDaddy single sign-on integration.
Observed behavior
GoDaddy single sign-on stops functioning, completely preventing users from signing into their Microsoft 365 accounts.
Before you start

Ensure you have global administrator privileges for your Microsoft 365 tenant and that the MSOnline PowerShell module is installed on your computer.

Solution 1Recommended

Restore Federated Authentication via PowerShell

Use the MSOnline module in PowerShell to change the domain's authentication type back to Federated, re-establishing the trust with GoDaddy SSO.

To resolve the GoDaddy SSO failure, you must reset the domain authentication type in Microsoft 365. This requires utilizing PowerShell as the standard admin center UI does not support configuring the specific federation parameters required by GoDaddy.

1
Connect to Microsoft Online Services

Open Windows PowerShell as an Administrator and execute the command Connect-MsolService. Enter your Microsoft 365 global administrator credentials in the prompt window.

2
Change Authentication to Federated

Run the command Set-MsolDomainAuthentication -DomainName yourdomain.com -Authentication Federated, replacing 'yourdomain.com' with your actual Microsoft 365 domain.

3
Verify the Domain Configuration

Execute Get-MsolDomain -DomainName yourdomain.com to check the updated domain status. Ensure the Authentication column now displays 'Federated'.

4
Test User Sign-in

Ask a user to attempt signing into their Microsoft 365 account. If the sign-in still fails, contact GoDaddy Support to verify that your federation settings exactly match their system requirements.

Module Requirement: If the Connect-MsolService command fails, you may need to install the module first by running Install-Module MSOnline.
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Frequently Asked Questions

Why did my GoDaddy single sign-on stop working?

This typically occurs if your Microsoft 365 domain authentication is accidentally or intentionally changed from 'Federated' to 'Managed', which breaks the authentication link established with GoDaddy's identity provider.

What is the difference between Managed and Federated authentication in Microsoft 365?

Managed authentication means Microsoft validates user credentials directly in the cloud (using Entra ID). Federated authentication means Microsoft redirects the sign-in request to a third-party identity provider, such as GoDaddy, to validate the user.

Can I switch the domain back to Federated without PowerShell?

No. While you can view domain settings in the Microsoft 365 Admin Center, configuring a domain from Managed back to Federated requires PowerShell to securely pass the specific federation trust settings.

What should I do if the PowerShell command says 'Access Denied'?

Ensure you are using an account that has Global Administrator privileges in your Microsoft 365 tenant. Also, confirm you have launched the PowerShell window using the 'Run as Administrator' option.