Email Migration

How to Migrate Email and Domain from Web Hosting to Microsoft 365

Khadija Khan Oct 23, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user needs to move hosted email accounts, messages, and a custom domain from a web hosting provider to Microsoft 365 Business Basic without losing data.

How to Migrate Email and Domain from Web Hosting to Microsoft 365

Product: Microsoft 365
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: A business is transitioning its IT infrastructure and wants to centralize email and domain management using Microsoft 365 instead of maintaining legacy web hosting.
Observed behavior: The user needs to establish a new Microsoft 365 tenant, verify a custom domain instead of using the default onmicrosoft.com address, and securely transfer existing email data.

Before you start

Ensure you have full administrative access to your current web hosting control panel, your domain registrar for DNS management, and a complete backup of your existing mailboxes.

Solution 1Recommended

Perform a Manual Email and Domain Migration via Microsoft 365 Admin Center

The standard method for small to medium businesses to move email and connect a custom domain to Microsoft 365.

This process involves setting up your new Microsoft environment, verifying domain ownership, moving the data, and finally rerouting new incoming emails. It is highly recommended to perform the final DNS switch during off-hours.

Create the Microsoft 365 Tenant

Sign up for Microsoft 365 Business Basic and complete the initial setup to create your tenant. This will initially use a default onmicrosoft.com domain.

Add and Verify Your Custom Domain

Go to the Microsoft 365 admin center, navigate to Settings > Domains, and select 'Add domain'. Enter your custom domain and follow the prompts to verify ownership by adding a TXT record to your DNS host.

Create User Accounts

In the admin center, go to Users > Active users. Add your employees as users and assign them Microsoft 365 licenses, ensuring their primary email addresses use your newly verified custom domain.

Migrate Existing Email Data

Use the Exchange admin center to run an IMAP migration batch if moving from standard webmail, or upload PST files to import existing emails into the new Microsoft 365 mailboxes.

Update DNS Records

Change your domain's MX records at your domain registrar to point to Microsoft 365. This directs all new incoming emails to the Microsoft 365 mailboxes instead of the old web host.

Perform a Manual Email and Domain Migration via Microsoft 365 Admin Center

Test Mail Flow: Always send test emails to and from the new Microsoft 365 accounts to verify mail flow before cancelling your old web hosting service.

Solution 2

Utilize Microsoft FastTrack or Third-Party Migration Tools

Best for larger organizations or complex setups requiring assisted or automated migration.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Need a Productivity Suite After Your Migration? Try WPS Office

While Microsoft 365 handles your email hosting, WPS Office provides a lightweight, highly compatible, and free alternative to desktop Office applications. Enjoy familiar interfaces for documents, spreadsheets, and presentations without the heavy subscription costs.

1. Download and Install: Visit the official WPS website and download the free WPS Office suite for your operating system.
2. Open Existing Office Files: Launch WPS Office and open your existing .docx, .xlsx, or .pptx files directly without losing formatting.
3. Save and Share: Edit your business documents and save them in Microsoft formats to easily share with clients and colleagues.

Fully compatible with Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint formats (.docx, .xlsx, .pptx).Lightweight application that runs smoothly on Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, and Android.Includes a robust built-in PDF editor for business document management.Free to download and use with a highly familiar user interface, requiring zero learning curve.

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I migrate my email without experiencing downtime?

Yes, by pre-staging your email data and updating your MX records at a scheduled time (usually during off-hours or weekends), you can ensure continuous mail flow with practically zero downtime.

What happens to my old emails during the migration?

Your old emails remain securely on your original web host until you explicitly delete them or cancel the service. The migration process only copies the data to Microsoft 365 without altering the source.

Do I have to use the onmicrosoft.com address for my business?

No. While the onmicrosoft.com domain is required as a baseline to set up the tenant, you can add and verify your custom domain in the admin center so all your email addresses use your professional business domain name.

Can I migrate calendars and contacts using an IMAP migration?

No, an IMAP migration only transfers email messages. To migrate calendars and contacts from standard webmail, you typically need to export them to a PST or CSV file and import them manually via Outlook, or use a third-party migration tool.

Migration & Recovery