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How to Use Microsoft 365 with Google Workspace Email Without Changing MX Records
Question details
The user wants to use Microsoft 365 applications alongside Google Workspace for email hosting without modifying their existing MX records.
- Product
- Microsoft 365, Exchange Online
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Configuring a custom domain in Microsoft 365 for apps like Teams and OneDrive while retaining Google Workspace as the primary email provider.
- Observed behavior
- When adding a domain to Microsoft 365 without changing MX records, internal senders may receive mail delivery failures because Exchange Online attempts to process the emails locally instead of routing them to Google Workspace.
Ensure you have global administrator access to the Microsoft 365 Exchange admin center and have a clear list of the domains and email addresses that need to be routed to Google Workspace.
Configure Internal Relay and a Mail Connector in Exchange
By changing the domain type to Internal Relay and creating a specific mail flow connector, Exchange Online will correctly route custom domain emails to Google Workspace.
When a custom domain is added to Microsoft 365, Exchange Online assumes it is the primary host. Changing the setting to Internal Relay forces Exchange to look for a connector to route messages that do not have matching mailboxes in Microsoft 365.
Log in to the Exchange admin center, navigate to the 'Mail flow' section, select 'Accepted domains', choose your custom domain, and change its type to 'Internal Relay'.
Go to 'Connectors' under Mail flow. Create a new connector to route mail from Office 365 to your partner organization (Google Workspace).
Under 'Only for emails sent to the following domains', enter your custom domain and specify any specific email addresses that should receive mail normally on Google Workspace.
Complete the setup wizard, ignore any minor validation failures if the routing details are correct, click 'Finish', and ensure the connector is enabled.
Wait approximately one minute for the settings to propagate, then send a test email from a Microsoft 365 account to a Google Workspace email address to confirm successful delivery.
Follow Microsoft's Official Pilot Guidance
Use Microsoft's standard procedure for piloting Microsoft 365 from a custom domain without touching the existing MX records.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why am I getting mail delivery failures from Microsoft 365 to my custom domain?
When you add a custom domain to Microsoft 365, Exchange Online may try to route emails to that domain internally. If the mailboxes are actually hosted on Google Workspace, the delivery fails. Setting the domain to Internal Relay and creating a routing connector resolves this.
Do I need to change my MX records to use Microsoft Teams?
No. You can add your custom domain to Microsoft 365 for authentication and app access (like Teams and OneDrive) while leaving your MX records pointed to Google Workspace for email hosting.
What does Internal Relay mean in Exchange Online?
Internal Relay is a domain setting in Exchange Online that tells the server that while it hosts some recipients in this domain, it doesn't host all of them. If a mailbox isn't found locally, Exchange will forward the email using a specified connector to the external host, such as Google Workspace.
Can users schedule Teams meetings from Outlook if email is on Google Workspace?
Yes. As long as the Teams Outlook plugin uses the exact same username and custom domain, and the internal routing (connector) is set up properly, users can seamlessly schedule meetings without Microsoft 365 acting as the primary email host.
