Moving your Microsoft 365 (formerly Office 365) subscription from GoDaddy or another Host to direct management by Microsoft is a common request, often driven by desires for full admin access, more plan options, faster feature updates, or lower costs in some cases. The good news is that it’s not extremely difficult for most setups, especially if timed with renewals. There’s often no need for a full data migration (like moving mailboxes, OneDrive files, Teams data, etc.), because you can keep the same tenant (the underlying Microsoft environment) and just remove GoDaddy’s control over it—a process called “defederation” or tenant handoff. This preserves all existing data, emails, files, and configurations with minimal disruption.
Difficulty Level
Low to moderate for small to medium organizations (e.g., under 50 users) if you follow official steps and coordinate timing.
Potential challenges: Coordinating with GoDaddy support (response times vary), user password resets, brief service interruptions if not planned well, and purchasing new licenses (GoDaddy licenses don’t transfer).
Many IT pros and MSPs do this routinely without major issues, and recent guides (including 2025–2026 updates) describe it as straightforward, sometimes taking as little as 10–30 minutes for the key defederation step once initiated.
Best Approach: Time It with Renewal
- Turn off auto-renew in your GoDaddy account for the Microsoft 365 plans.
- Let the GoDaddy subscription run until near expiration (or coordinate to overlap minimally with new Microsoft licenses to avoid double-billing).
- Initiate the move shortly before or around renewal to minimize overlap costs.
- After the move, purchase equivalent or better Microsoft 365 licenses directly from Microsoft (via the Microsoft 365 admin center or purchase portal). These often cost less than GoDaddy-resold versions for the same features.
Key Steps (Based on GoDaddy’s Official Process and Community/Microsoft Experiences)
Prepare:
- Ensure email accounts are active and not expiring in the next 5 business days.
- Confirm you can access/validate the GoDaddy account (the primary email can’t be one moving).
- Back up critical data as a precaution (though rarely needed).
- Notify users of potential password resets.
Contact GoDaddy:
- Reach out to GoDaddy support (via chat, phone, or their “Guide” system) and request to “move Microsoft 365 email/services away from GoDaddy” to Microsoft directly.
- They’ll create a ticket and guide the handoff process (this “defederates” the tenant, releasing their reseller control).
What Happens Next:
- GoDaddy typically processes within a few days (up to 5 business days in some cases).
- They’ll email a temporary admin password to the GoDaddy account email.
- This allows direct access to the Microsoft 365 admin center (admin.microsoft.com) without redirecting to GoDaddy.
- The tenant remains the same—no new one is created, and no data is lost.
Post-Handoff:
- Log in with the temp credentials, then reset passwords for users (a common step; single sign-on via GoDaddy ends).
- Purchase and assign new Microsoft 365 licenses directly.
- Remove any delegated access or reseller relationship remnants from GoDaddy.
- Cancel the old GoDaddy subscription (after confirming everything works).
If Defederation Isn’t Feasible (Rare, but for Complex Setups):
- A full tenant-to-tenant migration might be needed (using tools like BitTitan, IMAP for email, or Microsoft’s cross-tenant options).
- This is more involved (higher difficulty, potential downtime, data transfer), but most sources indicate the handoff works for standard setups.
Potential Gotchas
Licenses: GoDaddy plans don’t transfer—you’ll buy new ones from Microsoft (potentially cheaper/better features).Support: After the move, GoDaddy support ends; you’ll use Microsoft’s.
Add-ons: Things like email archiving (e.g., Barracuda) may need separate handling.
Domain/DNS: Usually no change needed if DNS is already pointed correctly (MX records, etc.).Downtime: Minimal if timed right—users might just need to re-authenticate.
If you have a small setup and no heavy customizations, this should be relatively straightforward. Recommend you start by contacting GoDaddy support to confirm eligibility and get a personalized timeline. For hands-on help, a Microsoft partner or IT consultant experienced in these moves can make it even smoother.
MORE INFORMATION From B&L PC Solutions: https://www.blpc.com/2025/03/28/how-to-move-your-office-365-account-back-to-microsoft/
