Add your domain to Office 365 but continue to manage your domain's DNS records
Typically, when small business owners add their domain to Microsoft Office 365 for professionals and small businesses, they update the name server records for their domain name to point to Office 365-hosted name servers so that Office 365 manages their DNS records. Office 365 then creates all the DNS records that are required for the domain name to work with each service, such as Microsoft Exchange Online, Lync Online, and SharePoint Online. This simplifies the process of setting up Office 365.
However, if you want to use your domain name with Office 365 without redirecting your name server records to Office 365, you need to configure the required DNS records yourself, using the information in this article. This is useful if you don’t want to add your domain name to Office 365 because you have specific technical needs that require you to continue to host your DNS with your current provider, or there are restrictions enforced by your domain registrar.
Important
These steps are intended for advanced users who are familiar with managing DNS. When you configure Office 365 services without redirecting your name server records to the Office 365 name servers, there are limitations on your Office 365 services. For more information, see Limitations in Office 365 services when Office 365 doesn’t host your DNS.
Prepare before you add your domain name
Add and verify your domain
Add the required DNS records for Office 365 services
Learn about the limitations in Office 365 services when Office 365 doesn’t host your DNS
Prepare before you add your domain name
Before you add your domain name, keep in mind the following.
To add a domain name, you must have already registered a domain name and have the sign-in credentials needed for your domain registrar.
If you don’t have a custom domain name, you can buy one from a domain registrar.
If you already have a domain name but you don’t have the sign-in credentials at your domain registrar, contact the person who registered the domain name.
For more information, see Locate your domain services or buy a new domain.
Please remember! Although you configure your domain to work with the Office 365 services, you can’t let your domain expire by not paying your domain registrar. If you don’t renew your domain registration, your Office 365 services won’t work. For example, email won’t be delivered, and Lync Online won’t work. Your domain registrar will notify you when your domain registration is about to expire.
Add and verify your domain
For specific instructions for adding and verifying a domain at your DNS hosting provider, see Create DNS records when Office 365 doesn't host your DNS.
Add the required DNS records for Office 365 services
To configure your domain to work with Office 365 services, you add the required DNS records at your DNS hosting provider.
Here are descriptions of the DNS records you need to add. For detailed instructions for adding each record at your DNS hosting provider, see Create DNS records when Office 365 doesn't host your DNS.
| Service | Required DNS records | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
Exchange Online |
MX record |
Configures email routing. |
Exchange Online |
CNAME record |
The Autodiscover record that is used to help users easily set up a connection between Exchange Online and users’ Outlook desktop client or a mobile email client. |
Exchange Online |
TXT/SPF record |
Specifies that outlook.com, the domain used by the Office 365 mail servers, is authorized to send mail on behalf of your domain. Create this TXT/SPF record to help prevent your outbound mail from being flagged as spam. |
Lync Online |
SRV records |
Required to support instant messaging and presence in Outlook Web App, signing into a meeting as a guest with Lync Web App, communicating with Lync users in other organizations, and communicating with Skype users. |
Lync Online |
CNAME record |
The Autodiscover record that is used to help users easily set up a connection between the Lync desktop client and Lync Online. |
Lync Online |
CNAME record |
The Autodiscover record that is used to help users easily set up a connection between the Lync mobile client and Lync Online. |
After you complete these steps and after the DNS records have propagated through the DNS system, your domain is ready to use with Office 365 services.
Limitations in Office 365 services when Office 365 doesn’t host your DNS
If you add your domain name to Office 365 without redirecting your name server records to Office 365, consider the following:
SharePoint Online: If you want to host a public website by using SharePoint Online, you must use the default address https://domain.sharepoint.com. It isn’t possible to use a different domain for the public website.
Domains troubleshooting tool: Because you didn’t configure your name server records to point to Office 365 name servers, the Office 365 domains troubleshooting wizard will always report that your name server records are incorrect. You can disregard this warning because you have manually created the DNS records for each of your services.
DNS manager: Microsoft Office 365 for professionals and small businesses provides DNS management tools that you can use to add custom DNS records. However, if you create, or have already created, custom records by using this tool, because the name server records for your domain doesn’t point to Office 365, the custom records won’t work. You must create, or re-create, any custom records by using your current DNS hosting provider.
Future Office 365 updates: When we add new services to Office 365, we won’t be able to automatically add the DNS records that are required to enable the services to work on your domain. To use the services, you must manually add the DNS records at your DNS hosting provider.