How To Add A New Public Domain To Office 365

When we sign up for Office 365, initially we get a default domain in the format XXXX.onmicrosoft.com. In order to spin up to a trial version and do some testing of the environment, this domain is perfectly okay. However, if we want to deploy the Office 365 service to an organization, we will have to get a custom domain so that the customers and users can identify the organization by the URL.

The scope of the article would cover the following main points.

• Add a domain
• Verify the domain
• Update the DNS Settings
• Set primary domain

Add a Domain

We have two options when it comes to adding a new domain to Office 365.

• Buy a new domain from Office 365 Admin Center
• Use an existing owned domain and add it to the Office 365

Let's see how we can achieve both.

Buy a new domain from Admin Center

Office 365 Admin Center provides the global administrator an option to buy a new domain from Settings -> Domains section.

Here, click on the “Buy domain” button to navigate to the page where we can buy a new domain from.



It will take us to the page where we can search for a suitable and available domain name.

Once we have found a suitable match, click on "Buy" which will take us to the GoDaddy site to complete the purchase.



Click on "Go to GoDaddy.com".



The total amount and the duration of ownership can be specified into the GoDaddy site.



Once the payment is completed, a dialog box will appear which requests for permissions so that the Office 365 can make domain entries in the GoDaddy domain center. Click on "Accept".



This will take some time.



Once it is completed, head over to the Office 365 Domains page and we can see the new domain listed out.



Add an existing domain to Office 365

However, there can be instances where we already own a domain and we have to use it with Office 365. In such a scenario, go to the domains page and click on Add domain.



Specify the name of the domain that you own in the text box, as shown below.



Verify Domain

Office 365 will now want to verify that you really own such a domain. You can choose ‘Sign in to GoDaddy’ so that it automatically contacts the domain registrar to do verification.



In order to automate the verification, a GoDaddy login screen will come up where you have to authenticate to GoDaddy by entering the username and password.



Allow Office 365 to make changes to the domain at GoDaddy by clicking on "Accept", and this will automatically verify the domain.



If you have successfully verified the domain, go to the next step “Update DNS Settings”. However, there may be cases where we have to do it manually, in case the OAuth login to GoDaddy fails. In such a case, we will have to add the TXT record provided by Office 365 to GoDaddy (or any other domain registrar you have chosen).



After clicking "Next", we will be provided with TXT record values which we will have to add to the GoDaddy site.



Log into your Domain Registrar site. In my case, it is GoDaddy. Select "Manage DNS".



It will, by default, have some domain records required for the functioning of the domain. Click on "Add" to create a new TXT record for domain verification.



From the dropdown, select ‘TXT’.



Add the values provided by Office 365 in the below text boxes. Host corresponds to the TXT Name provided by Office 365.



Once you have added it, it comes up in the records.



Head back to Office 365 and click on ‘Verify’ button in the page. If the entry added in the domain registrar page is correct, we will get the below success message.