Move a GoDaddy Microsoft 365 tenant to Microsoft directly
At the end your existing Microsoft 365 tenant, with its mailboxes and data, will be signed in to and managed through Microsoft directly, licensed with subscriptions you bought yourself, and GoDaddy will no longer hold admin roles over it.
What you need before step 1
Applies to: Microsoft 365 from GoDaddy tenants being kept and moved to Microsoft or another Microsoft 365 reseller, using GoDaddy's documented move process and Microsoft's partner relationship and subscription documentation (as of 4 November 2026). Microsoft does not publish a GoDaddy-specific procedure.
Admin roles you need
- An admin account in the tenant, which GoDaddy gives a temporary password during the move
- Billing Administrator (at least) in Microsoft 365 to buy subscriptions and remove partner roles
- License Administrator or User Administrator to move users to the new licences
- Access to the GoDaddy account that owns the plans, and to its contact email address
Licences
- New Microsoft 365 subscriptions bought from Microsoft (or another reseller) with enough licences for every user you keep. Check Microsoft's current pricing.
Web portals you will use (nothing to install)
https://admin.microsoft.comOpenReference documentation
https://www.godaddy.com/help/move-my-microsoft-365-email-away-from-godaddy-40094ReadAlso have ready
- Every email account active and not due to expire within the next 5 business days, as GoDaddy requires.
- A list of any other domains linked to the same GoDaddy organisation, because they move with it.
- Working sign-in and MFA methods for your admin account. GoDaddy states the temporary password does not change existing security settings such as MFA.
- A GoDaddy account contact email address that is not one of the addresses moving with the organisation, because that is where GoDaddy sends the temporary password.
- Anything you need from GoDaddy add-ons saved first: archived email, backups (GoDaddy states removed backups cannot be restored) and quarantined messages.
10 steps
- 1
Understand what is and is not documented
Where: Planning, before you contact GoDaddyGoDaddy documents a move that keeps your existing tenant: GoDaddy resets admin passwords, you sign in at Microsoft directly, buy your own plans, and GoDaddy removes its reseller relationship when its subscriptions expire. Microsoft documents buying subscriptions, moving users between subscriptions and removing a partner's admin roles. Neither page uses the word "defederate" or gives steps to change domain federation for this move, and Microsoft publishes no GoDaddy-specific runbook. Do not follow third-party scripts that convert domains or reset tenant settings unless GoDaddy or Microsoft support tells you to.
You should see: You know the move is a GoDaddy-led process followed by standard Microsoft 365 admin tasks. - 2
Save add-on data and check accounts
Where: GoDaddy account > your Microsoft 365 from GoDaddy plans and email add-onsRelease any quarantined email you want to keep from Advanced Email Security, export or arrange migration of archived email from Email Archiving, and download anything you need from Email Backup. GoDaddy deletes email add-ons as part of the move. Confirm no account expires within 5 business days and note any linked domains.
You should see: Add-on data you need is saved outside GoDaddy and all accounts are active. - 3
Ask GoDaddy to start the move
Where: GoDaddy Help > Contact Us (https://www.godaddy.com/help/contact-us)Contact a GoDaddy Guide and ask to move your Microsoft 365 email away from GoDaddy. GoDaddy creates a ticket for the move.
You should see: GoDaddy confirms a ticket has been created. - 4
Receive the temporary admin password
Where: The contact email inbox of your GoDaddy accountGoDaddy states it emails a temporary password on the next business day (excluding holidays) to the GoDaddy account contact address. Admin passwords are changed to this temporary password.
You should see: An email from GoDaddy with the temporary password. - 5
Sign in at Microsoft directly
Where: Microsoft 365 admin center at https://admin.microsoft.comSign in with your admin email address and the temporary password, complete MFA, and set a new password. GoDaddy states you can no longer use the GoDaddy sign-in page to access Microsoft 365 after the move. Set passwords for other admins and users as needed.
You should see: The Microsoft 365 admin center home page loads for your organisation. - 6
Confirm your admin roles
Where: Microsoft 365 admin center > Users > Active users > select your accountIn the account pane, check the roles assigned to your account. You need at least Billing Administrator for purchases and License or User Administrator for licences. Check the list of other admins too, and remove any accounts you do not recognise.
You should see: Your account shows the admin roles you need. - 7
Buy your new subscriptions
Where: Microsoft 365 admin center > Billing > Add more products (Simplified view) or Marketplace (Dashboard view)Select the plan you want and Details, choose the number of licences and billing frequency, select Buy, then on the checkout page confirm the details and select Place order. Buy within the same organisation (the same signed-in tenant) so users can be moved to it. You can also buy from another Microsoft 365 reseller instead.
You should see: Billing > Your products lists the new subscription as Active alongside the GoDaddy ones. - 8
Move users onto the new licences
Where: Microsoft 365 admin center > Billing > Licenses, or Users > Active users > user > Licenses and appsCheck you have an unassigned licence for every user. GoDaddy says to remove GoDaddy licences before assigning new ones if the plan type differs. Assign the new licence to each user and remove the GoDaddy one. Microsoft states user data such as mailboxes is retained when changing plans automatically; if the new plan has fewer data-related services, back up data first.
You should see: Each user shows only the new licence, and mail and OneDrive still work. - 9
Remove GoDaddy's admin roles
Where: Microsoft 365 admin center > Settings > Partner relationshipsPartners with delegated admin show Global Administrator in the Roles column. Select the GoDaddy row with Reseller as the relationship type, select Remove roles, then Yes. Microsoft notes this does not end the reseller relationship, and the partner can still make purchases on your behalf until they remove that in Partner Center. If Remove roles is missing, Microsoft says to contact Partner Center support.
You should see: The GoDaddy row no longer lists admin roles. - 10
Remove the GoDaddy plans
Where: GoDaddy account > Products (see GoDaddy Help: Delete products in my GoDaddy account)Once every user is on the new licences, remove the GoDaddy email plans from your GoDaddy account, or reuse them for a different organisation. GoDaddy states it suspends its plans 7 days after your email addresses are deleted from its database, and removes its reseller relationship once the subscriptions expire. GoDaddy support for your Microsoft 365 services ends after the move.
You should see: GoDaddy no longer bills you for the plans, and after expiry GoDaddy disappears from Partner relationships.
Expert tips
GoDaddy deletes email add-ons as part of the move and states removed backups cannot be restored. Release quarantined mail, export Email Archiving content and download Email Backup data first. This is the only part of the move that cannot be fixed afterwards.
GoDaddy sends the temporary admin password to the GoDaddy account contact email, on the next business day, and that address cannot be one of the mailboxes moving with the organisation. Change it to a personal or other-domain address first, or you will be waiting on a password you cannot read.
Once you are signed in directly, add a second Global Administrator on the tenant's .onmicrosoft.com domain with its own MFA. If a DNS, licence or domain problem affects your custom domain later, that account still works, and it is required anyway if you ever need to remove the custom domain.
Buy the new subscriptions in the same tenant, then move users across in a planned window. GoDaddy says to remove its licence before assigning a new one only if the plan type differs; otherwise assign the new one first. Microsoft states mailbox data is kept when plans change automatically, but back up first if the new plan has fewer data services.
Remove GoDaddy's admin roles in Settings > Partner relationships, and review every other partner listed there. Microsoft notes the reseller can still make purchases until it removes the relationship in Partner Center, which GoDaddy does when its subscriptions expire.
Neither GoDaddy nor Microsoft documents federation changes or domain conversion scripts for this move. The tenant, domains and mailboxes stay where they are, and the documented process is GoDaddy's ticket plus standard admin center tasks. Only run extra commands if GoDaddy or Microsoft support asks you to.
How to confirm it worked
Sign in at
https://admin.microsoft.comwith your admin account and the new password, without going through a GoDaddy page.In Billing > Your products, the Microsoft subscriptions you bought are Active and hold all assigned licences.
In Settings > Partner relationships, GoDaddy has no admin roles (and, after its subscriptions expire, no reseller relationship).
Send and receive test mail for each domain. GoDaddy states the move does not release your domain from the Microsoft tenant.
How to reverse it
Not practically reversible. Once GoDaddy has handed over admin access, removed add-ons and its plans have lapsed, you cannot return the tenant to GoDaddy by undoing these steps. Removed GoDaddy backups cannot be restored. Microsoft documents no one-click restore for partner roles you remove. Plan the move, save add-on data first, and keep GoDaddy plans until users are on new licences.
Errors you might see
Remove roles option is missing on the partner pageCause: Microsoft does not state a cause.
Fix: Microsoft says to contact Partner Center support.
The new subscription is not listed in Your productsCause: Microsoft states this can mean it was bought for a different organisation; subscriptions cannot cross organisation boundaries.
Fix: Sign in to the tenant that holds your users and buy there, or contact Microsoft support.
No temporary password arrivesCause: GoDaddy sends it to the GoDaddy account contact address on the next business day, and that address cannot be one moving with the organisation.
Fix: Check the contact address on your GoDaddy profile, then contact GoDaddy about the ticket.
Users cannot sign in through the GoDaddy pageCause: GoDaddy states its sign-in page no longer works for Microsoft 365 after the move.
Fix: Sign in at https://www.office.com or https://admin.microsoft.com instead.
Questions
Do I lose my email when I leave GoDaddy?
GoDaddy's documented move keeps the existing tenant, so mailboxes stay in place. GoDaddy add-ons such as backups and archiving are removed, so save that data first.
What does "defederate" mean here?
It is an informal term for taking a GoDaddy tenant over yourself. Neither GoDaddy nor Microsoft uses it in their documented process, and neither documents separate federation changes for this move.
Does GoDaddy still have admin access afterwards?
Not after you remove its roles in Partner relationships. Microsoft notes a partner can still make purchases until it removes that ability in Partner Center.
Can I move to a different tenant instead?
Yes, but that is a tenant-to-tenant migration with mailbox and domain moves, not this process.
Official sources
Vendors change menus and requirements. Confirm on the source before you rely on a detail. Last checked 4 Nov 2026.