How to Set Up Microsoft 365 Business Email on Your Own Domain

Professional email on your own domain ([email protected]) builds trust instantly. Here is how to set it up properly with Microsoft 365.

A free Gmail or Outlook.com address looks amateur on a business card. Microsoft 365 gives you email on your own domain plus Word, Excel, Teams and 1TB of OneDrive. Setup takes about 30 minutes.

1. Choose the right plan

For most small businesses, Business Basic (web/mobile apps + email) or Business Standard (adds desktop Office) is plenty. See our breakdown of Microsoft 365 plans if you're unsure.

2. Add and verify your domain

In the Microsoft 365 admin centre, add your domain (e.g. yourbusiness.co.uk). Microsoft gives you a TXT record to prove ownership, add it at your DNS host and click verify.

3. Create users and mailboxes

Add a user for each person, assign a licence, and set their email address. You can create shared mailboxes (e.g. info@, sales@) at no extra licence cost.

4. Update your MX and mail DNS records

Point your domain's MX record to Microsoft, and add the Autodiscover (CNAME), SPF and DKIM records they provide. These route mail correctly and stop your messages landing in spam, see our guide to SPF, DKIM and DMARC.

5. Migrate existing email

If you're moving from another provider, migrate mailboxes, contacts and calendars before switching the MX record so nothing is lost. For a handful of mailboxes a manual import works; for more, use a migration tool.

6. Set up devices

Add the account to Outlook on desktop and the Outlook app on phones. With Autodiscover configured, it's usually just email address + password.

Frequently asked questions

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