The MSP Runbook for Moving Clients Off GoDaddy Onto Office 365

GoDaddy email is not one thing. A client might be on plain IMAP, or on GoDaddy's Office 365 syndicate program, and the move off each is a different project with different tools and different risks. Migrations like these get tricky even with a paid tool like BitTitan or SkyKick, and the syndicate program adds a defederation step on top. The single best thing you can do is prepare weeks in advance. Below are the best practices and step-by-step playbooks we use for these environments.

There is a separate guide on defederating GoDaddy's 365 program without migrating or calling GoDaddy; this runbook covers the full picture across both GoDaddy email types.

GoDaddy IMAP: a mail-only move#

Migrating off GoDaddy's IMAP platform can be done with a free tool, Microsoft's native tool in the Exchange Admin Center, or with a paid third-party tool like BitTitan. In both cases, only mail items migrate. For that reason, back up calendar, contacts, and notes so you can import them into the new 365 profile after cutover. The benefit of a paid third-party tool is that it can automate the data transfer and automatically reconfigure Outlook profiles after the move.

Option A: the IMAP cutover tool (free)#

• Free tool within the Exchange Admin Center.
• Can monitor upload speeds and create a connection from GoDaddy to Office 365.
• Playbook: Migration Playbook, GoDaddy IMAP to Office 365 (opens in new tab).

Option B: BitTitan (paid)#

• Paid tool.
• Automates reconfiguration of Outlook profiles.
• Playbook: BitTitan Migration Playbook, GoDaddy IMAP to 365 (opens in new tab).

Save a local copy before you cut over#

Because IMAP migrations carry mail only, protect everything else first:

• Save a copy of the OST file from the Outlook profile.
• Export calendar and contacts to PSTs.

GoDaddy Office 365: defederate, with or without a migration#

When clients are on GoDaddy's Office 365 platform, their MX records are the same as if they were on regular Office 365. Because of that, you have two paths: defederate the tenant, which does not require a migration, or defederate and migrate to a new tenant.

Path 1: defederate without migrating#

• No downtime.
• Never have to call GoDaddy.
• No migration required.
• No end-user mailbox deletion.
• Step-by-step guide: defederating GoDaddy's 365 program.

Path 2: migrate using BitTitan#

• Paid tool.
• Automates the data move and recreation of Outlook profiles.
• You do have to plan for downtime.

When is a full migration to a new tenant worth it?#

Defederating in place is the lower-effort move, but several situations justify standing up a fresh tenant:

• SharePoint URLs. They retain GoDaddy's default .onmicrosoft domain name if you do not migrate. GoDaddy creates a tenant with a default prefix, every SharePoint site carries it in the URL, and there is no way to change it.
• License activation issues. Users are less likely to hit Outlook license activation issues if you migrate using a tool like BitTitan or SkyKick that automatically reconfigures the Outlook profile. Whether or not you perform the migration, a user password reset is required.
• GoDaddy refederation. In some cases GoDaddy regains access to a tenant and runs a script to remove all users and domains after you cancel the subscription, once you have defederated. If you remove them as Delegated Admin and remove all access to any admin accounts, they have no way to do this. If you want extra reassurance, migrate. GoDaddy removing domains and users is a recoverable action, but it does cause downtime.

For the full procedure, see the complete downloadable guide (opens in new tab).