Forum Discussion
Transferring Office 365 hosted by GoDaddy to Office 365 hosted by Microsoft
Hey,
No need to migrate from one tenant to another—we can actually do something much better: it’s called Defederation.
Defederation allows us to remove GoDaddy’s control over the tenant and bring it fully under Microsoft’s management without changing accounts, data, or emails. Here’s how it works:
GoDaddy to Microsoft 365 – Defederation Overview
- Disconnect GoDaddy
- Access the hidden Microsoft admin panel
- Remove GoDaddy’s federation and regain control
- Assign Microsoft Licenses
- Purchase new licenses directly from Microsoft (GoDaddy licenses can't be transferred)
- Use shared mailboxes where possible to optimize cost
- Update, Secure & Adapt - Reset all user passwords
- Update DNS to Microsoft for better email security
- Change SharePoint URL to a new, Microsoft-managed domain (optional but recommended)
-Verify & Finalize
- Seamless transition with zero downtime
- Full access to Microsoft 365 admin features, security tools, and no GoDaddy restrictions
Result: Native Microsoft 365 tenant with full control and better long-term scalability.
Let me know if you'd like to proceed—I’ve helped many businesses through this exact process smoothly.
Best,
Ahmed Masoud
Thanks for the post - I will try this next time ... but want to keep the domains with GoDaddy. Your suggestion for "Defederation" or "Federation" is interesting, but I can't much about this from Microsoft 365 support articles about this. How exactly do we disconnect GoDaddy ... can you show us the steps, print screens, or is something we need to ask GoDaddy to do for us?
- How do we Access the hidden Microsoft admin panel?
- How do we Remove GoDaddy’s federation and regain control?
Thanks for the great question!
You're absolutely right—Microsoft’s official documentation doesn't clearly explain how to defederate from GoDaddy, which is why it’s been such a common pain point for many users.
The good news is:
👉 You don’t need to contact GoDaddy, and
👉 You can keep your domain registered with them—we’re just removing their control over your Microsoft 365 tenant (that’s the key part).
To answer your questions briefly:
🔐 Accessing the hidden Microsoft admin panel
- Go to https://portal.azure.com
- Sign in with your admin account (you’ll likely need the original email address removed for privacy reasons account)
- From there, you’ll gain access to Azure Active Directory and can reset the password for the true Global Admin
🧩 How to remove GoDaddy’s federation:
- You’ll use Microsoft Graph PowerShell to change the domain authentication from Federated to Managed
- This allows you to bypass GoDaddy’s redirection and fully manage your Microsoft 365 tenant
I’ve written a step-by-step guide (with PowerShell examples) and all the details you need to do this safely in my latest blog post here:
👉 Break Free from GoDaddy – The Smarter Way
Let me know if you want a quick visual walkthrough or need help running the commands—I offer 1:1 support for this as well if you prefer to have it handled professionally.
Hope this helps!
Best,
Ahmed Masoud