Migrating GoDaddy Outlook 365 to Google Workspace

Migrating a vanity email from GoDaddy's Outlook 365 to Google Workspace involves several steps to ensure a smooth transition. We have included a step-by-step guide for how to do that. Of course, GoDaddy or Google Workspace support are also great resources should you have any questions related to your specific account.

Please Read Before Beginning:

If done correctly, downtime should be minimal, but there might be a brief period where emails are delayed during the transition. The key factor is updating your MX records—once you switch them from GoDaddy to Google, it can take up to 72 hours for full propagation. During this time, some emails might still route to your old account, while others may start arriving in Google Workspace. To minimize disruption:

• Plan the migration during off-hours to reduce impact.

• Temporarily enable email forwarding in Outlook 365 your new Google Workspace account as described in Step 4 below.

• Monitor your old inbox until the transition is complete.

Step-By-Step Guide:

1. Set Up Google Workspace – If you haven’t already, create a Google Workspace account and configure your domain by visiting the Google Workspace website and choosing a plan that fits your needs.

2. Verify Domain Ownership with Google Workspace – Google will require you to verify that you own the domain before proceeding. You can verify your domain ownership in Google Workspace through the Google Admin console. Follow the steps below and for a more detailed guide, check out Google’s official instructions on domain verification.

   1. Sign in to the Google Admin console using an administrator account.

   2. Go to Menu → "Account" → "Domains" → "Manage domains."

   3. Click "Verify domain" for the domain you want to verify.

   4. Follow the instructions to add a TXT record to your domain’s DNS settings at your registrar.

   5. Confirm verification in the Admin console.

3. Set Up Google Workspace Email User Account(s) – using your existing GoDaddy vanity email address(es).

   • Sign in to the Google Admin console (here).

   • Go to Directory → "Users."

   • Click Add a user and enter their details (name, email, password).

   • Assign roles (Admin, User, etc.) based on their responsibilities.

   • Do NOT click "Activate Gmail" at this point.

4. Enable temporary email forwarding in Outlook 365 to your new Google Workspace account (before switching MX records as detailed in the below step) so emails sent to your old address will automatically land in your new Google Workspace inbox while your MX records are still updating. We also recommend monitoring your old email until the transition is complete. Once you're confident everything is fully switched over, you can disable forwarding.

   1. Sign in to Outlook 365 (via GoDaddy).

   2. Go to Settings → "Mail" → "Forwarding."

   3. Enter your new Google Workspace email address in the forwarding field.

   4. Save changes to activate forwarding.

5. Migrate Data/Emails – Use Google’s Data Migration Service (or a third-party service) to transfer emails from Outlook 365 to Gmail, if you want to migrate existing emails from Microsoft 365 to Google Workspace.

6. Update MX/DNS Records – Modify your domain’s MX records in GoDaddy to point to Google’s mail servers. Updating your MX records in GoDaddy to point to Google’s mail servers is a crucial step in setting up Google Workspace email. Here’s how you can do it:

   1. Sign in to GoDaddy – Log into your GoDaddy Domain Portfolio.

   2. Access DNS Settings – Select your domain and go to DNS Management.

   3. Locate MX Records – Find the existing MX records and remove any that aren’t related to Google.

   4. Add Google’s MX Records – For need values, please refer to Google’s official guide or GoDaddy’s instructions.

   5. Save Changes – Confirm and save your new MX record settings.

   6. Wait for Propagation – It can take up to 72 hours for the changes to fully take effect. DNS propagation is essential for email routing. Until your DNS records propagate, incoming emails may still be directed to your old email server, and outgoing emails from your new server might not work as intended. This is because email servers rely on DNS records, specifically MX (Mail Exchange) records, to determine where to send and receive emails. Again, to minimize disruption during propagation, enable temporary email forwarding as referenced above and monitor your old inbox during the transition.

7. Activate Gmail for Your Domain – following the steps below. Only after this manual activation will Gmail be fully enabled for your domain in Google Workspace:

   • Log in to the Google Admin console.

   • Navigate to Account → Domains → Manage domains.

   • Click the "Activate Gmail" button next to your domain.

   • Confirm that MX records are set up and that email accounts are created.

   • Complete the activation by following the prompts.

8. Post Migration Functionality Check – After completing the migration, test email functionality to ensure emails are being sent and received properly through Google Workspace; recommend sending test emails between multiple accounts (e.g., from an external email to Google Workspace) to confirm successful delivery and then you can disable email forwarding from Outlook, ensure all contacts & calendar events are properly imported, and confirm Outlook 365 is fully decommissioned (if applicable).