Set Up Microsoft 365 DNS Records

Here we cover the steps to add the DNS records needed for Microsoft 365 core services in your cPanel.

Email is a critical component of many businesses, and as such, having reliable mail service is often a must. While you can utilize the email services included with cPanel to run your own mail server, this has become increasingly more difficult in recent years and often requires an experienced system administrator to maintain it.

With this in mind, the use of an established email service provider, such as Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace, is highly recommended in cases where email service is vital. Microsoft 365 (formerly known as Office 365) is a line of subscription services offered by Microsoft including Outlook, Microsoft Office, and much more.

Before you start using these services with your domain, you'll need to make some DNS changes. While you can opt to use Microsoft's nameservers to simplify the process, you may wish to continue managing your domain's DNS from your InMotion Hosting account instead.

Related Articles

Getting Started with cPanel
Change DNS Records Using cPanel Zone Editor
Update Domain Nameservers

Add an MX record for Email (Outlook, Exchange Online)

IMPORTANT: Be sure to set up your email accounts in the Microsoft admin center before updating your MX records to avoid disruption in email service.
CAUTION: The steps below require that the domain is using InMotion Hosting nameservers.  If you're using an external nameserver, any DNS updates will need to be made on the external nameserver.

1. Verify the domain with Microsoft 365
2. Obtain the DNS records that need added
   1. In the Microsoft 365 admin center, go to the Settings > Domains page
   2. On the Domains page, select your domain
   3. Choose Manage DNS
   4. Select More Options > Add your own DNS
   5. Select Continue to see the DNS records to add
3. Log into cPanel
4. Navigate to Zone Editor, located under the Domains section
   
5. Click the Manage button next to the applicable domain
   
6. Click MX under Filter
   
   
7. Click the Delete button beside the existing MX record
   
8. Click the Continue button to confirm deletion
   
9. Click the down arrow next to the +Add Record button then click Add "MX" Record
   
10. Add the following values:
    1. Name: Enter your domain
    2. TTL: Leave this set to 900
    3. Priority: 0
    4. Destination: Copy the MX value from your Microsoft admin center and paste it here
       TIP: This will look like <MX token>.mail.protection.outlook.com.
       
11. Click the Save Record button
    NOTE: DNS modifications may take up to 4-24 hours to fully propagate.
12. Ensure the email routing is set to Remote
    1. From cPanel, navigate to Email Routing, located in the Email section
       
    2. From the Domain dropdown, select the appropriate domain
       
    3. Select Remote Mail Exchanger
       
       
    4. Click the Change Button
13. Add your email authentication records for Microsoft 365
14. Add DNS for any additional services