How to Migrate from Microsoft 365 to DigiCloudMail

Moving email off Microsoft 365 sounds daunting - it is where your mail, calendars and contacts live. But with the right sequence, you can migrate to DigiCloudMail without downtime and without losing anything. Here is exactly how it works.

Before you start

Gather a few things:

• A list of every mailbox, alias, distribution list and shared mailbox in Microsoft 365
• Admin access to your domain's DNS (to update records later)
• A decision on which accounts to keep, merge or retire

This is also the perfect moment to clean up dormant accounts. For the general principles, see our zero-downtime migration playbook.

Step 1: Set up mailboxes in DigiCloudMail

Create your domain and mailboxes in DigiCloudMail first, matching your Microsoft 365 users. Do not change your MX records yet - both systems will run side by side during the move, so nothing is interrupted.

Step 2: Connect and sync in the background

Securely connect Microsoft 365 and let the guided migration copy mail, folders, contacts and calendars into DigiCloudMail in the background. Your team keeps using Microsoft 365 normally while this runs - they will not notice a thing.

Step 3: Verify

Spot-check a few migrated mailboxes: confirm recent messages, folder structure, contacts and calendar entries all came across correctly before you cut over.

Step 4: Update DNS - MX, SPF, DKIM, DMARC

When the bulk sync is done:

• Point your MX records to DigiCloudMail so new mail is delivered there
• Update SPF and enable DKIM for DigiCloudMail, and keep DMARC aligned so deliverability stays strong - see SPF, DKIM and DMARC explained

New mail now lands in DigiCloudMail, and because the history is already there, mailboxes look complete from the first minute.

Step 5: Delta sync

Any mail that arrived in Microsoft 365 during the cutover window is captured by a delta sync, which copies the last stragglers across. Nothing slips through.

Step 6: Reconfigure devices and turn on security

Have users add the mailbox on their devices via webmail or IMAP/ActiveSync, and enforce two-factor authentication across the team from the admin panel.

Step 7: Decommission Microsoft 365

After a safe buffer (a week or two), you can retire the Microsoft 365 mailboxes - keeping an export if your retention policy requires it. Then stop paying for a suite you have replaced.

Keep what you still use

Migrating email does not force you off other Microsoft tools. If your team still uses Office apps, keep them - you are simply moving email to a focused, more affordable host.

Let us run it for you

Prefer not to manage the move yourself? DigiCloudMail's free guided migration handles the connection, sync, cutover and delta sync end to end.

Ready to move off Microsoft 365? Contact us and we will plan a zero-downtime migration.