How to Configure Microsoft Office 365 DNS in cPanel

If you’re using a domain registered with a third-party provider and managing it through cPanel, you can still connect it to Microsoft 365 (Office 365) for email, collaboration, and other services. To do this, you’ll need to verify your domain and update its DNS records.

⚠️ Important: Always add your domain to Office 365 before adding users so you don’t need to configure them twice.

Step 1: Verify Your Domain with Office 365

1. Log in to the Microsoft 365 Admin Center.
2. Go to Setup → Domains and click Add Domain.
3. Enter your domain name and choose Add a TXT record to verify.
4. Copy the TXT record provided (it will look like MS=msXXXXXXXX).
5. Log in to cPanel and open the Zone Editor.
6. Add the TXT record:
   • Name/Host: @
   • Type: TXT
   • Value: MS=msXXXXXXXX
   • TTL: 3600 (1 hour)
7. Go back to the Microsoft 365 Admin Center and click Verify.

✅ Once verified, you can remove the TXT record from cPanel.

Step 2: Locate Microsoft 365 DNS Records

After verification:

1. Log back into Microsoft 365 Admin Center.
2. Go to Setup → Domains and select your verified domain.
3. Under DNS Settings, you’ll see the DNS records required for:
   • MX (Mail Exchange) – Routes email to Office 365.
   • CNAME – Enables services like Autodiscover, SIP, and Lync.
   • TXT (SPF) – Prevents email spoofing and spam.
   • SRV – Supports Skype for Business / Teams features.

Step 3: Add Office 365 DNS Records in cPanel

Open your cPanel → Zone Editor and add the following records exactly as shown:

1. MX Record (Email Routing)

• Priority: 0
• Destination: domain-com.mail.protection.outlook.com (replace domain-com with your domain, as provided by Microsoft)
• TTL: 3600

2. CNAME Records

CNAME Record 1 (Autodiscover):

• Name: autodiscover
• Value: autodiscover.outlook.com
• TTL: 3600

CNAME Record 2 (Lync Discover):

• Name: lyncdiscover
• Value: webdir.online.lync.com
• TTL: 3600

CNAME Record 3 (SIP):

• Name: sip
• Value: sipdir.online.lync.com
• TTL: 3600

3. TXT Record (SPF for Email Security)

• Host/Name: @
• Value: v=spf1 include:spf.protection.outlook.com -all
• TTL: 3600

4. SRV Records

SRV Record 1 (SIP TLS):

• Name: _sip._tls
• Priority: 100
• Weight: 1
• Port: 443
• Target: sipdir.online.lync.com
• TTL: 3600

SRV Record 2 (SIP Federation TLS):

• Name: _sipfederationtls._tcp
• Priority: 100
• Weight: 1
• Port: 5061
• Target: sipfed.online.lync.com
• TTL: 3600

Step 4: Allow DNS Propagation

After saving all records, DNS changes may take 4–24 hours (sometimes up to 48 hours) to propagate globally. Once complete, your domain will be fully connected to Office 365, and emails will begin routing through Microsoft’s secure servers.

Key Benefits of Configuring Office 365 with cPanel

• Professional Email: Branded domain email powered by Microsoft Exchange.
• Anywhere, Anytime Access: Work seamlessly across devices.
• Built-in Security: Microsoft’s spam filtering and advanced threat protection.
• Collaboration Tools: Teams, Planner, and real-time document co-authoring.

✅ That’s it! Your domain is now fully integrated with Microsoft 365 while still being managed in cPanel.