Migrating Email: GoDaddy Office 365 Business to Microsoft 365 Business

Migrating Email Content from GoDaddy Office 365 Business Basic to Microsoft 365 Business Basic Using Native Microsoft Tools

If you’re looking to migrate your email content from GoDaddy Office 365 Business Basic to Microsoft 365 Business Basic without using BitTitan or any external tools, this guide is for you. We’ll walk you through the process using only native Microsoft tools—specifically Exchange Online PowerShell and Azure Blob Storage—to transfer emails, contacts, calendars, and tasks. This approach assumes you’ve set up temporary full Exchange email addresses in the new Microsoft 365 tenant and that your domain remains with GoDaddy during the data migration phase. Let’s get started.

Why Migrate?

GoDaddy’s version of Office 365 Business Basic is a reseller-managed service that offers simplicity and affordability but comes with limitations like restricted admin access and a 300-user cap. Migrating to Microsoft 365 Business Basic directly through Microsoft gives you full control over your tenant, access to advanced features like Microsoft Teams and enhanced security options, and scalability for future growth—all while preserving your email data.

Overview of the Migration Process

Since external tools like BitTitan are off the table, we’ll use Microsoft’s native capabilities to:

1. Export mailbox data (emails, contacts, calendars, and tasks) from your GoDaddy Office 365 tenant to PST files stored in Azure Blob Storage.
2. Import those PST files into the new Microsoft 365 tenant using temporary email addresses (e.g., user@tenant.onmicrosoft.com).
3. Verify the data and plan the domain transfer after migration.

This process requires an Azure subscription for storage, PowerShell expertise, and admin access to both tenants. For a small organization (10–50 users), expect the migration to take 2–5 days, depending on mailbox sizes.Prerequisites

Before diving in, ensure you have the following:

Admin Access:

1. GoDaddy Office 365 tenant (via https://admin.godaddy.com).
2. New Microsoft 365 tenant (via admin.microsoft.com).

Licenses:

1. Active GoDaddy Office 365 Business Basic subscriptions.
2. Microsoft 365 Business Basic licenses for the new tenant.

Temporary Email Addresses:

1. Each user in the new tenant has a temporary Exchange mailbox (e.g., user@tenant.onmicrosoft.com).

Azure Subscription:

1. Needed for Azure Blob Storage to handle PST files. Sign up at https://portal.azure.com if you don’t have one.

PowerShell Setup:

1. Install the Exchange Online PowerShell module on your computer.

Role Assignments:

1. Assign the "Mailbox Import Export" role in both tenants.

Backup:

1. Back up critical data from GoDaddy as a precaution.

Step-by-Step Migration Guide

Step 1: Prepare the Environment

Set Up Azure Blob Storage:

1. Log in to the Azure Portal (https://portal.azure.com).
2. Create a new storage account and a container (e.g., “migration-pst”).
3. Generate a Shared Access Signature (SAS) token for the container with read and write permissions. Save this token securely—you’ll need it later.

Configure the Source Tenant (GoDaddy Office 365):

1. Open PowerShell and connect to the GoDaddy tenant:
2. powershell

1. Assign the "Mailbox Import Export" role to your admin account:
2. powershell

Configure the Target Tenant (Microsoft 365):

1. Connect to the new tenant:
2. powershell

1. Assign the "Mailbox Import Export" role:
2. powershell

1. Verify that temporary mailboxes are active for all users.

Step 2: Export Data from GoDaddy Office 365

Export Mailboxes to PST Files:

1. In the source tenant PowerShell session, run this command for each mailbox:
2. powershell

1. Replace <user@yourdomain.com> with the user’s email, <user> with a unique identifier (e.g., “john.doe”), and insert your storage account details and SAS token.

Monitor the Export:

1. Check the status of export requests:
2. powershell

1. Wait until all requests show “Completed” before moving to the next step.

Step 3: Import Data into Microsoft 365

Import PST Files:

1. In the target tenant PowerShell session, import each PST file to the corresponding temporary mailbox:
2. powershell

1. Ensure the <user@tenant.onmicrosoft.com> matches the target mailbox and the PST file aligns with the source user.

Monitor the Import:

1. Track progress:
2. powershell

1. Confirm all imports are “Completed.”

Step 4: Post-Migration Steps

Verify Data:

1. Log in to a few mailboxes in the new tenant via Outlook or Outlook Web Access (https://outlook.office.com) to ensure emails, contacts, calendars, and tasks are intact.

Plan Domain Transfer:

1. Do not release the domain yet: Wait until data is verified, as releasing the domain from GoDaddy deletes the tenant.
2. Contact GoDaddy’s CSP Migration team to initiate domain release (3–5 days).
3. Once released, add the domain to the new tenant in the Microsoft 365 Admin Center (Settings > Domains) and update DNS records (MX, TXT, CNAME).

Update Email Addresses:

1. Change temporary addresses to the custom domain (e.g., user@yourdomain.com) in the Admin Center.
2. Update email clients accordingly.

Finalize:

1. Test email functionality and cancel GoDaddy subscriptions only after success is confirmed.

Automation Tip

For multiple users, automate the process with PowerShell scripts:

1. Export Script (Source Tenant):
2. powershell

1. Import Script (Target Tenant):
2. powershell

Adjust the $user.Alias to match your naming convention.Time Estimate

1. Preparation: 1 day (Azure setup, role assignments).
2. Data Migration: 1–3 days (export/import, depending on mailbox size).
3. Domain Transfer: 3–5 days (post-migration).
4. Total: 2–5 days for small setups; longer for larger ones.

Challenges to Watch For

1. Large Mailboxes: Exports/imports can take hours per user. Run in parallel if possible.
2. Azure Costs: Minimal but monitor storage/transfer usage.
3. Data Mapping: Double-check source-to-target mailbox mappings.

Using Exchange Online PowerShell and Azure Blob Storage, you can migrate your email content from GoDaddy Office 365 to Microsoft 365 without external tools. While it requires technical know-how and careful execution, this method ensures a cost-effective, native solution. Once completed, you’ll enjoy the full benefits of Microsoft 365 with your data intact. For expert help, consider reaching out to a Microsoft partner like Snifftont (https://www.sniffton.com). Happy migrating!