Microsoft 365

About Microsoft 365

Microsoft 365 email with own domain means an Outlook inbox at you@yourbusiness.com, run on Microsoft's Exchange servers. It is a paid service, and Microsoft lists custom business email on its Business Basic, Standard and Premium plans. It suits a small business that already works in Outlook, Word and Excel.

This page covers who it fits, how to connect your domain, the trial, the SMTP settings and the extra step WordPress needs.

What is Microsoft 365 and who does it fit?

Microsoft 365 is Microsoft's office suite sold as a subscription. The business plans that include email give each user an Exchange mailbox with spam and malware filtering. The compare page lists what else each plan adds, such as Teams and the Office apps. An admin center lets you add users and manage security.

It fits well if you:

• run a small business where people already write in Word and plan in Excel;
• want Outlook as the mail app for the whole team;
• need an admin view of every user's mailbox and device.

Look elsewhere if you want something free, or if you only need one address for a blog's contact form. Note that Microsoft 365 Apps for business does not list custom email, so pick a plan that does.

How do you set up Microsoft 365 email with own domain DNS records?

You add your domain in the Microsoft 365 admin center. A setup wizard then shows the exact DNS records for your domain. DNS is the address book that tells the internet where your mail goes. If your DNS host supports it, the wizard can add the records for you.

Microsoft's admin help describes these records:

1. Verify the domain: prove you own it with the record the wizard gives you.
2. MX record: sends your mail to Microsoft 365. Microsoft says to remove the MX records of your old provider, or give them a lower priority.
3. SPF record: a TXT record that lists who may send for your domain. Keep only one SPF record and merge any other senders into it. Our guide what is an SPF record explains how.
4. CNAME records: the wizard lists these for services like Exchange Online and Teams.
5. DKIM: optional in the wizard, under advanced options. It signs your mail so receivers can trust it.
6. DMARC: Microsoft recommends it after SPF and DKIM.

Copy the values from your own admin center, not from a blog post, because the MX host is unique to your domain. When you finish, check the records with the DNS and Email Checker.

Is Microsoft 365 free, paid or a trial?

It is paid. Microsoft's business page lists no free plan, and the plans renew on their own unless you cancel. Microsoft does offer a free trial on its business plans. The page says you need a credit card to sign up for it.

Check the official compare page for the current plans and what each one includes. If you want a free personal inbox instead, see our Outlook.com page.

What are the Microsoft 365 SMTP and IMAP settings?

SMTP is the server that sends your mail. IMAP is what a mail app uses to read it. Microsoft lists these values for SMTP AUTH client submission, which is the setup a website plugin uses:

Microsoft says that if a device or app wants port 465, it does not support this method. See all values in our Microsoft 365 SMTP settings guide, then test the Microsoft 365 SMTP server in the free SMTP Tester.

How do you send WordPress or contact form mail through Microsoft 365?

This needs one more step than most providers. Microsoft says SMTP AUTH is turned off for newer organizations, and you turn it on per mailbox. It also does not work while "security defaults" is on in Microsoft Entra ID.

1. In the admin center, go to Users, then Active users, and pick the sending mailbox.
2. Open Mail, then Manage email apps, tick Authenticated SMTP and save.
3. Install an SMTP plugin such as WP Mail SMTP or FluentSMTP. Use a mailer that signs in with your Microsoft account (OAuth) if the plugin offers one. Otherwise choose "Other SMTP".
4. For "Other SMTP", enter smtp.office365.com, port 587, TLS, the full address and the password.
5. Set the "From" address to the same mailbox and send a test email.

Microsoft has announced it will retire Basic authentication, which means a plain username and password, for SMTP AUTH. A password setup that works today may stop later, so OAuth is the safer choice. Microsoft's help page also lists sending limits per day and per minute. They are fine for a contact form, but not for newsletters.

What are the honest downsides of Microsoft 365?

• No free plan. After the trial, you pay for each user.
• SMTP takes admin work. You may need to turn on Authenticated SMTP and check security defaults before WordPress can send.
• Password sign-in is going away for SMTP. Plan for OAuth, which not every plugin or form supports.
• Many settings. The admin center is powerful but can feel heavy for a one-person blog.
• Not a bulk sender. Use a sending service for newsletters and big order runs.

What are the best alternatives to Microsoft 365?

• Google Workspace: better if your team prefers Gmail, Drive and Google Docs.
• Zoho Mail: better if you want a free plan on your own domain and can use webmail.
• Hostinger Email: better if you host your site at Hostinger and want simple SMTP with a normal password.

In short, Microsoft 365 email with own domain is a strong choice for a team that lives in Outlook and Office. Start with the trial, add the DNS records from the admin center, and turn on Authenticated SMTP before you connect WordPress.

Frequently asked questions

Why does Microsoft 365 SMTP fail with "authentication unsuccessful"?

The most common cause is that SMTP AUTH is off for the mailbox. Turn on Authenticated SMTP in the admin center under the user's mail apps. Also check that security defaults is not on, because Microsoft says SMTP AUTH does not work with it.

Can I use port 465 with Microsoft 365?

No. Microsoft says a device or app that needs port 465 does not support SMTP AUTH client submission. Use port 587 with STARTTLS instead.

Which Microsoft 365 plan includes email on my own domain?

Microsoft lists custom business email on Business Basic, Business Standard and Business Premium, including their versions without Teams. Microsoft 365 Apps for business does not list it. Check the compare page before you buy.