Migrating Email Hosting from Rackspace to MS365

Migrating Email Hosting from Rackspace to Microsoft 365

If your organization is moving away from Rackspace email and planning to use Microsoft 365 (also known as Exchange Online or MS Exchange), this guide will walk you through the basic steps and what to expect during the transition — especially if Saffire manages your DNS.

What is Email Hosting?

Email hosting refers to the service that stores your email data and manages the sending and receiving of messages using your domain (e.g., info@yourdomain.com). Saffire offers free email hosting to website clients via Rackspace, but many clients choose to migrate to Microsoft 365 for added features or centralization.

How Do I Know If Saffire Manages My Email Hosting?

If Saffire hosts your email, it's done through Rackspace, and it's tied to your domain's DNS records. Your DNS records may be managed by Saffire, or it may be managed by your IT team elsewhere. Here’s how to check:

  • If you're unsure who manages your domain or DNS, please check with your IT team. Still not sure? Reach out to us at support@saffire.com and we’ll help you find out.
  • Add details here for finding info about hosting

Important: This Process Only Applies If Saffire Manages Your DNS

If your DNS is managed elsewhere (like GoDaddy or another registrar), you will need to update the DNS records yourself through that provider. If Saffire manages your DNS, we’ll handle those changes for you once you provide the necessary info.

What’s the Process for Migrating to Microsoft 365?

Here’s an overview of the steps when Saffire manages your DNS:

1. Verify Your Domain with Microsoft

Microsoft requires you to verify that you own your domain before enabling email service. There are two options:

  • TXT file upload (not supported by Saffire)
  • DNS Record (recommended): Most clients choose to add a temporary MX or TXT record to the domain’s DNS. You’ll find this record in the Microsoft Admin Center. Once you send it to us, we’ll add it for you and notify you when it’s live.

Example Record:

  • Type: TXT
  • Name: @  
  • Value: MS=ms12345678  
  • TTL: 3600

After it's added, you can verify the domain in your Microsoft Admin Center.

2. Send Over Your New Microsoft 365 DNS Records

Once your domain is verified, you’ll receive a set of DNS records from Microsoft. This usually includes:

  • New MX record
  • Updated SPF (TXT) record
  • CNAME records for Autodiscover and other services
  • Optional: DMARC, DKIM, etc.

Send us the full list, and we’ll update them on your behalf.

💡 Pro Tip: During this stage, our team often keeps the old Rackspace MX records in place with lower priority as a fallback while mail transitions. This helps prevent missed messages.

3. Confirm Mail Flow, Then Remove Rackspace Records

Once you’ve verified that email is fully working through Microsoft 365 (you can send/receive), let us know. We’ll remove the Rackspace-related MX records and finalize any remaining DNS changes, such as:

  • Removing legacy records: MX1.EMAILSRVR.COM  , MX2.EMAILSRVR.COM  
  • Updating DMARC records, if needed

What About Old Emails?

While we handle DNS changes, migrating old emails from Rackspace to Microsoft 365 is typically handled by your IT team. Microsoft offers migration tools, but we’re not involved in that part of the process.

Need Help?

If you’re ready to begin or have questions, just reach out using the orange Help button below. We’re here to help make the transition as smooth as possible.