How to Use Microsoft 365 for Your Domain’s Email

When you add your domain name to your HostM hosting account, the default configuration is such that your hosting account handles both your website and email hosting.

If, instead, you’d like to use Microsoft 365 for your domain’s email, you can use the following steps to do so:

Make sure that you’ve already added the domain to your HostM hosting account.
If you have not already done so, sign up for Microsoft 365 for your domain on their website.
Be sure to add your domain to Microsoft 365 and verify the domain per their instructions.
Sign in to your Microsoft 365 account at https://admin.microsoft.com.
Select Settings, then Domains.
Select the Add Domain button.
Enter your domain, then select Next.
Microsoft 365 will ask you to verify your domain. Select the option that uses a TXT record.
Make a note of the TXT value MS=msXXXXXXXX where XXXXXXXX is a number assigned to your verification procedure.
Leave the browser window or tab open.
Open a new browser window or tab, then sign in to the HostM Client Lounge.
In the list of hosting accounts, select the cPanel button for your hosting account.
Under the Domains heading, select Zone Editor.
Next to the domain you wish to modify, select Manage.
Just below the search box, select TXT.
To the right of the search box, select the down arrow in the blue button that says Add Record (be sure to select the down arrow, not the text itself), then select Add TXT Record.
Enter the following details:
- Name: example.com
  Record: MS=msXXXXXXXX
  Replace example.com with your own domain.
  Replace MS=msXXXXXXXX with the actual TXT value that is shown on the Microsoft 365 window or tab that you have open from earlier.
Select the Add Record button to the right.
Now look for a record whose value in the Name column is your domain name, and whose Record begins with v=spf1.
To the right of that record, select the Edit button.
In the Record field, right after the v=spf1, and without deleting anything, insert include:spf.protection.outlook.com.
Ensure that there is a space character both before and after the include:spf.protection.outlook.com.
Select the Save Record button to the right.
Just below the search box, select MX.
To the right of the search box, select the down arrow in the blue button that says Add Record (be sure to select the down arrow, not the text itself), then select Add MX Record.
Enter the following details:
- Priority: 0
  Destination: example-com.mail.protection.outlook.com
  Replace the example-com portion of the Destination value in the above example with your actual domain, with all periods replaced by dashes.
  For example, if your domain was example2.com, you would set the Destination to example2-com.mail.protection.outlook.com.
Select the Add Record button to the right.
Now delete any MX records whose value in the Name column is your domain name, but whose Destination does not contain outlook.com within it.
Just below the search box, select CNAME.
To the right of the search box, select the down arrow in the blue button that says Add Record (be sure to select the down arrow, not the text itself), then select Add CNAME Record.
Enter the following details:
- Name: autodiscover
  Record: autodiscover.outlook.com
  When you enter autodiscover in the Name field, then go on to another field, the value of the Name field automatically changes to autodiscover.example.com., where example.com is replaced by your actual domain. This is normal and intended.
Select the Add Record button to the right.
Select the HostM logo in the upper-left corner of your cPanel to go back to the main page.
Under the Email heading, select Email Routing.
Select your domain from the drop-down menu.
Select Remote Mail Exchanger, then select the Change button.
Switch back to the Microsoft 365 browser window or tab, then select the Verify button.
Select I'll manage my own DNS records, then select Next.
Select the Verify button.

Your domain name is now pointing at Microsoft 365 for email purposes. Please note that it may take up to several hours for your changes to be recognized by ISPs worldwide, including your internet connection provider.