What DNS records can be deleted if migrating to another email hosting provider?

[GDC_User]

Specifically, what is the purpose of the DNS TXT record "NETORGFT7506386.onmicrosoft.com" -- can it be deleted if I'm leaving Office 365 behind (good riddance!)?  Is it OK to delete all CNAME aliases except for _domainconnect, www, ftp, files, and possibly lyncdiscover & sip, if I'm migrating to a new email hosting provider (new provider only needs aliases for autodiscover, mail, and autoconfig)?

[ablake · Accepted solution]

Hi @GDC_User,

If you will no longer being using Microsoft Office 365 email services, it should be safe to remove the following:

Type	Name (Host)	Target (Points To)
CNAME	email	email.secureserver.net
CNAME	lyncdiscover	webdir.online.lync.com
CNAME	msoid	client.config.microsoftonline-p.net
CNAME	sip	sipdir.online.lync.com
TXT	@	MS=ms[unique number ID]
TXT	@	v=spf include:spft.protection.outlook.com ?all
SRV	@	sipdir.online.lync.com
SRV	@	sipfed.online.lync.com

If you have a record that says "NETORGFT7506386.onmicrosoft.com" you can delete it as well, since it's associated with your Microsoft Office 365 account. I am not aware of its specific use, but it's related to org setup & you don't need it if you're not going to use Microsoft 365 anymore.

Note: Your records may look slightly different than the ones I listed. I took them from the DNS settings for my own email account, which was set up years ago.

Some things to keep in mind while cleaning up your DNS:

1. It's always a good idea to double check any service you are using with your domain (hosting, website builder, email marketing, etc.) and make sure you're keeping any records associated with those services.
   
   
2. Log all your current DNS records in a separate place before removing them. That way, you have them on hand just in case.
   
3. Delete records at your own risk. While I'm confirming it should be okay to delete these, I'm not aware of your entire setup. Keep an eye on all your services for 24-48 hours to ensure they continue to run smoothly & be ready to put the records back if anything goes wrong.

Anyway, I can definitely relate to wanting to keep your DNS tidy. I'm the same way. Good luck, and I hope all goes well with your switch!

[GDC_User]

Thank you, @ablake !

In addition to the records you have listed, my DNS has the following CNAME entries that I would like to delete (because I believe they are exclusively used for GoDaddy email services, which I will no longer need):

Type	Name	Value
CNAME	e	email.secureserver.net
CNAME	email	email.secureserver.net
CNAME	imap	imap.secureserver.net
CNAME	mobilemail	mobilemail-v01.prod.mesa1.secureserver.net
CNAME	pda	mobilemail-v01.prod.mesa1.secureserver.net
CNAME	pop	pop.secureserver.net
CNAME	smtp	smtp.secureserver.net
CNAME	webmail	webmail.secureserver.net

The new email provider will also require me to overwrite the CNAME records "mail" and "autodiscover".

I wasn't sure about the SIP-related entries and lyncdiscover, so thank you for confirming that these are not needed.  I also have a CNAME "files" alias, which I will keep for now, as it points to my online storage.

[ablake]

Yep, I can confirm you should be able to delete those too. Any secureserver.net record you see is related to GoDaddy. Looks like you've got it handled. 🙂 Glad I could help.