My SharePoint URL not found in DNS

Question

I just tried accessing the SharePoint site that I and my friends have been using for many years, only to find that its URL is no longer recognised by the Domain Name System (I have verified this both via the browser message and via ping - the latter doesn't get as far as attempting to send a ping because it cannot find the host IP address via DNS). The Microsoft Support chat told me that I would have to use the business support chat and gave me the URL for that, but it says it's unavailable even though I am now within the published hours during which it claims that the service is manned.

I have had no notification emails from Microsoft to say that they are ceasing provision of SharePoint to Microsoft account holders.

Does anyone have any insight into either why my site's domain is no longer registered on DNS or why the Microsoft support chat is not available within its published hours?

Moved from Microsoft 365 and Office / SharePoint / Unknown / Windows

Answer 1

Hi MichaelB_412,

Welcome to Microsoft Community. Thank you for reaching out.

To better assistance, could you please confirm the following:

• Is this site part of a personal Microsoft account or a business/school account?
• Was the site accessed using a custom or short URL?
• Has the site or domain been renamed, migrated, or reconfigured recently?
• Do you or your organization manage the domain’s DNS settings?

Based on what you've described so far, here are a few possible reasons and steps you can take:

DNS Configuration

If your SharePoint site uses a custom domain, make sure the domain’s DNS records are still pointing to Microsoft’s name servers:

ns1.bdm.microsoftonline.com  
ns2.bdm.microsoftonline.com  
ns3.bdm.microsoftonline.com  
ns4.bdm.microsoftonline.com

If these records were changed or expired, the site may no longer resolve.

Redirect or Vanity URL Retirement

If you were using a short or custom redirect, it may have relied on Microsoft’s internal redirect service, which is no longer supported. These URLs will no longer work unless reconfigured.

Tenant or Domain Changes

If your SharePoint tenant was renamed or migrated, the original domain may no longer be valid. Try accessing the site using the full SharePoint Online format

Homepage Misconfiguration

If the homepage of the site was renamed or deleted, the main URL may break while subpages still work. You can fix this by:

• Going to Site Settings > Site Contents > Site Pages
• Selecting the correct page and clicking Make homepage

Note: Please understand that our initial response does not always resolve the issue immediately. However, with your help and more detailed information, we can work together to find a solution.     

Your detailed response will help us diagnose and investigate the issue more efficiently.
If I misunderstood what you’re looking for, feel free to let me know or share a screenshot. I’d be happy to help further!

Thank you for your cooperation.
Best regards,

Alex - MSFT | Microsoft Community Support Specialist

Answer 2

Thanks Alex.

• Is this site part of a personal Microsoft account or a business/school account? Personal account.
• Was the site accessed using a custom or short URL? https://condorclub.sharepoint.com
• Has the site or domain been renamed, migrated, or reconfigured recently? Not to my knowledge or recollection.
• Do you or your organization manage the domain’s DNS settings? No - it's a Microsoft domain.
• Going to Site Settings > Site Contents > Site Pages

Not an option - this is only possible once you have accessed the site (which I can't do). Besides, this appears to be a straightforward case of my subdomain having been removed from DNS.

Answer 3

I do recall a month or two ago wondering whether it's possible to change the subdomain string, but I've no recollection of actually managing to make such a change, and anyway this URL still worked on Wednesday this week.

Answer 4

Hi MichaelB_412

Thank you for update.

To understand your issue, could you please confirm:

1. Are you listed as the admin of the SharePoint site or tenant?
2. If so, could you please check the Domains section in the Microsoft 365 Admin Center to see if the domain is still Active and Healthy? You can access it here: https://admin.microsoft.com > Settings > Domains
3. If you have access to the SharePoint Admin Center, please check whether the domain or site appears under the Active Sites list: https://admin.microsoft.com > Admin centers > SharePoint > Active sites
4. Could you also share a screenshot of the error or message you see when trying to access the site? This will help us better understand whether it’s a DNS issue or something else.

What Might Have Happened

• Site Deletion or Expiration: If the site was inactive for a long time, it may have been automatically removed.
• Subdomain Rename or Misconfiguration: If you previously explored renaming the subdomain, even partially, it may have triggered a change in how the domain is registered.
• DNS Deregistration: Since this is a Microsoft-managed domain, the DNS record may have been removed if the tenant was deleted or expired.

What You Can Try

• Try accessing variations of the URL, such as:
  • https://[yourdomain].sharepoint.com/sites/[yourdomain]
  • https://[yourdomain].sharepoint.com/teams/[yourdomain]
• If you are the admin, check the domain and site status in the Microsoft 365 and SharePoint admin centers as mentioned above. At admin center At Sharepoint Admin Centerhttps://learn-attachment.microsoft.com/api/attachments/981621c8-9f19-4eb9-9976-26fc881426d0?platform=QnA"https://learn-attachment.microsoft.com/api/attachments/1b563be8-75cb-4057-92d6-c2eecead9fec?platform=QnA" title="filestore.community.support.microsoft.com" rel="ugc nofollow"> Please send your screenshot in private message. Here are the steps to open View Private Messages: To view private email options, sign in to Microsoft Community> use the email account that posted this thread information to Microsoft Community> > click Profile in the upper-right corner, and then select My Profile.

Thank you for your cooperation.
Best regards,

Alex - MSFT | Microsoft Community Support Specialist

Answer 5

Thanks Alex, but I think you may have overlooked my reply re my account type - mine is a personal (i.e. Microsoft) account rather than a Work or School account, and therefore it is impossible for me to sign into the Admin Center (it only recognises Work or School accounts).

Re the error, since I've given you the URL you can try it for yourself and judge whether you agree with me that this is a DNS issue.

Your suggestion re expiration due to inactivity does not apply (I mentioned that we accessed the site as recently as Wednesday) - this is a very active site.

Regards,

Michael