Email Issues

Question

I have stopped receiving emails. When I check it tells me my domain is not active but will not let me pay to activate it?

Answer 1

Hi @Ed Everhart,

Thank you for posting your question.

When Microsoft 365 says your domain is not active but also won’t let you pay to fix it, this usually isn’t a billing/payment issue at all but a a domain status or DNS configuration issue.

When Microsoft 365 reports that “your domain is not active”, it generally means:

• Your domain is not verified,
• DNS records are missing or incorrect (especially the TXT or MX record),
• Domain health checks show configuration errors.

This prevents Microsoft 365 from accepting inbound email, even though the subscription is active.

 

In this situation, it’s best to contact your domain registrar’s support team so they can confirm the current status of your domain and provide guidance on any required updates.

In the meantime, you can verify your domain status in Microsoft 365 Admin Center: 

1. Go to Settings > Domains.
2. View the notifications in the Status column.
3. If you see an issue, select the three dots (more actions), and then select Check health.
4. The pane that opens will describe any issues occurring with your domain.

 More information at: Find and fix issues after adding your domain or DNS records

You can proceed with re‑configuring your domain by correcting both the TXT verification record and the MX record, as these are required for Microsoft 365 to validate your domain and restore proper email delivery. Once you have the correct values from the Microsoft 365 admin center, make sure to update them at your DNS hosting provider’s control panel.

I hope this provides enough clarity and helps you stay inform with your current situation.

Thank you for your patience and your understanding. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please feel free to share them in the comments on this post so I can continue to support you.

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Note: Follow the steps in our documentation to enable email notifications if you want to receive email notifications related to this topic.

Answer 2

Email delivery stops when a domain is not active or not correctly configured. Use these checks and steps:

1. Verify the domain status in Microsoft 365
   • Sign in to the Microsoft 365 admin center.
   • Go to Setup > Domains.
   • Check the Status column for the domain that is reported as not active.
   • Select the three dots (More actions) next to the domain and choose Check health to see specific issues and guidance.
2. Confirm the domain is verified
   • In Setup > Domains, open the problem domain.
   • If it shows as not verified, complete the verification steps (usually adding a TXT record at the DNS host) so the domain becomes active.
3. Fix DNS (MX) records so email can flow
   • In the domain details, review the required DNS records.
   • Ensure the MX record for the domain points to the value shown in DNS Settings for Exchange Online.
   • After correcting DNS, allow time for replication:
     • Domain changes in Exchange Online can take up to 1 hour.
     • MX/DNS changes on the internet can take up to 72 hours.
4. If the MX record cannot point to Microsoft 365
   • If the MX must stay at another mail system, use one of these options so users still receive mail in Microsoft 365:
     • Configure an Exchange hybrid deployment and route mail accordingly.
     • Configure forwarding from the current mail system to each user’s Microsoft 365 Online Email Routing Address (domain.onmicrosoft.com).
5. If domain billing/activation is blocked
   • If the portal shows the domain as inactive but does not allow payment or activation, use admin support:
     • In the Microsoft 365 admin center, select Help & Support (bottom right).
     • Enter a short description (for example, “Domain not active and cannot pay to activate”) and then choose Contact support to open a service request so Microsoft can correct the tenant/domain state.

If email stopped only for one address rather than the whole domain, also check for hidden rules or forwarding on that mailbox that might be diverting mail.

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References:

• Find and fix issues after adding your domain or DNS records
• Email messages aren't received for a new domain that you add in the Microsoft 365 portal
• Stopped receiving emails on my account. - Microsoft Q&A