Can't receive emails

Question

Hello, I can't receive emails to a new email created in windows 365 for a new domain from GoDaddy. It worked well when set up but when switched to a non-profit account, I can send email but I don't receive emails.

Answer 1

Hi @Eliud Saldana,

Thank you for reaching out and for explaining the trouble you’re experiencing with your new Microsoft 365 email address. I understand how inconvenient it can be - especially when everything worked initially and then stopped receiving mail after switching the domain to a non‑profit subscription.

When you can send but not receive email in a newly moved Microsoft 365 (non‑profit) tenant, it almost always means that inbound mail is still being routed elsewhere (old provider, old tenant, or incorrect DNS), or that the new tenant isn’t fully configured to accept mail for the domain.

Below is a focused checklist that might help fix your issue.

(If you're not the IT admin, please share these steps with them):

1/ Verify the domain is healthy in Microsoft 365

• In the Microsoft 365 admin center, go to Settings > Domains, select your domain, and run Check health. This will identify missing or incorrect DNS settings - MX, SPF, CNAME, or verification issues that may have occurred during the subscription switch: Find and fix issues after adding your domain or DNS records.
• In the Exchange admin center > Mail flow > Accepted domains, confirm your domain is listed as Authoritative.
  • Authoritative tells Microsoft 365 to accept mail for this domain; if set to Internal relay, inbound mail may be misrouted or dropped until all mailboxes are created: Manage accepted domains in Exchange Online | Microsoft Learn.

Note: If the domain shows as Internal relay, mail to users who don’t (yet) exist in your tenant can be relayed away or dropped - flip it to Authoritative after all mailboxes are created.

2/ Verify MX (and other DNS) at GoDaddy

Since your domain is hosted with GoDaddy, confirm that your MX record now points to Microsoft 365 for the new tenant, and that no leftover MX records from the previous environment remain.

• In GoDaddy’s Email & Office Dashboard, use Help me fix this > Recheck DNS to automatically verify or reapply the correct Microsoft 365 DNS settings.
• This wizard shows and validates the exact MX/TXT/CNAME values you should have and flags problems: I’m not receiving email | Microsoft 365 from GoDaddy - GoDaddy Help US.

Please note that this information is being provided by the moderator solely for your convenience. The referenced sites are not managed or overseen by the moderator, and therefore we cannot guarantee the accuracy, security, or suitability of any software or content available there. We recommend reviewing all information carefully and ensuring you understand any associated risks before following suggestions from the provided link. 

• Microsoft’s GoDaddy article also lets you auto‑connect (Domain Connect) or manually add records. Use it to ensure your MX matches the value shown in your tenant (e.g., your-domain-key.mail.protection.outlook.com) and that old MX records are removed: Connect your DNS records at GoDaddy to Microsoft 365.
• You can see the precise MX value for your domain in Admin Center > Settings > Domains > (your domain) > DNS records; copy that exact hostname. (Microsoft notes you should prefer a single MX for one mail system to avoid unpredictable routing.): How to find Microsoft 365 MX record - o365info.

Please note that this information is being provided by the moderator solely for your convenience. The referenced sites are not managed or overseen by the moderator, and therefore we cannot guarantee the accuracy, security, or suitability of any software or content available there. We recommend reviewing all information carefully and ensuring you understand any associated risks before following suggestions from the provided link.

• DNS propagation can take time; plan for up to 24–48 hours globally (often faster), and avoid leaving any legacy MX records during that window.

Note: If GoDaddy previously hosted Microsoft 365 for this domain, double‑check that the old tenant/account is fully released; lingering provider automation sometimes keeps stale routing alive and can misdirect inbound mail until removed.

Also confirm:

• SPF: exactly one TXT SPF record that includes Microsoft (include:spf.protection.outlook.com). Multiple SPF records break authentication: External Domain Name System records for Microsoft 365.
• Autodiscover CNAME (and related records) per the domain setup wizard; the GoDaddy connector can set these automatically: Connect your DNS records at GoDaddy to Microsoft 365.

3/ Use message trace to confirm whether Microsoft 365 is receiving mail

Once DNS and accepted domain look good:

• Send a test email from an external account (e.g., Gmail).
• In Exchange admin center > Mail flow > Message trace, check if the message reached Microsoft 365.
• If you see it delivered, junked, or quarantined > Microsoft received it.
• If you don’t see it at all > inbound mail never reached Microsoft 365 > return to DNS/MX checks (step 2)

Reference: Message trace in the new Exchange admin center in Exchange Online.

4/ Double‑check mailbox and licensing

Ensure the user:

• Has a valid Microsoft 365 nonprofit license that includes Exchange Online, and
• Has an actual mailbox provisioned (not just a cloud user account)

With an Authoritative domain, Microsoft rejects mail for users who do not have mailboxes.

I hope this provides clarity on what’s causing the issue. Please go through these steps and let me know how it goes. I'm here to help you continue troubleshooting until everything is working correctly.

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Thank you for your kindness and for contributing to the forum.   

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Answer 2

For a new Microsoft 365 mailbox on a new GoDaddy domain that can send but not receive, the issue is typically DNS/MX configuration or domain verification for the new tenant type (in this case, the non‑profit account).

Follow these steps in order:

1. Verify the domain in the Microsoft 365 portal
   • Sign in to the Microsoft 365 admin portal for the non‑profit tenant.
   • Go to the Domains section and confirm that the new GoDaddy domain shows as Verified.
   • If it is not verified, complete the verification steps shown there. Mail flow will not work reliably until the domain is fully verified.
2. Check the MX record for the new domain
   • In the Microsoft 365 admin portal, open the domain and go to DNS settings.
   • Note the required MX record value for Exchange Online (for example, the *.mail.protection.outlook.com entry shown under DNS Settings).
   • In GoDaddy DNS management for that domain, confirm:
     • There is an MX record for the domain.
     • That MX record matches exactly the value shown in Microsoft 365 DNS Settings.
     • There are no other conflicting MX records (for example, old GoDaddy/Workspace or other mail provider MX entries).
   • If the MX record was just changed, allow time for DNS replication.
3. Allow for propagation time
   • After correcting/confirming the MX record, email delivery to a newly added domain can be delayed until:
     • The domain and configuration replicate across Exchange Online (up to about 1 hour).
     • The MX record propagates across public DNS (can take up to 72 hours worldwide).
   • During this period, some senders may still deliver to the old MX destination.
4. Test with external senders
   • After verifying DNS and waiting at least an hour, send test messages from:
     • An external mailbox (e.g., Gmail) to the new Microsoft 365 address.
   • If messages still do not arrive after DNS is correct and propagation time has passed, re‑check that the mailbox is created in the non‑profit tenant and is using the new domain as its primary SMTP address.

If the MX record must temporarily remain pointed to another system (for example, a legacy mail host), configure either a hybrid deployment or forwarding from that system to the Microsoft 365 domain.onmicrosoft.com address so that messages reach the new mailbox.

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References:

• Email messages aren't received for a new domain that you add in the Microsoft 365 portal