Connect your DNS records at Cloudflare to Microsoft 365

If Cloudflare is your DNS hosting provider, follow the steps in this article to verify your domain and set up DNS records for email, Microsoft Teams Online, and so on.

Before you begin

You have two options for setting up DNS records for your domain:

• Use Domain Connect: Use the Domain Connect steps to automatically verify and set up your new domain to use with Microsoft 365 if your domain isn't yet set up with another email service provider.

  OR

• Use the manual steps: Verify your domain using the manual steps in this article and choose when and which records to add to your domain registrar. This process allows you to set up new MX (mail) records, for example, at your convenience.

Use Domain Connect to verify and set up your domain

Follow these steps to automatically verify and set up your Cloudflare domain with Microsoft 365:

1. Sign in to the Microsoft 365 admin center.

2. From the left navigation bar, select … Show all, and then select Settings to expand it.

3. Under Settings, select Domains.

4. In the Domains page, select the domain you want to set up.

5. Select the three dots (more actions) and then choose Manage DNS.

6. On the How do you want to connect your domain? page, select Continue.

7. On the Add DNS record page, select Add DNS records.

8. On the Cloudflare login page, sign in to your account, and select Authorize.

   Your domain setup for Microsoft 365 is complete.

Create DNS records with manual setup

After you add these records at Cloudflare, your domain will be set up to work with Microsoft 365 services.

Change your domain's nameserver (NS) records

When you signed up for Cloudflare, you added a domain by using the Cloudflare Setup process.

The domain that you added was purchased from Cloudflare or a separate domain registrar. To verify and create DNS records for your domain in Microsoft 365, you first need to change the nameservers at your domain registrar so that they use the Cloudflare nameservers.

To change your domain's name servers at your domain registrar's website yourself, follow these steps.

1. Find the area on the domain registrar's website where you can edit the nameservers for your domain.

2. Either create two nameserver records by using the values in the following table, or edit the existing nameserver records so that they match these values.

   Type	Value
   First nameserver	Use the nameserver value provided by Cloudflare.
   Second nameserver	Use the nameserver value provided by Cloudflare.

   Tip

   You should use at least two name server records. If there are any other name servers listed, you should delete them.

3. Save your changes.

Add a TXT record for verification

Before you use your domain with Microsoft, Microsoft needs to make sure that you own it. Your ability to sign in to your account at your domain registrar and create the DNS record proves to Microsoft that you own the domain.

1. Make sure a domain is added in the Microsoft 365 Admin Center using the steps in Add a domain, and that the domain isn't yet verified. The TXT value from the Add a record to verify ownership page needs to be copied for use later in this procedure.

2. To get started, sign in to your domains page at Cloudflare by using this link.

3. On the Account Home page, find the domain that you want to update, select the three dots (...) at the right and select Configure DNS from the drop-down menu.

   

4. On the DNS management page, select +Add record.

   

5. Select the TXT type from the drop-down list, and type or copy and paste the values from this table. Use the TXT value (MS=msXXXXXXXX) that you copied earlier.

   Type	Name	TTL	Content
   TXT	@	30 minutes	MS=msXXXXXXXX Note: This text is an example. Use your specific Destination or Points to Address value here, from the table. For more information, see Gather the information you need to create DNS records.

6. Select Save.

   

   Wait a few minutes before you continue so that the record you created can update across the Internet.

Now that a record is added at your domain registrar's site, go back to Microsoft and search for the record. When Microsoft finds the correct TXT record, your domain is verified.

To verify the record in Microsoft 365:

1. In the admin center, go to the Settings > Domains.

2. On the Domains page, select the domain that you're verifying, and select Manage DNS.

3. Select Continue.

4. On the Verify domain page, select Verify.

Add an MX record so email for your domain comes to Microsoft

1. To get started, sign in to your domains page at Cloudflare by using this link.

2. On the Account Home page, find the domain that you want to update, select the three dots (...) at the right and select Configure DNS from the drop-down menu.

   

3. On the DNS management page, select +Add record.

   

4. Select the MX type from the drop-down list, and type or copy and paste the values from this table.

   Type	Name	Mail server	TTL	Priority
   MX	@	<domain-key>.mail.protection.outlook.com Note: Get your <domain-key> from your Microsoft 365 account. For more information, see Gather the information you need to create DNS records.	30 minutes	1 For more information about priority, see What is MX priority?

5. Select Save.

   

6. If there are any other MX records listed in the MX Records section, delete them by selecting Edit, and then select Delete.

   

7. In the confirmation dialog box, select Delete to confirm your changes.

Add the CNAME record required for Microsoft

1. To get started, sign in to your domains page at Cloudflare by using this link.

2. On the Account Home page, find the domain that you want to update, select the three dots (...) at the right and select Configure DNS from the drop-down menu.

   

3. On the DNS management page, select +Add record

   

4. Select the CNAME type from the drop-down list, and type or copy and paste the values from this table.

   Type	Name	Target	TTL
   CNAME	autodiscover	autodiscover.outlook.com	Auto

5. Select Save.

   

Add a TXT record for SPF to help prevent email spam

1. To get started, sign in to your domains page at Cloudflare by using this link.

2. On the Account Home page, find the domain that you want to update, select the three dots (...) at the right and select Configure DNS from the drop-down menu.

   

3. On the DNS management page, select +Add record.

   

4. Select the TXT type from the drop-down list, and type or copy and paste the values from this table.

   Type	Name	TTL	Content
   TXT	@	30 minutes	v=spf1 include:spf.protection.outlook.com -all Note: We recommend copying and pasting this entry, so that all of the spacing stays correct.

5. Select Save.

   

Advanced option: Microsoft Teams

Only select this option if your organization uses Microsoft Teams for online communication services like chat, conference calls, and video calls, in addition to Microsoft Teams. Skype needs four records: two SRV records for user-to-user communication, and two CNAME records to sign-in and connect users to the service.

Add the two required SRV records

1. To get started, sign in to your domains page at Cloudflare by using this link.

2. On the Account Home page, find the domain that you want to update, select the three dots (...) at the right and select Configure DNS from the drop-down menu.

   

3. On the DNS management page, select +Add record

   

4. Select the SRV type from the drop-down list, and type or copy and paste the values from this table.

   Type	Name	Service	Protocol	TTL	Priority	Weight	Port	Target
   SRV	Use your domain_name; for example, contoso.com	_sip	TLS	30 minutes	100	1	443	sipfed.online.lync.com
   SRV	Use your domain_name; for example, contoso.com	_sipfederationtls	TCP	30 minutes	100	1	5061	sipfed.online.lync.com

5. Select Save.

   

6. Add the other SRV record by copying the values from the second row of the table.

Add the two required CNAME records for Microsoft Teams

1. To get started, sign in to your domains page at Cloudflare by using this link.

2. On the Account Home page, find the domain that you want to update, select the three dots (...) at the right and select Configure DNS from the drop-down menu.

   

3. On the DNS management page, select +Add record

   

4. Select the CNAME type from the drop-down list, and type or copy and paste the values from this table.

   Type	Name	Target	TTL
   CNAME	sip	sipdir.online.lync.com	1 Hour
   CNAME	lyncdiscover	webdir.online.lync.com	1 Hour

5. Select Save.

6. Add the other CNAME record by copying the values from the second row of the table.

Advanced option: Intune and Mobile Device Management for Microsoft 365

This service helps you secure and remotely manage mobile devices that connect to your domain. Mobile Device Management needs two CNAME records so that users can enroll devices to the service.

Add the two required CNAME records for Mobile Device Management

1. To get started, sign in to your domains page at Cloudflare by using this link.

2. On the Account Home page, find the domain that you want to update, select the three dots (...) at the right and select Configure DNS from the drop-down menu.

   

3. On the DNS management page, select +Add record.

   

4. Select the CNAME type from the drop-down list, and type or copy and paste the values from this table.

   Type	Name	Target	TTL
   CNAME	enterpriseregistration	enterpriseregistration.windows.net	1 Hour
   CNAME	enterpriseenrollment	enterpriseenrollment-s.manage.microsoft.com	1 Hour

5. Select Save.

6. Add the other CNAME record by copying the values from the second row of the table.

Support

Check the Domains FAQ if you don't find what you're looking for.