Transfer domain & email hosting to new provider - sequence

[manracer]

As per the title, I have a website which is hosted along with the domain and 3x customer email addresses (IMAP) with 123 Reg and due to many issues I want to move everything away (domain, site hosting and email).

I want to have MS exchange due to IMAP woes, and Office 365 Business seems to fit the bill (the users already have 365 via my account and use office apps a lot).

I am happy to undertake all this by myself but I am unsure if there is a correct sequence that I should follow. Can Any one offer any advice?

I think I need to do it in this way:

1. Create 365 Business account
2. Migrate emails from 123 reg hosting over to MS
3. Backup website
4. Find new host for domain and initiate transfer
5. Either restore old website or build a new one (mrs wants her friend to create a new one via squarespace and I am not too fussed about that).

I just dont know if I will need to update any settings for the emails when the domain moves away from 123reg. This is my partners business and the emails are needed 24/7 so any downtime would be far from ideal.

Thanks

[HantsRat]

I would do the following:

1 - Add domain to cloudflare
2 - Create DNS records based on current setup in cloudflare and then change nameservers to Cloudflare and wait for DNS propagation
3 - Create MS365 account and verify domain
4 - Backup email to PST or use the IMAP migration in MS365
5 - Change MX records to MS365 for email
During this process you may need to check both locations for incoming email but from this point use MS365 to send. This should complete within 24 hours.
6 - Import PST (If backup to PST option chosen)
7 - Backup website
8 - Import website to new web host
9 - Change A record to point to new web host in cloudflare

P.S. If you need a webhost for the website, feel free to drop me a message. I host a few for PH members

[Harpoon]

Would echo using Cloudflare for the DNS hosting, but would note you can transfer the domain to them and thus eventually get rid of 123 Reg entirely

https://developers.cloudflare.com/registrar/get-st...

[manracer]

HantsRat said:

I would do the following:

1 - Add domain to cloudflare
2 - Create DNS records based on current setup in cloudflare and then change nameservers to Cloudflare and wait for DNS propagation
3 - Create MS365 account and verify domain
4 - Backup email to PST or use the IMAP migration in MS365
5 - Change MX records to MS365 for email
During this process you may need to check both locations for incoming email but from this point use MS365 to send. This should complete within 24 hours.
6 - Import PST (If backup to PST option chosen)
7 - Backup website
8 - Import website to new web host
9 - Change A record to point to new web host in cloudflare

P.S. If you need a webhost for the website, feel free to drop me a message. I host a few for PH members

Thank you, I may well do that.

[manracer]

Harpoon said:

Would echo using Cloudflare for the DNS hosting, but would note you can transfer the domain to them and thus eventually get rid of 123 Reg entirely

https://developers.cloudflare.com/registrar/get-st...

Thanks. That is the plan, 123 reg have been awful IMO.

I just hope I dont mess something up!