You Can Now Change Your Full SharePoint Domain Name
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You can now change the full default SharePoint and OneDrive URL that was created when you first created your Microsoft 365 tenant
We were excited to learn about this update from Microsoft. You can now change your SharePoint domain name! This fantastic feature will be especially useful during instances of company rebranding, mergers, or acquisitions. For instance, if your organization name changes from "CompanyA" to "CompanyB", you can now seamlessly transition your SharePoint URLs from 'companyA.sharepoint.com' to 'companyB.sharepoint.com'.
Before we delve into the steps of how to make this change, here are some critical points to note:
This feature is available to organizations with no more than 10,000 total SharePoint sites and OneDrive accounts combined.
The change only affects SharePoint and OneDrive URLs and doesn't impact email addresses.
Organizations that have set up multi-geo, or Microsoft 365 Government GCC High and DoD customers, cannot access this feature.
A redirect at the previous address is created when you rename your SharePoint domain, which will expire 1 year after the rename.
You can only rename your SharePoint domain once.
After renaming, you cannot change your SharePoint domain name back to the original name.
Step 1: Check Domain Availability
Firstly, ensure the availability of the new domain you want. For instance, if you want your SharePoint and OneDrive URLs to start with 'companyB.sharepoint.com', enter this into a browser. If the address isn't found (404 error), it's probably available. If the domain has already been taken, you'll need to select a different one.
Note: If you own the domain for another subscription, you need to delete that tenant in Azure AD, which typically takes three days. Avoid using the domain to test this procedure in a test environment first; if you do, you won't be able to use the domain for your production environment.
Step 2: Add Domain
Next, visit this link to navigate to the Custom domain names page in the Azure AD admin center. Here, you will need to add your new custom ".onmicrosoft.com" domain.
For example, if you want to rename your tenant to 'companyB.sharepoint.com', the domain that you enter should be 'companyB.onmicrosoft.com'. After adding the domain, ensure it's on the list and the Status appears as 'Verified'.
Step 3: Rename the Domain
Now, you'll need Microsoft PowerShell to rename your domain. Please note that renaming your SharePoint domain name might take several hours to days depending on the number of sites and OneDrive users you have. We highly recommend making this change during a period of low usage, and advising users to avoid accessing SharePoint and OneDrive content during the change.
Step 4: Download SharePoint Online Management Shell
You will need to download the latest SharePoint Online Management Shell. You can install a specific version from Windows PowerShell using the Install-Module command.
Step 5: Connect as an Admin
Next, connect to SharePoint as a Global Administrator or SharePoint Administrator in Microsoft 365.
For example, Connect-SPOService -Url https://contoso-admin.sharepoint.com.
Step 6: Specify New Domain Name
Finally, run the necessary PowerShell command to specify your new domain name. You will receive a confirmation that the rename request was accepted and is being processed. Wait for the rename to complete.
Run the following command to specify the new domain name: Start-SPOTenantRename -DomainName <DomainName> -ScheduledDateTime <YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS>
Where “DomainName” is the part before “sharepoint.com” or “onmicrosoft.com” and “ScheduledDateTime” is at least 24 hours in the future, but not more than 30 days. The time you enter is based on the current date and time of the computer you’re using.
For example, Start-SPOTenantRename -DomainName “CompanyB” -ScheduledDateTime “2023-06-03T10:25:00”.
You can get the status of the rename by running Get-SPOTenantRenameStatus in a new PowerShell session.
As always, we at LeewardCloud.io are dedicated to bringing you the latest updates and tips to help you maximize your Microsoft 365 subscriptions and services. Contact support@leewardcloud.io if you have any questions :)
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