How to Migrate from GoDaddy Email to a Better Provider
Why People Leave GoDaddy Email
GoDaddy is one of the largest domain registrars in the world, and many business owners use their email hosting simply because they already bought their domain there. But convenience does not always equal quality. Common reasons people migrate away from GoDaddy email include limited storage on basic plans, an outdated webmail interface, per-user pricing that gets expensive as teams grow, and aggressive upselling during support interactions.
If you have been thinking about switching, this guide will walk you through the process step by step, so you can migrate with confidence and minimal downtime.
Before You Migrate: Preparation Checklist
A smooth migration starts with preparation. Before you touch any settings, complete these steps:
1. Choose Your New Email Provider
Select a provider that addresses the pain points that made you want to leave GoDaddy. Consider factors like storage, pricing, account limits, webmail quality, and protocol support. Mailbux, for example, offers a free plan with 20 GB storage and unlimited email accounts, solving the per-user cost problem immediately.
2. Document Your Current Setup
- List all email accounts you currently have on GoDaddy
- Note any email aliases or forwarding rules
- Document any auto-responders you have configured
- Check for any email-dependent services (newsletters, forms, CRM integrations)
3. Back Up Your Email
This is critical. Before making any changes, back up all your email data. Connect each GoDaddy email account to an IMAP client like Thunderbird and download all messages locally. This ensures you have a complete backup regardless of what happens during migration.
Step-by-Step Migration Process
Step 1: Create Accounts on Your New Provider
Sign up with your new email hosting provider and create matching email accounts. If you had sales@yourdomain.com, info@yourdomain.com, and john@yourdomain.com on GoDaddy, create the same accounts on your new host.
Set strong passwords for each account and note the IMAP and SMTP settings you will need for client configuration.
Step 2: Migrate Existing Emails
The easiest migration method is using an IMAP email client as a bridge:
- Open Thunderbird or another IMAP-capable email client
- Add both your GoDaddy account and your new email account
- Select all emails in a GoDaddy folder
- Drag and drop them to the corresponding folder in your new account
- Repeat for each folder (Inbox, Sent, Drafts, custom folders)
For large mailboxes, this process may take several hours. Let it run without interruption and verify the message counts match when complete.
Step 3: Update MX Records
This is the step that actually switches your email delivery to the new provider. You have two options depending on where your domain is registered:
If your domain is registered at GoDaddy:
- Log in to your GoDaddy account
- Go to DNS Management for your domain
- Remove or update the existing MX records
- Add the new MX records provided by your new email host
- Add SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records as instructed by your new provider
If your domain is registered elsewhere:
- Log in to your domain registrar
- Navigate to DNS settings
- Update MX records to point to your new email provider
- Add authentication records (SPF, DKIM, DMARC)
Step 4: Wait for DNS Propagation
After updating MX records, DNS changes need time to propagate across the internet. During this period (typically a few minutes to 48 hours), some emails may still be delivered to your old GoDaddy mailbox while others arrive at your new provider. Check both accounts during this transition window.
Step 5: Configure Email Clients
Update the server settings in all email clients (desktop, mobile, tablet) to use your new provider's IMAP and SMTP settings. Each device accessing your email needs to be reconfigured:
- Update incoming server (IMAP) settings
- Update outgoing server (SMTP) settings
- Enter your new account credentials
- Test sending and receiving
Step 6: Recreate Forwarding and Auto-Responders
If you had email forwarding rules or auto-responders on GoDaddy, recreate them on your new provider. Check your documentation from the preparation phase to ensure nothing is missed.
Post-Migration Verification
After switching, verify everything works correctly:
- Send test emails to and from each account
- Check email headers to confirm SPF and DKIM are passing
- Verify that all forwarding rules work correctly
- Test on all devices (desktop, phone, tablet)
- Ask a contact to reply to a recent email to confirm threading works
When to Cancel GoDaddy Email
Do not cancel your GoDaddy email plan immediately after migration. Keep it active for at least two to four weeks to catch any stragglers and ensure nothing was missed. Once you are confident everything is working on your new provider, you can cancel the GoDaddy email service.
If your domain is also at GoDaddy, remember that canceling email does not affect your domain registration. Your domain will remain active even after canceling the email service.
Common Migration Issues and Solutions
- Emails still arriving at GoDaddy after MX change: DNS propagation is not complete. Wait up to 48 hours and check both accounts.
- Sent emails going to spam: SPF, DKIM, or DMARC records may not be configured correctly. Verify all authentication records.
- Missing emails after migration: Check your GoDaddy backup. Some folders may need to be migrated manually.
- Cannot send from new provider: Verify SMTP settings and ensure your new account credentials are entered correctly.
Time for a Better Email Experience
Migrating from GoDaddy email may seem daunting, but with proper preparation it is a smooth process that most businesses complete in an afternoon. The result is better email hosting with more features, more storage, and often lower cost.
Mailbux makes migration worthwhile with a free plan that includes 20 GB storage and unlimited email accounts. No more per-user fees, no more limited storage.
Start your free Mailbux account and begin your migration from GoDaddy today.