You can redirect any domain that you own to your new Microsoft Office Live Small Business Web site. When you do so, any visitors to that domain are redirected to your Web site on Office Live Small Business. With redirection, you don't have to worry about maintaining multiple domains or losing customers to dead-end Web addresses. A redirected domain brings its traffic to your Web site on Office Live Small Business.

If you want to retain your e-mail accounts at your current Web site address, you can choose to partially redirect your Web site. This moves other Web site files to the Office Live Small Business server, but it keeps your e-mail accounts in their current location.

Notes:  

• If you have a custom domain through Windows Live (for example, one using the format www.fourthcoffee.com), you can partially redirect that domain to Office Live Small Business, but not completely. In other words, you can redirect the Web site traffic of your Windows Live custom domain to your Office Live Small Business account, but not your custom domain's e-mail services. Those e-mail services will continue to be hosted through your account with Windows Live.

• After you completely redirect a domain to Office Live Small Business, you cannot choose to partially redirect it later or move your e-mail accounts back to their previous location.

Watch the demo (2:09)

Redirect your existing domain name to Office Live Small Business

If your current domain name registrar appears in the following list, click the applicable link for assistance. If your domain registrar is not listed, use the instructions following the list.

• Redirect your domain name from 1&1 Internet

• Redirect your domain name from eNom

• Redirect your domain name from GoDaddy.com

• Redirect your domain name from Network Solutions

• Redirect your domain name from Register.com

• Redirect your domain name from Melbourne IT

• Redirect your domain name from Yahoo! Small Business

Redirecting your current Web site address to your new Office Live Small Business Web site is a two-step process. First, you redirect your domain in Office Live Small Business, and then you change the name server settings with your current domain registrar to complete the redirection process.

Redirect your domain in Office Live Small Business

1. On the Office Live Small Business Home page, on the left navigation bar, click Add/Manage Services.

2. Under Choose a Category, click Web Site and E-Mail, and then, next to Domains, click sign up.

3. Next to Already have a domain?, click Redirect it to Microsoft Office Live Small Business.

4. In the Domain to redirect box, type the domain name that you want to redirect to your Office Live Small Business account, and then select the extension that you want in the drop-down list next to the Domain to redirect box.

5. Click Confirm.

6. Under Complete Signing Up, review the user agreement. If you agree, click Complete my Order.

Change the name server settings with your domain registrar

1. Log on to your current domain name registrar's Web site.

2. Locate the section on your domain registrar's Web site where you can change your name server settings. This section may be labeled in one of the following ways.

   • Edit DNS

   • Name Server Settings

   • DNS Server Settings

3. Enter the Office Live Small Business primary and secondary name servers, NS1.officelive.com and NS2.officelive.com, and then save the information.
   
   

   Note:   If you cannot change your name server settings using these instructions, contact your domain registrar's customer service for further assistance.

4. To check the status of your account, on the Office Live Small Business Home page, on the left navigation bar, click Domain Manager. When Active appears in the Status column next to your domain name, your domain name will point to your Office Live Small Business Web site.
   
   

   Notes:

   • Please allow 24–72 hours to complete the redirection process. This is not a domain transfer. Your domain name registration remains with your current registrar, and you will continue to be responsible for domain name fees and renewal with that organization.

   • If you do not complete all of the previous steps within five days, you must refresh your domain entry on the Domain Manager page and start the process again.

Partially redirect your domain name to Office Live Small Business

You can choose to redirect some of your current Web site files to your new Office Live Small Business Web site, but keep your e-mail accounts at your current Web site address.

1. On the Office Live Small Business Home page, on the left navigation bar, click Domain Manager.

2. Click Use your own domain name.

3. In the Domain to redirect box, type the domain name that you want to redirect to your Office Live Small Business account, and then select the extension that you want in the drop-down list next to the Domain to redirect box.

4. Select Web site only, and then click OK.

5. Return to Domain Manager, and click the Properties link for the domain you just redirected. Under Domain Details, take note of the A-record IP address and write it down. The A-record is the numeric equivalent of your domain name. You will use this address to update the A-record settings for your domain with your current registrar.
   

   Note:   If you are a Windows Small Business Server 2008 customer, read the article Manually redirect your domain name to Office Live Small Business in Windows Small Business Server 2008.

Completely redirect your partially redirected Web site

If you partially redirect your Web site files to your new Office Live Small Business account and later want to also move your e-mail accounts, you can completely redirect your partially redirected Web site.

1. On the Office Live Small Business Home page, on the left navigation bar, click Domain Manager.

2. Click Properties for the domain name that you want to redirect completely.

3. On the Domain Properties page, click Edit Properties.

4. Select Web Site and E-mail, and then click Save.

5. Log on to your registrar's Web site, and change the name server settings for the domain to point to Office Live Small Business name servers.

6. To add your existing e-mail account to Office Live Small Business, on the Office Live Small Business Home page, on the left navigation bar, click Account Settings, and then click E-mail Accounts. Click Create new E-mail account.
   
   

   Note:   You will not receive e-mail messages sent to any existing e-mail addresses until you create those accounts using Office Live Small Business.

Find the registrar for a domain name

If you want to redirect your existing domain name to Office Live Small Business, but you aren't certain who your current registrar is, do the following to find the registrar.

1. Open your browser, and go to the InterNIC Web site.

2. In the Whois box, type your domain name. For example, type fourthcoffee.com.

3. Verify that the Domain button is selected, and then click Submit. The name of the registrar appears on the page.

For Whois information about country-code top-level domains (for example, those ending in .de or .fr), go to UWhois.com.

If you have an existing domain name that you want to use for your Office Live Small Business account, you can transfer that domain to Office Live Small Business. Office Live Small Business will register your domain name through Melbourne IT.