If you created your Microsoft 365 tenant years ago, your SharePoint URL probably looks something like this:
youroldname.sharepoint.com
The problem? That name is tied to your original .onmicrosoft.com domain — and it becomes part of every SharePoint and OneDrive URL.
If you’re building a professional business presence, especially for government or enterprise clients, you may want to rename your SharePoint tenant domain.
This guide walks through how to rename a SharePoint Online tenant using PowerShell safely and correctly.
Why Rename Your SharePoint Tenant Domain?
Renaming your SharePoint Online domain helps:
- Align URLs with your legal business name
- Improve branding consistency
- Present professional collaboration links
- Avoid technical debt later
- Separate dev and production tenants
Microsoft allows a SharePoint tenant rename only once, so it’s important to do it carefully.
Important Limitations Before You Start
Before renaming your Microsoft 365 tenant domain:
- You must be a Global Administrator
- Rename must be scheduled at least 24 hours in advance
- Not supported in GCC High or DoD environments
- Large tenants may experience longer processing time
- Existing links will redirect for 1 year only
If your tenant is new or lightly used, this is the safest time to perform the rename.
Step 1: Add a New .onmicrosoft.com Domain
You cannot rename SharePoint directly to a custom domain like yourcompany.com.
Instead, you must create a new Microsoft-managed domain:
- Go to Microsoft 365 Admin Center
- Navigate to Settings → Domains
- Select Add onmicrosoft.com domain (preview)
- Enter your desired name
Example:
tanolisllc.onmicrosoft.com
Make sure:
- Status shows “Healthy”
- Do not remove the original domain
- Do not set it as fallback
Step 2: Install SharePoint Online Management Shell
Tenant rename must be executed from Windows PowerShell (5.1).
Do NOT use:
- Azure Cloud Shell
- WSL (Ubuntu)
- PowerShell 7
Install the module:
Install-Module -Name Microsoft.Online.SharePoint.PowerShell
Step 3: Connect to SharePoint Admin
Use the existing admin URL (before rename):
Connect-SPOService -Url https://youroldtenant-admin.sharepoint.com
Login using Global Admin credentials.
Step 4: Validate the Rename with WhatIf
Always test first:
Start-SPOTenantRename -DomainName "tanolisllc" -ScheduledDateTime "2026-02-13T23:30:00" -WhatIf
If there are no blocking errors, you are ready to proceed.
Step 5: Schedule the SharePoint Tenant Rename
Remove -WhatIf:
Start-SPOTenantRename -DomainName "tanolisllc" -ScheduledDateTime "2026-02-13T23:30:00"
If successful, you will see:
Success
RenameJobID : <GUID>
This confirms the rename job has been scheduled.
Here is a working snapshot of Powershell commands;
Step 6: Monitor Rename Status
You can check status anytime:
Get-SPOTenantRenameStatus
Possible states:
- Scheduled
- InProgress
- Success
Small tenants typically complete within 30–90 minutes.
What Changes After Renaming?
Old URL:
https://youroldtenant.sharepoint.com
New URL:
https://newtenantname.sharepoint.com
Old links will automatically redirect for one year.
Important:
- Email addresses are NOT affected
- Custom domains are NOT changed
- Azure subscriptions are NOT impacted
Post-Rename Checklist
After completion:
- Test SharePoint homepage
- Test OneDrive access
- Test Microsoft Teams
- Update bookmarks
- Validate external sharing links
If OneDrive was locally synced, you may need to reconnect it.
Best Practices for Microsoft 365 Tenant Rename
- Rename before scaling usage
- Keep dev and production tenants separate
- Align tenant name with legal entity
- Schedule rename during off-hours
- Document the RenameJobID for audit purposes
Tenant naming is part of cloud governance and identity architecture — not just branding.
Final Thoughts
Renaming your SharePoint Online tenant is a one-time decision that affects every collaboration link your organization generates.
If you’re early in your Microsoft 365 lifecycle, it’s worth doing right.
Clean identity structure today prevents technical debt tomorrow.
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