Migrating Off Netregistry: Transitioning Your Email to Google Workspace or Microsoft 365

If you use Netregistry for your business email, you have likely noticed a decline in service. The company is now part of Webcentral and many small business owners are dealing with slow support, licensing errors, and frustrating domain issues.

You know you need to move to a better system. The main thing holding you back is the fear of losing your emails or missing messages from clients during the switch.

Why you should move to a dedicated cloud platform

Moving away from a legacy provider to a dedicated cloud platform is a smart business decision. We recommend Google Workspace or Microsoft 365.

Most older Netregistry setups rely on IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol). It is an older system that downloads emails from a server to your local device. If your computer breaks, those downloaded emails might be gone permanently. It also does not sync calendars or contacts reliably across your phone and laptop.

Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 are modern cloud platforms. They store your data securely in the cloud. If you read an email on your phone, it immediately shows as read on your computer. Your contacts and calendar events are always up to date across every device. It also integrates into a variety of other software that they provide - such as Google Docs and Sheets; or SharePoint, Outlook and Teams.

As I covered in Threesides' Approach to Hosting, your business benefits when you use dedicated providers. Legacy hosts often try to bundle domain registration, website hosting, and email together. This usually results in a mediocre experience across all three. Using a dedicated platform guarantees a robust and reliable email service.

How to migrate without losing emails

You can move your email to a new provider without losing any data. The process involves copying your existing emails over before you change where new emails are delivered.

Here are the core steps to a safe migration:

1. Audit your current mailboxes Write down every email address your business uses. Note which ones are active user accounts and which are just aliases. An alias is an alternative address, such as info@yourbusiness.com.au, that forwards incoming messages to a main inbox. Check how much storage each person is currently using. Your new provider could also provide the option for mailbox groups where different people can access the same inbox.

2. Set up the new environment Create your new account with Google Workspace or Microsoft 365. You will need to verify that you own your domain. This requires adding a text record to your DNS. DNS stands for Domain Name System - and could be a platform like Netregistry, GoDaddy, or Cloudflare. It acts like the phonebook of the internet, telling web browsers and email servers where to find your business online.

3. Copy your existing data Both Google and Microsoft provide built-in migration tools. These tools log into your old Netregistry account and securely copy your existing emails across to the new system. This happens in the background. Your team can keep using their old Netregistry emails while this initial copy takes place.

4. Update your MX records When the initial copy is finished, you change your MX records. These are specific DNS settings that tell the internet where to deliver new incoming emails. Updating these records points your mail away from Netregistry and directly to your new Google or Microsoft inboxes.

Practical tips for a seamless transition

A poorly planned migration can result in bounced emails. Follow these steps to ensure zero downtime.

Lower your TTL. TTL stands for Time To Live. It is a setting in your DNS that tells other servers on the internet how long to remember your old records. A few days before you migrate, lower your TTL to five minutes. This ensures that when you update your MX records, the rest of the internet recognises the change quickly.

Run a final sync. After you update your MX records, a few lingering emails might still arrive in your old Netregistry inbox while the internet updates. Run the migration tool one last time. This final pass catches any emails that arrived during the switch and moves them to your new system.

Do not cancel Netregistry immediately. Keep your old Netregistry account active for at least a week after you switch. This ensures you can still access the old server if anything was missed or if you need to retrieve old invoices.

Next steps

You do not have to put up with failing legacy infrastructure. Transitioning to Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 secures your communication and gives your business access to better tools.