[Introduction]

To improve security and trust across Microsoft cloud services, Microsoft introduced the cloud.microsoft domain in early 2023. This unified, dedicated DNS domain space hosts Microsoft’s first-party authenticated SaaS products and experiences.

As part of this transition, Microsoft Teams is now available at teams.cloud.microsoft, in parallel with its previous domain. This change enhances security by using Microsoft’s exclusive top-level domain, .microsoft, which helps prevent spoofing and builds user trust.

Learn more by reading the 2023 blog post Introducing cloud.microsoft: a unified domain for Microsoft 365 apps and services.

[When this will happen:]

Microsoft Teams is already available at cloud.microsoft. Redirection from the previous domain will begin gradually over the coming months.

[How this affects your organization:]

Who is affected: Admins managing Microsoft Teams, Teams apps, and network configurations. All users accessing Microsoft Teams.

What will happen:

• Users will be automatically redirected to teams.cloud.microsoft.
• No user action is required; existing links and bookmarks will continue to work.
• Users may notice that the new application domains are lacking the “.com” extension. This is by design, as “.microsoft” is Microsoft’s own top-level domain – and this exclusivity allows for additional security and protection against spoofing.
• Admins can disable redirects via the Teams Admin portal if needed.
• The cloud.microsoft domain has been a part of standard Microsoft network guidance on domains and service endpoints since April 2023. 

[What you can do to prepare:]

• Educate users to recognize and expect cloud.microsoft as a key domain for Microsoft cloud experiences. You can refer them to What is cloud.microsoft? – Microsoft Support for more information. 
• If your organizational websites, tools, or other materials reference the old URL, those links will be automatically redirected. However, it’s good practice to update those assets to avoid user confusion.
• Update internal documentation, websites, and tools that reference the old Teams URL.
• Partner with developers of in-house Teams apps (including those used in Outlook and Microsoft 365) to follow guidance in:
  Action required: ensure your Microsoft Teams apps are ready for upcoming domain changes.
• Confirm that *.cloud.microsoft is not blocked on your enterprise network. This should require no action if standard Microsoft network guidance on domains and service endpoints is being followed. 

[Compliance considerations:]

No compliance considerations identified, review as appropriate for your organization.