Create Migration Endpoint Office 365 – Complete Step-by-Step Tutorial

Published By Mohit Kumar Jha

Approved By Admin

Published On July 4th, 2025

Reading Time 5 Minutes Reading

If you’re planning to migrate mailboxes to Microsoft 365, the first step is to create migration endpoint Office 365. This endpoint acts as the connection bridge between your source server and Microsoft 365. Recently, I completed the Exchange 2013 to 2019 migration, so I am familiar with the need for this. That’s why I created this article to help users who are wondering how to create migration endpoint in Office 365 hassle-free.

What Is a Migration Endpoint in Office 365?

A migration endpoint in Office 365 stores the connection settings used to connect to your on-premises email system. 

There are a few types:

• Outlook Anywhere (RPC over HTTP) for Exchange 2010 and later.
• IMAP for non-Exchange servers.
• Cutover and Staged Migration Endpoints for full Exchange server migrations.
• Hybrid Migration Endpoints are used in hybrid deployments.

Since I was migrating from Exchange 2013, I used the Outlook Anywhere method. Here’s how I created it.

Pre-Requisites to Create a Migration Endpoint for Office 365

Before creating the endpoint, some steps I followed:

• Autodiscover and EWS (Exchange Web Services) were accessible externally.
• I followed this Microsoft article to enable the MRS Proxy service on my Exchange Server.
• I had the admin credentials for the source Exchange server.
• Proper firewall ports (443) were open.
• The certificate was valid and trusted by Microsoft 365.

How to Create Migration Endpoint in Office 365 Via Exchange Admin Center

Now, it’s time to learn how to create a migration endpoint with the help of the Exchange Admin Center. Here are the steps that I followed: 

• I logged in to the Microsoft 365 Admin Centre, then clicked Exchange to access the Exchange Admin Centre (EAC).
• Afterwards, In EAC:

• • I clicked on Recipients > Migration
  • Then, select More (⋯) > Migration endpoints

• Click + (Add) to create migration endpoint Office 365.
• Now, choose Migration Type. Since I was using Exchange 2013, I selected Outlook Anywhere. This works for Exchange 2010, 2013, and 2016. If you’re using IMAP or a different method, you’ll choose accordingly.
• Next, I filled in the source server details:
  • Email address
  • Domain controller (optional)
  • Username
  • Password

Office 365 automatically tests the connection at this step. It took a minute, but I got a green checkmark when it was successful.

• In this step, I configured the general settings. I entered:

• • Migration Endpoint Name: E.g., Exchange2013Endpoint
  • Maximum concurrent migrations: I kept it at the default (10)
  • Maximum concurrent incremental syncs: Default (10)

Once confirmed, I clicked Save, and my migration endpoint was created successfully!

To double-check everything, I ran this from PowerShell:

Get-MigrationEndpoint | Format-List

Now, the how to create migration endpoint in Office 365 query is resolved!

Troubleshooting Tips

When I tried to create migration endpoint Office 365, I ran into a few issues. Here’s how I resolved it:

• MRS Proxy Not Enabled?
  Run this on the source Exchange:
  
  Set-WebServicesVirtualDirectory -Identity “ServerName\EWS (Default Web Site)” -MRSProxyEnabled $true
• SSL Errors?
  Make sure the SSL certificate is trusted by Microsoft. A public CA certificate is required.
• Autodiscover Fails?
  Use the Microsoft Remote Connectivity Analyzer to test it:
  https://testconnectivity.microsoft.com

What’s Next After Creating Migration Endpoint Office 365?

Once the migration endpoint is ready, I proceed to create a migration batch:

1. Go back to Recipients > Migration
2. Click + > Select Cutover, Staged, or IMAP
3. Choose the migration endpoint created earlier.
4. Set up the batch and start the migration.

Use My Tested Tool for Faster Migration

Manually setting this up is fine, especially if you’re following the steps to create migration endpoint Office 365. But if you want to automate migrations, I recommend trying out my trusted tool: SysTools Exchange to Office 365 Migration Tool. 

Download Now  Purchase Now

I’ve used it to migrate thousands of mailboxes, securely, quickly, and without data loss. It supports features like:

• Direct migration from Exchange 2010, 2013, 2016, or 2019 to Office 365
• Automatic mailbox mapping
• Incremental migration to avoid duplicates
• Detailed progress tracking and logs
• Support for large mailboxes and throttling management

Here are the quick steps to migrate data:

• Step 1. Open the solution, and select Exchange & Office 365 as the source and destination platform.
• Step 2. Select data categories, and leverage the Date Filter if needed.
• Step 3.  Provide source and destination credentials. 
• Step 4. Map source users, and press the Start Migration button.

Author’s Verdict

Creating a migration endpoint in Office 365 is a critical step, and once it’s done, the rest of your migration will flow smoothly. I’ve done this many times, and the steps above always work when your environment is prepared correctly. If you’re planning a full migration or want to create migration endpoint Office 365, don’t forget to back up data before proceeding.