Microsoft 365 — the complete client guide
Everything you need to manage your Microsoft 365 account, from adding users and setting up Outlook to securing your team and understanding your bill.
- Difficulty
- Beginner
Microsoft 365 is the suite of apps and services that powers email, files, and teamwork at businesses of every size — Outlook, Word, Excel, Teams, OneDrive, and more, all under one subscription.
These guides walk you through everything an owner or office manager needs: setting up your account, managing your team, and keeping things secure. No technical background required.
Quick summary
Microsoft 365 is a paid subscription that gives your business email on your own domain, plus Word, Excel, OneDrive, SharePoint and Teams. Exactly what you get depends on the plan — the business plans differ over whether you get the installed desktop apps, for instance — so check Microsoft 365 plans explained before you buy. You manage most of it from the Microsoft 365 admin center, though a few settings — multi-factor authentication, for instance — live in the Microsoft Entra admin center. If you have not chosen a platform yet, start at Google Workspace vs Microsoft 365 instead — this section assumes you have already decided on Microsoft.
If you only read three things
- What is Microsoft 365? — the lay of the land.
- The Microsoft 365 admin center — where you manage everything.
- Turning on multi-factor authentication — the highest-leverage thing you can do today.
Basics & admin
What is Microsoft 365?
A plain-English overview of what's included and how it all fits together.
Microsoft 365 plans explained
Which plan is right for your business?
Signing in to Microsoft 365
How to log in from any device.
The Microsoft 365 admin center
A tour of the control panel for your account.
Adding a user
Give a new team member access in a few steps.
Removing a user safely
Offboard someone without losing their files or email.
Resetting a user's password
Help a locked-out colleague back in.
Outlook
Outlook basics for business
Send, receive, and organize email in Outlook.
Organizing Outlook with rules & folders
Tame a busy inbox automatically.
Setting up your Outlook signature
Add your name, title, and branding to every email.
Shared mailboxes
Set up a shared inbox like info@ or support@.
Distribution groups & lists
Email a whole team with one address.
OneDrive & SharePoint
OneDrive basics
Store and access your files from anywhere.
Sharing files in OneDrive
Share securely with your team or clients.
SharePoint basics
Team file libraries and intranet sites explained.
Teams & Office apps
Microsoft Teams basics
Chat, calls, and meetings in one place.
Word, Excel & PowerPoint explained
What each app does and when to use it.
Microsoft 365 on your phone
Set up the apps on iOS or Android.
Security
Turning on multi-factor authentication
The single most important step to protect your account.
Security defaults & key settings
The baseline security settings every account should have.
Storage & quotas
How much space you have and what counts toward it.
Billing & domain
Microsoft 365 billing explained
Understand your subscription, invoices, and renewal.
Adding a domain to Microsoft 365
Use your own business email address.
Transferring files when someone leaves
Preserve email and files before deleting an account.
Troubleshooting
If you need us to help
Give us Microsoft 365 admin access
So we can add users, fix mailboxes, and check your settings.
Give us access to manage your DNS
Needed to verify your domain and set your email records correctly.
Related guides
- Google Workspace vs Microsoft 365: how to choose — if you have not decided yet
- Google Workspace — the complete client guide — the other option
- Business email, explained — the platform-independent basics
- Email DNS records (MX, SPF, DKIM, DMARC)
- Why email & your website are separate
- Migrating your business email
Need a hand?
Last updated
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What is Microsoft 365?
A plain-English overview of Microsoft 365 — what's included, how the apps work together, and whether it's the right choice for your business.