M365 Changelog: cloud.microsoft domain for new Microsoft 365 apps

MC550044 – Recently Microsoft provisioned the cloud.microsoft domain to provide a trusted, dedicated space to host our authenticated first-party SaaS experiences going forward. From May 2023 onward, all new Microsoft 365 first-party app experiences will launch on cloud.microsoft from the start. Existing Microsoft 365 workloads will also begin to transition to the new domain later this year. There will be further communications leading up to each workload transition.

When this will happen:

Customers will begin to see new apps using the cloud.microsoft domain in May 2023. Existing workloads will begin to transition no sooner than the second half of 2023.

How this will affect your organization:

• No impacts to your organization’s existing Microsoft 365 experience are anticipated at this time: cloud.microsoft is currently being deployed only for new apps and services. Further communications will follow as existing workloads prepare to transition to the new domain.
• Users may be wondering about how the domain looks, due to the absence of a “.com” or other familiar TLD. This is by design, as this top-level domain is Microsoft’s own TLD, which allows for additional security and protection against spoofing.

What you need to do to prepare:

• Educate users to recognize and expect cloud.microsoft as a key domain for Microsoft cloud experiences
• Admins should ensure that *cloud.microsoft is included on network allow lists. This should require no action if standard Microsoft network guidance on domains and service endpoints is being followed.

Additional informationBlog