Set up Skype for Business Online external communications
What does this guide do?
Enables your Skype for Business users to IM and talk with Skype for Business contacts in other organizations, and also to Skype users who are signed in with a Microsoft account (formerly Windows Live ID). And you want to set it up so that everything works right the first time.
Who is it for?
Skype for Business users who want to communicate with Skype for Business or Skype users in other organizations.
Is this the same as setting up external contacts in Outlook or sharing my website with outside people?
No, each type of external contact has a different purpose.
A Skype for Business external contact is someone outside your organization who’s using a compatible IM and conferencing client— either Skype for Business or Skype. However, all that’s required for Outlook external contacts or website sharing is a valid email address.
Learn more:
How does it work?
First we’ll ask you a few quick questions about your Office 365 setup. Then we’ll give you all the information you need to complete up to four tasks.
Estimated time of completion:
This should take less than an hour of your time, plus up to 24 hours (for network propagation) if you haven’t turned on external communications yet.
Check your Office 365 version
To check your Office 365 version, sign in and go to Admin > Licensing.
What version of Office 365 do you have?
Check your Office 365 version
To check your Office 365 version, sign in and go to Admin > Licensing.
What version of Office 365 do you have?
Custom domain (Small Business)
Office 365 creates a domain for you when you sign up (the domain name includes .onmicrosoft.com). But most companies prefer to use their own domain, like fabrikam.com, for their business email addresses and website.
If your current domain name ends in .onmicrosoft.com, you don’t have a custom domain. Learn more.
Are you using a custom domain with Office 365?
Custom domain
Office 365 creates a domain for you when you sign up (the domain name includes .onmicrosoft.com). But most companies prefer to use their own domain, like fabrikam.com, for their business email addresses and website.
If your current domain name ends in .onmicrosoft.com, you don’t have a custom domain. Learn more.
Are you using a custom domain with Office 365?
Custom domain status
To set up your custom domain, sign in and go to Admin > Setup. Learn more.
Have you already set up your custom domain?
Custom domain status (Small Business)
To set up your custom domain, sign in and click Email address in the Getting Started pane. (If you don’t see the Getting Started pane, click Setup > Open the Getting Started pane. ) Learn more.
Have you already set up your custom domain?
Set up your custom domain (Small Business)
Set up your custom domain
It’s best to take the time and set up your custom domain now. The rest of this process will make much more sense after you’ve done so. Our goal: to help you get set up right the first time, so you can focus on your work and not on your software.
To set up your custom domain, sign in and click Email address in the Getting Started pane. (Go to Setup > Open the Getting Started pane if you don’t see it. ) Learn more.
Test your custom domain
After that make sure everything works as expected by running Office 365 Skype for Business Domain Name Server (DNS) Connectivity Test.
Turn on external communications
Sign in to Office 365, and go to Admin > Service Settings > IM, meetings and conferencing > External communications. Learn more.
First, if you haven’t already done so, turn on external communications for everyone in your organization.
IMPORTANT: It may take up to 24 hours for your changes to take effect. You can save your current progress and return if you need to.
Communicating with Skype for Business users in other organizations
If you want to communicate with external Skype for Business users, you’ll need to make sure the admin in the other organization has set up external communications as well.
Do you want your users to communicate with Skype for Business users in other organizations?
Contact the Skype for Business admin in the other organization
To communicate with external Skype for Business users:
- Contact the admin in the other organization using this email template.
- Once they’ve turned on external communications, you and the other admin can add each other as Skype for Business contacts to test things out.
- After you and the other admin have verified that you can use Skype for Business to communicate with each other, go to the next step.
- Use this email template to let your users know how adding external contacts works in your organization. The template includes links to these important end-user topics:
•Add an external contact in Skype for Business
•Troubleshooting external contacts in Skype for Business
•Troubleshooting Skype for Business-Skype connectivity
Can you now communicate with external Skype for Business or Skype contacts?
Success!
Congratulations, you’re now set up for Skype for Business Online external communications.
Turn on external communications (Small Business)
Turn on external communications
Sign in to Office 365, and go to Admin > Service Settings > IM, meetings and conferencing > External communications. Learn more.
First, if you haven’t already done so, turn on external communications for everyone in your organization.
IMPORTANT: It may take up to 24 hours for your changes to take effect. You can save your current progress and return if you need to.
Communicating with Skype for Business users in other organizations
If you want to communicate with external Skype for Business users, you’ll need to make sure the admin in the other organization has set up external communications as well.
Do you want your users to communicate with Skype for Business users in other organizations?
Test your custom domain (Small Business)
Test your custom domain
After that make sure everything works as expected by running Office 365 Skype for Business Domain Name Server (DNS) Connectivity Test.
When you’ve confirmed that your custom domain is set up correctly, continue to the next step.
Turn on external communications
Sign in to Office 365, and go to Admin> Service Settings> IM, meetings and conferencing>External communications. Learn more.
First, if you haven’t already done so, turn on external communications for everyone in your organization.
IMPORTANT: It may take up to 24 hours for your changes to take effect. You can save your current progress and return if you need to.
Communicating with Skype for Business users in other organizations
If you want to communicate with external Skype for Business users, you’ll need to make sure the admin in the other organization has set up external communications as well.
Do you want your users to communicate with Skype for Business users in other organizations?
Set up your custom domain(Removed)
To set up your custom domain, sign in and go to Admin > Setup. Learn more.
Test your custom domain
Run the domain troubleshooter:
- Go to the Office 365 admin center and click Domains.
- Select your custom domain name, and then click Fix Issues.
Now make sure everything works as expected by running the domain troubleshooter in the Office 365 admin center.
If you have a firewall or proxy setup in your environment, make sure to configure it to exclude the Skype for Business IP Addresses and URLs. If you need help with this step, contact Office 365 Support.
Setup and test your custom domain
It’s best to take the time and set up your custom domain now. The rest of this process will make much more sense once you’re done adding your own domain. Our goal: to help you get set up right the first time, so you can focus on your work, and not on your software.
To set up your custom domain, sign in and go to Admin > Setup. Learn more.
Test your custom domain
Run the domain troubleshooter:
- Go to the Office 365 admin center and click Domains.
- Select your custom domain name, and then click Fix Issues.
Now make sure everything works as expected by running the domain troubleshooter in the Office 365 admin center.
When you see a message that says everything is set up correctly, you can continue the next step.
If you have a firewall or proxy setup in your environment, make sure to configure it to exclude the Skype for Business IP Addresses and URLs. If you need help with this step, contact Office 365 Support.
Turn on external communications
Details
Sign in to Office 365, and go to Admin Center > Settings > Services & add-ins > Skype for Business > External communications. Learn more.
First, if you haven’t already done so, turn on external communications for everyone in your organization. If you want to communicate with other Lync or Skype for Business organizations, it’s recommended that you add your partner’s organizations domain to the list of Allowed domains.
IMPORTANT: It may take up to 24 hours for your changes to take effect. You can save your current progress and return if you need to.
Communicating with Skype for Business users in other organizations
Details
If you want to communicate with external Skype for Business users, you’ll need to make sure the admin in the other organization has set up external communications as well.
Do you want your users to communicate with Skype for Business users in other organizations?
Turn on external communications
Sign in to Office 365, and go to Admin Center > Settings > Services & add-ins > Skype for Business > External communications. Learn more.
IMPORTANT: It may take up to 24 hours for your changes to take effect. You can save your current progress and return if you need to.
Communicating with Skype for Business users in other organizations
If you want to communicate with other Skype for Business organization, you’ll need to make sure the admin in the other organization has set up external communications as well.
Communicating with Skype users
Have you allowed your users to communicate with Skype for Business users in other organizations?
What to do if external communications still doesn’t work
We’re sorry you’re having trouble setting up external communications.
- If you’ve completed all the tasks in this guide, are able to log in to Office 365 using your custom domain name, and still can’t communicate with outside users, here are some additional resources:
Search the Office 365 Community forums .
Contact support .
Inform your user
The last step:
- Use this email template to let your users know how adding external contacts works in your organization. The template includes links to these important end-user topics:
Add an external contact in Skype for Business
Troubleshooting external contacts in Skype for Business
Troubleshooting Skype for Business-Skype connectivity
Can you now communicate with external Skype for Business or Skype contacts?