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HIPAA → GoDaddy
Is GoDaddy HIPAA-compliant?
For healthcare and health tech organizations, compliance isn’t optional, it’s mission-critical. That’s why so many businesses ask if they can rely on GoDaddy, one of the biggest names in hosting and email, for HIPAA compliance.
The short answer: not entirely.
Only a few GoDaddy services can be configured for compliance, but most cannot. Understanding where those boundaries are is key to keeping Protected Health Information (PHI) secure.
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Understanding HIPAA compliance for hosting and email
HIPAA-compliant hosting means more than using a secure hosting provider. It requires administrative, physical, and technical safeguards that protect PHI, including encryption, access control, audit logging, and a signed Business Associate Agreement (BAA).
Compliance depends on how the service is configured and whether the provider supports those required safeguards. It’s a shared responsibility. So just because a hosting service is HIPAA compliant, doesn’t make your application or website compliant.
GoDaddy services and HIPAA compliance
GoDaddy offers a wide range of hosting and email services, but not all of them can meet HIPAA requirements. The company’s Microsoft 365 email plans can be configured for compliance, but its hosting environments (especially shared or unmanaged ones) do not qualify. This distinction is critical for healthcare organizations that need to store, process, or transmit PHI.
GoDaddy Microsoft 365 email and HIPAA
Certain GoDaddy Microsoft 365 plans, such as Business Professional and Premium Security, can support HIPAA compliance when configured correctly. These plans require a signed Microsoft 365 BAA, which defines the responsibilities of both parties in protecting PHI.
However, there are limits. GoDaddy is primarily a reseller of Microsoft 365, and users may not have full access to Microsoft’s compliance and security controls through GoDaddy’s interface. It’s up to the customer to configure encryption, MFA, and data retention policies.
Key points:
- Microsoft, not GoDaddy, provides the underlying HIPAA-compliant infrastructure.
- GoDaddy’s role as a reseller can complicate how the BAA is managed.
- Users remain responsible for proper configuration and ongoing compliance.
Why standard GoDaddy hosting is not HIPAA compliant
GoDaddy’s shared and VPS hosting plans are not HIPAA compliant. These environments typically lack encryption at rest, dedicated firewalls, and access restrictions needed to secure PHI.
GoDaddy also does not sign BAAs for standard hosting plans. That means storing or transmitting PHI on those servers would violate HIPAA, regardless of any additional security steps taken by the user.
Steps to make GoDaddy email HIPAA compliant (for limited use cases)
If you want to use GoDaddy for limited HIPAA-related needs (such as email) it’s possible with the right setup:
- Choose a HIPAA-eligible Microsoft 365 plan.
- Sign Microsoft’s BAA offered through GoDaddy.
- Configure encryption, MFA, and access restrictions.
- NEVER use GoDaddy web hosting for PHI.
Comparing GoDaddy to Liquid Web for HIPAA compliance
GoDaddy’s services are built for scale and affordability, but not for compliance.
Liquid Web, on the other hand, was built with regulated industries in mind. Most hosting solutions can be deployed in a compliance-ready environment, complete with a signed BAA, encryption, and 24/7 monitoring.
| Feature | GoDaddy | Liquid Web |
|---|---|---|
| BAA availability | Only through Microsoft, only for email | Yes, for all HIPAA environments |
| PHI hosting | No | Yes |
| Infrastructure type | Shared or reseller-based | Dedicated or VMWare private cloud |
For healthcare organizations that need to host patient portals, databases, or applications, GoDaddy just isn’t an option.
Liquid Web provides managed and unmanaged HIPAA hosting environments that keep compliance simple by bundling infrastructure, encryption, and security controls into one streamlined solution.
What to look for in a true HIPAA-compliant hosting provider
Before committing to any platform, verify these essentials:
- Signed BAA covering all hosted services used for HIPAA
- Encryption for data in transit and at rest
- Single-tenant or isolated environments
- Role-based access and activity logging
- Continuous monitoring and incident response
These features are what make compliance manageable. They reduce audit complexity, minimize risk, and give healthcare teams the confidence to focus on patient care and growth instead of managing servers.
FAQs
Getting started with HIPAA-compliant hosting
GoDaddy can be suitable for limited HIPAA use, such as properly configured Microsoft 365 email, but it isn’t built for healthcare-grade compliance. Healthcare organizations need solutions that take the complexity out of compliance, delivering the right mix of security, simplicity, and support from day one.
Liquid Web’s HIPAA-compliant hosting environments do exactly that. They combine infrastructure that just works with compliance-ready safeguards, letting you stay focused on growth instead of audits. Our experts handle the security, monitoring, and documentation so your team doesn’t have to.
Click through below or start a chat now with a HIPAA hosting expert to learn more.
HIPAA compliant hosting solutions
Standalone servers
Private data centers
Uninterruptible power supplies
Additional resources
What is HIPAA-compliant hosting? →
A complete beginner’s guide
What is data privacy in healthcare? →
Explore how data privacy works in healthcare and best practices
HIPAA guide for small business →
A complete resources for medical SMBs
Dominic Nixon is a Solution Architect for Liquid Web. As a Solutions Architect, he uses his past experiences and expertise to help clients make core architectural changes to their hosting to achieve their long-term planning and business goals. He has a Bachelor’s degree in Cyber Security, and in his free time, he loves being outdoors or chilling with his dog, Ella.