Managing groups: Microsoft Graph vs. Exchange Online

Our documentation comes directly from Microsoft. If you need more info, we recommend visiting this Microsoft reference page.

Let's talk about how to manage groups efficiently using Microsoft Graph and Microsoft Exchange Online. Understanding the type of group is crucial, as it dictates the API we should use.

Groups in Microsoft Graph are containers for principals like users, devices, or applications that share access to resources. They make access management easier by grouping principals instead of managing them individually.

Microsoft 365 Groups are designed for collaboration and provide access to shared resources like:

• Outlook conversations and calendar.

• SharePoint files and team site.

• OneNote notebook.

• Planner plans.

• Intune device management.

Group types

Here's a breakdown of the group types and their corresponding management methods:

1. Dynamic Membership Groups:

   • Dynamic membership groups are identified by the presence of "Dynamic membership" in the group type property. These groups cannot be directly modified through APIs.

2. Unified Groups:

   • Unified groups are managed using Microsoft Graph API. They are groups where "unified" is present in the group types property or when mail-enabled is set to false.

3. Security Groups:

   • Security groups can be managed using Exchange Online if mail-enabled is set to true. If mail-enabled is false, they are managed by Microsoft Graph API.

4. Distribution Groups:

   • Distribution groups are also managed using Exchange Online.