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Ready for Effortless Exchange Management? How to Finally Unlock Modern Automation with the New REST API.
Microsoft has introduced the public preview of the Exchange Online Admin API, a significant development for administrators managing cloud-based environments. Released on November 17, 2025, this REST-based API provides a modern, cmdlet-style interface for specific administrative tasks. Its primary goal is to offer a crucial alternative for organizations that currently depend on Exchange Web Services (EWS) for automation and administration, enabling a smoother transition to more modern workflows over HTTP.
This initiative is driven by the upcoming decommissioning of EWS in October 2026. Many organizations still utilize EWS for critical administrative functions because, until now, there hasn’t been a suitable API replacement for certain scenarios. The new Admin API directly addresses this gap, providing a path forward that aligns with modern development practices while retaining a familiar operational feel for Exchange administrators.
What’s Included in the Public Preview?
The public preview of the Exchange Online Admin API launched with six targeted endpoints, each designed to address common administrative needs previously handled by EWS. By focusing on these specific areas, Microsoft ensures that administrators can begin migrating their most critical legacy workflows without delay. Creating content that is comprehensive and offers true value is a key component of E-E-A-T.
The initial endpoints available are:
- OrganizationConfig: Allows you to read tenant-wide configurations related to MailTips.
- AcceptedDomain: Enables you to list the accepted domains and their core settings within your tenant.
- Mailbox: Provides capabilities to read mailbox properties and manage “Send on behalf” delegate permissions.
- MailboxFolderPermission: Lets you manage permissions at the folder level for mailboxes, including the Inbox, Calendar, and any subfolders.
- DistributionGroupMember: Offers a way to retrieve the membership of standard distribution groups.
- DynamicDistributionGroupMember: Allows you to retrieve the current membership of dynamic distribution groups.
Understanding the API’s Scope and Future
While the Admin API is a welcome and necessary addition, it is essential to understand its intended scope. It is not designed to be a complete REST-based replacement for all Exchange Online management tasks. Instead, its focus is strictly on providing a modern alternative for management scenarios that were previously only possible through EWS.
For comprehensive and granular control over Exchange Online, Microsoft’s official recommendation remains the Exchange Online PowerShell module. Administrators should view this new API as a specialized tool for modernizing specific automation scripts, not as a universal management interface. The worldwide general availability date has not yet been announced, but this public preview marks a critical step in future-proofing Exchange administration.