This chapter requires administrative access within Microsoft 365. Users assigned the Global Administrator role will have the capability to execute all tasks presented. Those holding specific app or function administration roles will find many of these recipes within their reach. We will detail the recipes that necessitate particular administrative roles, all of which can be assigned by an existing Global Administrator through the Microsoft 365 admin center’s Users section if not already in place.

The Microsoft 365 admin center is your gateway to administering your organization’s Microsoft services and subscriptions. It’s a unified platform where you can manage users, groups, billing, and much more. This first recipe is a guide on how to navigate and utilize the admin centers effectively.

Getting ready

To access the admin centers, you must hold a role with administrative privileges. The Global Administrator role grants you full access across all admin centers. Specific app administrator roles, meanwhile, allow access to relevant app-specific admin centers.

How to do it…

1. Sign in to the Microsoft 365 admin center at https://admin.microsoft.com/. If you’re already signed in to Microsoft 365, you can also access the admin center via the app launcher by selecting Admin, as shown in Figure 1.1.

Figure 1.1 – Admin center location from the app launcher

2. Upon entry, explore the left-hand navigation pane, which presents various management options, including user and group management, Billing, Settings, and Setup. These options are your tools for customizing and managing the Microsoft 365 experience for your organization.

Tip

Settings is an important menu option where you can access most of your organization’s configuration settings. Take time to explore the Settings menu to familiarize yourself with its various sections, such as Domains, Search & intelligence (for knowledge management), and Org settings, which offer a wide range of customization options for themes, organization information, specific app settings, and more.

3. Select Show all. You will now see all admin capabilities available to you. Other administrators can also access the Microsoft 365 admin center, but their options may differ if they’re not also Global Administrators. For example, only Global Administrators and Billing Administrators may access Billing.
4. At the bottom of the navigation pane, you’ll find the Admin centers section. Here, specialized admin centers for services such as Exchange, SharePoint, and Microsoft Entra ID (Identity) (formerly Azure Active Directory (AD)) are available, each providing a detailed suite of settings and options for the respective service.
5. Select All admin centers. Once again, depending on your admin roles, your options on this screen may differ. Global Administrators will see all admin centers, as shown in Figure 1.2.

Figure 1.2 – All admin centers accessible via the Microsoft 365 admin center

6. From this screen, you can access all apps and services to adjust individual policies, settings, identities, and more to curate your organization’s user experience. We’ll explore several of these admin centers throughout this book, but take a moment to explore a couple to get an idea of what sorts of configurations are possible.

How it works…

By default, admin centers are hidden behind a Show all menu item in the Microsoft 365 admin center. You can pin any of the admin center navigation menu items to always appear in the navigation pane. This makes it so that you don’t need to select Show all before accessing it next time. Figure 1.3 shows where the Pin feature appears when hovering over a menu node.

Figure 1.3 – The Pin option for Microsoft 365 admin center navigation options

Learn more about customizing the Microsoft 365 admin center navigation options in this chapter’s Customizing navigation of the admin center recipe.

Remember that depending on your assigned roles, you may be unable to access certain admin centers. In this recipe, you’ve discovered where they’re all listed and which of them are available to you.

Tip

Check out the last two recipes in this chapter, Customizing navigation of the admin center and Personalizing your admin center home page, to make your admin experience simpler and more specific to your role.

Also, as you become more familiar with the various admin centers, you’ll notice other uniform resource locators (URLs) that will save you a couple of selections, such as security.microsoft.com, compliance.microsoft.com, TenantName-admin.sharepoint.com, admin.powerplatform.microsoft.com, and so on.

See also

• Learn more about the admin center at https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/admin/admin-overview/admin-center-overview
• Learn more about specific admin roles and their abilities at https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/admin/add-users/about-admin-roles

PowerShell is a versatile scripting language that offers administrators a powerful toolset for managing Microsoft 365 environments. This recipe outlines the essential steps to prepare your PowerShell environment for administering Microsoft 365, ensuring you have the necessary setup to execute commands and scripts effectively.

Getting ready

Before beginning, ensure PowerShell is installed on your system. Most modern Windows versions come with PowerShell pre-installed. If you’re using a different operating system (OS) or need to install PowerShell, find guidance relevant to your OS at https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/scripting/install/installing-powershell.

Verify your role as a Global Administrator or specific app administrator to ensure you have the necessary permissions to execute the task you wish to perform.

How to do it…

1. Search for PowerShell in your Start menu, right-click on it, and select Run as administrator, as shown in Figure 1.4, to open a session with elevated rights.

Figure 1.4 – The Run as administrator option appears when right-clicking PowerShell from Start

2. You’ll need the Microsoft Graph PowerShell Software Development Kit (SDK) to manage Microsoft 365. Run the following command to install the module:

   Install-Module -Name Microsoft.Graph -Scope CurrentUser -AllowClobber

   If prompted about an untrusted repository, type Y and press Enter to continue.

Tip

The -AllowClobber parameter in PowerShell allows a new module, script, or command being installed to overwrite an existing command or alias that has the same name.

3. Before executing management commands, establish a connection to your Microsoft 365 tenant with the following command:

   Connect-MgGraph -Scopes "User.Read.All", "Group.ReadWrite.All"

   This command initiates a sign-in process where you’ll enter your administrator credentials. If using multi-factor authentication (MFA), which is a best practice and mandatory for some admin locations, such as Azure and Entra, you’ll be prompted for additional verification. You’ll also be asked to consent to Graph API permissions for yourself, or on behalf of your organization.

4. To confirm that your connection is active, try retrieving a list of users or another simple query to ensure responses from the Microsoft 365 services:

   Get-MgUser

   Figure 1.5 shows the result of this cmdlet, displaying a list of your users, their GUIDs, email addresses, and user principal names.

Figure 1.5 – Result of Steps 3 and 4, signing in and retrieving a list of your users

How it works…

With the evolution of Microsoft 365, PowerShell now leverages the Microsoft Graph PowerShell SDK for a more integrated and robust management experience, replacing the older MSOnline module. PowerShell 7 or later is recommended when working with Graph PowerShell SDK.

By installing the Microsoft Graph PowerShell SDK and connecting to Microsoft 365 using Connect-MgGraph, you gain access to a wide range of cmdlets designed for the efficient management of users, groups, and services within your organization. This setup differs from the older MSOnline module by providing a direct interface with Microsoft Graph, which is the unified API endpoint for Microsoft services.

See Chapter 3, Administering Microsoft 365 with PowerShell, to dive into the specific administrative actions you can now perform with PowerShell.

There’s more…

The Connect-MgGraph command supports MFA by default, simplifying the process of connecting to Microsoft 365 in secure environments.

The -Scopes parameter in the Connect-MgGraph command can be adjusted to match the specific permissions your scripts require to execute their tasks within Microsoft 365.

See also

• Learn more about Microsoft Graph PowerShell at https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/microsoftgraph/overview

The Microsoft 365 roadmap is a vital tool for administrators and IT professionals to stay informed about new updates, features, and changes across Microsoft 365 services. It is designed to help you manage change and prepare your organization for future updates. This recipe will help you leverage the roadmap to its fullest.

Getting ready

Access to the roadmap is straightforward, requiring only an internet connection. It is publicly available and does not necessitate a login, making it accessible to all for planning and strategic considerations.

How to do it…

1. Navigate to the Microsoft 365 roadmap at http://roadmap.office.com. This portal showcases upcoming features and updates across various Microsoft 365 services. Figure 1.6 shows the landing page of the roadmap.

Figure 1.6 – Microsoft 365 roadmap landing page

2. Use the search and filters area to tailor the information according to your needs:
   • Search bar: Type in a product or feature to see if it’s listed.
   • Product: As an example, you might select SharePoint, Microsoft Teams, and OneDrive to focus on updates relevant to these core applications.
   • Release phase: If your organization has a specific release cadence, such as Current Channel or Targeted Release, you can filter updates to match this schedule. The default release cadence is Current Channel.
   • Platform: Filter to specific mobile or desktop platforms.
   • Cloud Instance: Choose the cloud instance that applies to your organization, such as DoD (Department of Defense), GCC (Government Community Cloud (GCC)), or Worldwide (Standard Multi-Tenant), to see features available for your subscription type.
   • New or updated: Filter to items new or changed within the last week or month to only see what you may have missed recently.
   • In development, Rolling out, and Launched: If you’re particularly interested in only items currently rolling out, you can filter to display those only.
3. After applying the necessary filters, you can expand individual features to get more details. Figure 1.7 shows a filtered roadmap with the first result expanded.

Figure 1.7 – A filtered roadmap with the first result expanded

4. You can view and download the roadmap information as a CSV file by selecting Download. This enables offline review and sharing within your organization.
5. Selecting Share copies the roadmap URL, including your current filters, so you can show others exactly what you’re looking at.
6. RSS allows you to subscribe to roadmap updates, just as you might for a blog, so you can automatically post or share updates utilizing Really Simple Syndication (RSS) connectors.

How it works…

The roadmap is continuously updated, providing a dynamic look at the development and release process for Microsoft 365 features. Utilizing the provided filters helps narrow down the updates to those most pertinent to your organization’s environment, subscription, and compliance requirements. For GCC customers, for example, the roadmap can filter out updates not applicable or features that aren’t available due to government compliance restrictions.

See also

• Learn more about how to use the Microsoft 365 roadmap at https://query.prod.cms.rt.microsoft.com/cms/api/am/binary/RW15ouN

The Microsoft 365 Message center, accessible via the Microsoft 365 admin center, serves as a crucial hub for monitoring forthcoming changes, new functionalities, and scheduled maintenance tasks pertinent to your organization’s deployment. Official communications from Microsoft, including a comprehensive overview and supplementary links for deeper insights, are disseminated through the Message center. This recipe guides you on how to utilize the Message center to stay ahead of upcoming changes.

Getting ready

Accessing the Message center in Microsoft 365 requires assignment to a role with the necessary permissions. While most administrative roles grant access to the Message center, there’s also a specific role known as the Message center reader role. This particular role is tailored to users who need to view Message center communications but do not require broader administrative capabilities. This approach ensures that a wide range of personnel within your organization, from those with comprehensive administrative responsibilities to those focused solely on monitoring updates and announcements, have access to vital information. Such inclusive access enables your team to stay informed, provide non-technical users with clear expectations and information, and facilitate decision-making and strategic planning based on the latest Microsoft 365 developments and updates.

How to do it…

1. Navigate to the Microsoft admin center by visiting https://admin.microsoft.com/.
2. Locate and select Message center under the Health section, as shown in Figure 1.8. This directs you to a comprehensive list of all current announcements and notifications.

Figure 1.8 – Steps to access the Message center

3. Within the Message center, you can explore active messages, including those flagged as of high importance, or use filters to view messages that are unread or have been archived. You can filter by the following:
   • Service (specific apps and services)
   • Tag (Major update, Admin impact, User impact, New feature, Feature update, etc.)
   • Message state (Favorites, Unread, or Updated)
   • Relevance (High, Medium, or Low)
   • Status for your org (matches the Microsoft 365 roadmap statuses of Scheduled, Rolling out, and Launched and includes filters for Changed within last week and Changed within last month)
   • Platform (OSs or platform)
4. You can also sort messages to more easily find those of high importance or requiring action. The Message center includes the following sortable columns:
   • Last updated (date)
   • Act by (date by which action is required)
   • Relevance (High, Medium, or Low)
   • Status for your org (matches the Microsoft 365 roadmap statuses of Scheduled, Rolling out, and Launched)

   Select the column’s header to sort ascending, and again for descending.

5. Selecting any message title will expand a detailed view on the right side of the screen, presenting in-depth information regarding the update or announcement. Figure 1.9 is an example of a Microsoft Teams and Planner announcement.

Figure 1.9 – A Message center announcement about Planner and Microsoft Teams

Messages often include a lot of information:

• Related roadmap item ID
• Services involved
• Description of the change
• When it will happen
• How it affects your organization
• How to prepare for the change
• Links to additional documentation

How it works…

The Message center is your gateway to the most current updates, feature releases, and maintenance notifications relevant to Microsoft 365 services. It’s designed to provide administrators with a centralized overview of important information, facilitating informed decision-making and proactive management of the Microsoft 365 environment.

Upon selecting a message, various options become available. You can share insights directly from the Message center via the Share option, keep certain messages in focus by marking them as Unread, and express feedback through the Like/Dislike buttons. Moreover, it’s possible to archive messages or explore further through additional links provided within each message for more comprehensive details.

There’s more…

Leveraging the Message center reader role can be particularly effective for keeping key personnel within your organization informed about imminent changes, enabling them to prepare and respond appropriately.

For administrators on the move, the Microsoft 365 Admin mobile app offers access to the Message center, ensuring you remain informed regardless of your location. Download the app via https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/p/?linkid=627216.

Also in the Message center, you may notice the button shown in Figure 1.10 for Planner syncing.

Figure 1.10 – Planner syncing option in Message center

Selecting this option opens a wizard where you can set up automatic creation of tasks for messages meeting your specified criteria (such as major updates only for specific services). Figure 1.11 shows this screen of the wizard where you configure the message filter.

Figure 1.11 – Choosing which messages to sync to Planner

Once tasks are created, you can assign them to individuals with deadlines. This is especially helpful for messages with Act by dates. You can create a new plan for these tasks or choose an existing plan. All Message center messages you choose to include during setup will be added to one chosen bucket of that Planner plan.

See also

• Learn more about the Message center, including which roles are included and excluded for access, at https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/admin/manage/message-center

Service requests are the formal way of seeking Microsoft’s assistance with any issues encountered in Microsoft 365. This process is essential for discussing and resolving problems effectively. This recipe will show you how to create a new service request.

Important note

Microsoft offers different levels of support with varying service-level agreements (SLAs):

Standard Support: This offers a basic level of service with longer response times.

Unified Support: This provides enhanced SLAs, including faster response times and more comprehensive support options, often at an additional cost. This level of support is ideal for organizations with mission-critical needs that require rapid resolutions.

Understanding the differences in SLAs between Standard and Unified Support can help set expectations for response times and service quality when submitting a service request.

Getting ready

Creating service requests requires Microsoft 365 administrative privileges. Ensure you have an eligible admin role to proceed.

How to do it…

1. Start by visiting the Microsoft 365 admin center at http://admin.microsoft.com.
2. Select the teal Help & support button at the screen’s lower-right corner or navigate through the left menu: Show all | Support | Help & support.
3. A side panel opens. Initially, you’ll describe your issue to see if any available self-service documentation may solve your issue. Type in Switch subscription and press Enter.
4. The results will attempt to provide solutions or direct resources, as shown in Figure 1.12.

Figure 1.12 – Results for Switch subscription in Help & support

5. If the issue remains unresolved, you’ll have the option to contact support by selecting the button in the lower-left corner of the panel. Select Contact support.
6. Fill in your service request’s specifics, attaching any relevant screenshots or files. You can include the following information:
   • Title
   • Description
   • Contact phone number
   • Authorized contact for Microsoft to work with
   • Call recording consent
   • Preferred contact method (Phone or Email)
   • Attachments (supports files, screenshots, or videos)
   • Regional settings (timezone and language)
   • Accessibility settings (open text for description of needs)
7. Select Contact me to submit your request. A confirmation of your request will be shown, as seen in Figure 1.13.

Figure 1.13 – Confirmation of service request submission

How it works…

This process is designed to expedite resolutions by first directing you through automated solutions, potentially saving time. If these initial steps don’t address your concern, the option to engage directly with Microsoft support ensures you’re not left without recourse. This method aims to use Microsoft’s and your own time efficiently, streamlining the path to resolution.

Once you’ve submitted a service request, managing and tracking its progress becomes crucial, especially when handling multiple requests. In this recipe, you’ll find previously submitted service requests to check on their status or make changes.

Getting ready

Creating service requests requires Microsoft 365 administrative privileges. Ensure you have an eligible admin role to proceed.

How to do it…

1. In the Microsoft 365 admin center (http://admin.microsoft.com), go to Show all | Support | View service requests. You’ll see all of your service requests listed along with their current status, as shown in Figure 1.14.

Figure 1.14 – Service request history

2. This screen allows you to export the last 13 months of service requests as CSV and search or filter your service requests, providing a clear view of their statuses.
3. By selecting a request, you can access detailed case notes and the request’s history, including all communications, offering insights into the issue’s resolution process. Figure 1.15 shows the details for a request where you can also see the Edit option.

Figure 1.15 – Service request details

How it works…

The Service request history screen in the admin center facilitates easy tracking and management of your requests. It’s designed to aid in identifying recurring issues, reporting on resolutions, and ensuring effective communication within your organization regarding service request outcomes.

There’s more…

Editing an existing request is also straightforward. Here are the steps:

1. In the Microsoft 365 admin center (http://admin.microsoft.com), go to Show all | Support | View service requests.
2. Select your request.
3. Select Edit to provide additional information or update contact information. Figure 1.16 shows the Edit panel with limited options to update.

Figure 1.16 – Edit options for an existing service request

You will be able to add additional notes at any time, as well as adjust your contact number, email, and recording consent preference.

4. Select Save to update the service request.

To personalize or brand your tenant to your company, you can integrate a custom domain, such as contoso.com, with Microsoft 365. This elevates your organizational identity by replacing the generic onmicrosoft.com addresses (e.g., nate@contoso.onmicrosoft.com) with a branded email format (e.g., nate@contoso.com). This adjustment also extends to utilizing your domain with Microsoft 365 services, such as Outlook. In this recipe, we outline how to add the natechamberlain.com domain (or any custom domain) to your Microsoft 365 tenant.

Getting ready

To add a domain, having the Global Administrator role is required. It’s not necessary to own a domain prior to this process, as there’s an option to purchase during the setup.

How to do it…

1. Access the Microsoft 365 admin center by visiting http://admin.microsoft.com.
2. Navigate through Show all | Settings | Domains.
3. Here, as seen in Figure 1.17, you can either add an existing domain you own or purchase a new one. Select Add domain for this recipe.

Figure 1.17 – Domains screen of Microsoft 365 admin center

4. Submit the domain name you wish to add, for instance, natechamberlain.com, and then choose Use this domain.
5. To enable features such as email, you must update your Domain Name System (DNS) records at your domain registrar or hosting provider. Microsoft 365 can automate this for supported registrars (e.g., WordPress, GoDaddy). If this is possible for you, it will ask you to sign in to your registrar to verify before returning you to the wizard. You can also manually enter the required DNS records provided by Microsoft 365. The wizard screen shown in Figure 1.18 will guide you to the appropriate action for your specific scenario if it can’t be automated, or you choose not to use the automated method.

Figure 1.18 – Domain verification steps of adding a domain

6. After updating DNS records, proceed through the setup wizard to finalize the domain’s integration with services such as Exchange and Teams, concluding by selecting Done.

How it works…

Adding your domain to Microsoft 365 directs your domain’s email traffic to Microsoft 365, facilitating the use of Outlook for email services and allowing users to log in to Microsoft 365 services with your branded domain. This setup enhances your organizational presence and user experience.

Important note

For organizations with multiple domains or subdomains, Microsoft 365 supports the management of secondary email addresses, policies, and licenses. This flexibility is particularly useful in scenarios involving acquisitions, where integrating and managing new domains or creating specific subdomains (e.g., staff.contoso.com) is required.

There’s more…

An alternative method to set up a custom domain you or your company already own is to follow these steps:

1. Access the Microsoft 365 admin center by visiting http://admin.microsoft.com.
2. Navigate through Show all | Setup and then select Get your custom domain set up from the Sign-in and security section, as shown in Figure 1.19.

Figure 1.19 – Custom domain setup location

3. Select Get started. The same wizard from this section’s recipe opens to guide you through the process of connecting your existing domain. All remaining steps are the same.

Note that this method does not permit you to purchase a new domain – only to connect your existing one.

See also

• For a comprehensive guide on adding a domain to your Microsoft 365 subscription, including detailed DNS configuration steps, visit https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/admin/setup/add-domain
• Complete a short learning module on custom domains where you can learn more about custom domains and DNS zones and records, as well as subdomains at https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/training/modules/add-custom-domain-microsoft-365/

After adding a custom domain to Microsoft 365, or in scenarios involving multiple domains, such as company acquisitions or rebranding, you may need to update the domains of existing users. This change affects users’ email addresses and login credentials, which could impact scheduled meetings. Communication with affected users before making these changes is crucial for a smooth transition. For this recipe, you’ll learn the process for updating the domain for selected users.

Getting ready

This task requires Microsoft 365 administrative privileges to modify user domain settings.

How to do it…

1. Begin by navigating to the Microsoft 365 admin center at http://admin.microsoft.com.
2. Proceed to Users | Active users. Here, you can change the domain for one or multiple users.
   • For one user, use the users ellipsis to select Manage sign-in details, as shown in Figure 1.20. Note you can also change their alias or, essentially, their entire email address this way.

Figure 1.20 – Steps to change the domain for a single user

• For multiple users, multi-select the users whose domain you intend to change by selecting the checkbox next to their name, then select the Change domains option.

3. When multi-selecting users to change domains, a panel opens on the side where you can choose from the available options to select the new domain for the users, as shown in Figure 1.21. A disclaimer highlighting the implications of this change will be shown.

Figure 1.21 – The Change domains panel for multiple users

4. After reviewing the disclaimer, confirm your decision by selecting Save changes.

How it works…

Changing a user’s domain directly updates their associated email address and login credentials. Such modifications are relatively rare, and often reserved for significant organizational changes, such as mergers, rebranding, or internal reallocations. Upon confirmation, the update takes immediate effect, necessitating prompt communication with affected users to ensure they use their new login details and share the updated email addresses accordingly.

Important note

The previous domain, including the default onmicrosoft domain, can be retained as an email alias and fallback domain. This ensures that emails sent to the former address are automatically redirected to the new primary email, maintaining continuity of communication.

See also

• Read more about changing email addresses to use custom domains at https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/admin/email/change-email-address
• For further details on changing a user’s name and email address, including step-by-step guidance and additional considerations, visit https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/admin/add-users/change-a-user-name-and-email-address

User capabilities within your Microsoft 365 environment are determined by the specific license types assigned to them. From fundamental operations, such as navigating the tenant and sending emails, to utilizing various applications, such as those in the Power Platform, licenses play a crucial role in enabling these functionalities. For example, E3 licenses do not include Power BI Pro licenses, whereas E5 licenses do. This recipe guides you on how to allocate product licenses to users efficiently through the Microsoft 365 admin center.

Getting ready

Assigning licenses necessitates having one of the administrative roles equipped to perform this action, such as Global Administrator or License Administrator.

All Microsoft 365 users in your tenant need to have a Microsoft 365 license assigned to them. These should be purchased through the Microsoft 365 admin center’s Billing section or your third-party provider. You can check your available license counts by going to Billing | Licenses.

How to do it…

1. Visit the Microsoft 365 admin center at http://admin.microsoft.com.
2. Navigate to Users | Active users and select the individuals you intend to assign licenses to, then opt for Manage product licenses. In Figure 1.22’s example, new employees Adele and Alex are selected.

Figure 1.22 – Steps to manage product licenses for multiple users

3. A side panel will give you the Replace, Assign more, or Unassign options for the selected users. Since our new employees Adele and Alex don’t have any assignments currently, select Assign more.
4. Identify and select the desired product license for the user, confirming your choice by selecting Save changes.

Figure 1.23 – Product licenses being assigned to users

Note that Microsoft 365 licenses include many apps. As Figure 1.23 shows, 71 apps are included by assigning a single Microsoft 365 E5 license. You can uncheck most of the 71 apps if you wish to restrict access to certain products, such as Power BI or Sway.

5. Select Save changes. A screen appears summarizing the actions taken.

How it works…

Through the Users section of the Microsoft 365 admin center, administrators have the ability to audit, allocate, or retract licenses for individual or multiple users. Opting for certain licenses, such as those for Enterprise plans, grants users access to a comprehensive suite of Microsoft products automatically. Alternatively, specific licenses allow for more granular control over app access, catering to diverse user needs within the organization.

There’s more…

Managing licenses on an individual basis can be labor-intensive. For efficiency, Microsoft 365 supports bulk license assignments either through selecting multiple users simultaneously, importing a CSV file with user details, or executing PowerShell scripts. These bulk operations facilitate streamlined license management across your organization, significantly reducing the administrative overhead.

This approach to license assignment underscores the importance of understanding and managing Microsoft 365 licenses to ensure users have the necessary tools for their roles, while also offering administrators scalable solutions for license management.

See also

• Learn more about assigning and unassigning licenses for users at https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/admin/manage/assign-licenses-to-users
• Compare licenses at https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/business/compare-all-microsoft-365-business-products

Assigning licenses to one or a few individuals is typical if a new hire is added or someone leaves the organization. However, for organizations of any size, managing licenses individually can be cumbersome when actions are needed in bulk. Utilizing groups for license assignment streamlines the process, especially for modifications that affect all members of a group. This recipe demonstrates the efficient assignment of licenses to groups, such as making sure all members of accounting have access to Power Automate.

Getting ready

Assigning licenses to a group requires administrative privileges, specifically roles such as Global Administrator or License Administrator. Additionally, your tenant must possess sufficient available licenses for assignment.

How to do it…

1. Navigate to Microsoft Entra admin center at https://entra.microsoft.com.
2. Within the Microsoft Entra ID section, locate and select Billing | Licenses.
3. Select All products to review the licenses your tenant has available.
4. Identify the desired license type and select it.
5. Proceed by selecting Assign, as shown in Figure 1.24.

Figure 1.24 – Initial steps to assign product licenses to groups in Microsoft Entra admin center

6. Select Add users and groups under the Users and groups section, search and select the groups to which you wish to assign the license, and then confirm your selection by choosing Select.
7. Adjust any necessary assignment options to tailor the license features for the group. For example, you can turn Common Data Service (Dataverse) and Flow Free on or off when assigning the Microsoft Power Automate Free licenses.
8. Select Review + assign, review your pending action, and then complete the process by selecting Assign.

How it works…

By leveraging Microsoft Entra ID for group-based license assignments, the process is significantly expedited compared to individual assignments. Microsoft Entra ID automates the assignment, processing each group member sequentially. Depending on the group size, this may take some time, and usually applies within 15 minutes.

A completion notification will appear once the process concludes. Any issues encountered during the assignment, such as conflicts with existing licenses, are detailed in the notification for further review.

See also

• For verification of group license assignment completion, detailed guidance is available at https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/entra/identity/users/licensing-groups-assign#step-2-verify-that-the-initial-assignment-has-finished
• To address and resolve license assignment issues, consult https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/entra/identity/users/licensing-groups-assign#step-3-check-for-license-problems-and-resolve-them
• For information on known issues with group-based license management in Microsoft Entra ID, review https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/entra/identity/users/licensing-group-advanced

For administrators who frequently access specific admin centers within Microsoft 365, customizing the navigation menu of the Microsoft 365 admin center to make these links readily accessible can significantly enhance efficiency. This recipe focuses on ensuring that the Microsoft Entra, Exchange, and SharePoint admin centers are prominently displayed in your navigation menu without having to first select Show all.

Getting ready

To customize the admin center navigation, you must hold an administrative role, such as Global Administrator. Many administrator roles can access the admin center, but their options differ based on their specific role. For example, a SharePoint Administrator who is not also a Teams or Global Administrator will not see the Teams admin center option.

Note that customizations made to Microsoft 365 admin center navigation are specific to the logged-in user, so your customizations won’t affect other administrators who may have made unique customizations to their own admin center navigation experience.

How to do it…

1. Visit the Microsoft 365 admin center at http://admin.microsoft.com.
2. Select the Show all link in the navigation pane.
3. Select the pushpin icons next to Identity (Microsoft Entra ID), Exchange, and SharePoint. Figure 1.25 reflects this action.

Figure 1.25 – Option to pin something normally hidden in the admin center navigation

4. When finished, your selected admin centers will be directly visible on the main navigation pane, as shown in Figure 1.26 when visiting the admin center. The Show all link remains just as before as an option to expand and view additional admin centers and options that haven’t yet been pinned.

Figure 1.26 – Customized navigation in the Microsoft 365 admin center

How it works…

By choosing to pin and unpin nodes in the navigation pane, you effectively tailor the Microsoft 365 admin center to fit your specific administrative needs, ensuring quick access to frequently used admin centers, such as Microsoft Entra, Exchange, and SharePoint. Figure 1.26 shows the result of pinning three admin centers and unpinning other nodes not needed as often (such as Billing and Setup). Notice how it makes their navigation less cluttered and easier to use on a regular basis for their most frequently needed items.

This personalization does not limit the visibility of other admin centers, as the Show all link will still allow you to explore the full range of admin centers available.

Customizing the admin center navigation streamlines your workflow by reducing the time spent searching for frequently used tools, making your administrative tasks more efficient and focused. This feature is especially beneficial in a growing ecosystem such as Microsoft 365, where the ease of access to necessary functions can significantly impact daily operations.

As the complexity and functionality of applications evolve, so does the necessity for streamlined access to vital tools and tasks. The Microsoft 365 admin center addresses this by allowing for a highly customizable home page, enhancing both accessibility and efficiency. This customization extends beyond aesthetic adjustments, providing practical shortcuts to frequent administrative tasks, such as adding users and resetting passwords. This recipe shows you how you can tailor your admin center home page to fit your specific needs.

Getting ready

To customize the admin center home page, you must hold an administrative role, such as Global Administrator. Many administrator roles can access the admin center, but their options differ based on their specific role.

Note that customizations made are specific to the logged-in user, so your customizations won’t be visible to other administrators who may have made different customizations to their own admin center home page experience.

How to do it…

1. Start by navigating to the Microsoft 365 admin center at http://admin.microsoft.com.
2. You can first remove any existing card on your dashboard you don’t always want there by selecting the ellipsis (…) in the upper-right corner of the card, and then selecting Remove. For this recipe, try removing all cards to start with a blank home page.
3. Next, look for the Customize dashboard option located on the ellipsis (…) along the top ribbon menu, as shown in Figure 1.27.

Figure 1.27 – Customize dashboard option location

4. You can personalize your dashboard by dragging and dropping your preferred cards or by selecting the plus sign (+) on a card to add it directly to your home page where you can drag to rearrange it as well. Card options include the following:
   • App updates
   • Billing
   • Domains
   • Manage What’s New messages
   • Message center
   • Microsoft 365 active users report
   • Microsoft 365 apps
   • Microsoft Entra
   • Role-based access for admins
   • Service health
   • Setup
   • Teams
   • Training and guides
   • Update Compliance Reporting
   • User management
5. Add the cards for Message center, Microsoft Entra, Microsoft 365 active users report, Teams, and Service health. Drag and drop them to arrange them how you wish.
6. Notice in Figure 1.28 how this updated dashboard highlights upcoming changes and allows for easy user additions and edits, password resets, reports on user activity, and more. Your admin center dashboard can be specifically tailored to your responsibilities and interests.

Figure 1.28 – Customized Microsoft 365 admin center home page

How it works…

By adding specific data cards to your home page, you gain instant access to the most relevant and frequently used information and functionalities without navigating or scrolling through multiple menus and irrelevant featured items. This level of customization allows for more efficient administration by centralizing crucial data and tasks.

While the customization options are bound by the preconfigured selections provided by Microsoft, these options cover a broad spectrum of administrative functionalities, enabling the creation of a comprehensive and powerful dashboard tailored to your operational needs with convenient shortcuts to your favorite places.

Tip

Administrators also have the capability to modify the overall theme of the tenant’s admin center, including toggling between light and dark modes, further personalizing the user experience to suit preferences, and enhancing visibility.

By following the steps in the last two recipes of this chapter, you can significantly enhance your efficiency and ease of navigation within the Microsoft 365 admin center, ensuring that the most important tasks and information are always just a selection away.

There’s more…

Your Microsoft 365 admin center home page defaults to Dashboard view. If you change the drop-down selection shown in Figure 1.29 from Dashboard view to Health, you’ll have an entirely separate home page experience that focuses on service health for your organization.

Figure 1.29 – Option to switch from Dashboard view to Health

Health can’t be customized in the same way as Dashboard view, but it contains valuable information and cards, including the following:

• Critical alerts
• Service health and usage
• Microsoft 365 app updates
• Recommended actions

Tip

It’s recommended to check service health daily for any ongoing Microsoft 365 issues that may be impacting your tenant and its users.

You can toggle back and forth between your custom Dashboard view and the standard Health view at any time.