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Master Exchange Online Email Tracking with Microsoft Graph & PowerShell: A Comprehensive Guide

Muhammad FaizanMarch 24, 2024 - Last Updated: April 6, 2024

0 1,035 1 minute read

Table of Contents

Introduction

Ensuring timely email delivery and diagnosing potential issues within Exchange Online is crucial for smooth communication and compliance. PowerShell, in conjunction with the Microsoft Graph API, provides powerful tools to track email delivery status, offering detailed insights and customization.

Prerequisites

Understanding of Exchange Online mail flow concepts
Familiarity with PowerShell scripting
Microsoft Graph Permissions:
- Mail.Read (at a minimum)
- Potentially Reports.Read.All for more in-depth reporting
App Registration in Azure AD (for PowerShell script authentication)

Finding the Message-ID

The Message-ID uniquely identifies each email. Here’s how to locate it:

Outlook:
1. Open the email.
2. Go to File -> Properties.
3. Locate “Internet headers” and find the Message-ID.
Outlook on the Web:
1. Open the email.
2. Click the three dots (…) and select View message details.
3. Locate the Message-ID.

Tracking Email Delivery with PowerShell & Microsoft Graph

1. Install Modules:

Install-Module -Name Microsoft.Graph

2. Connect to Graph API:

Connect-MgGraph -Scopes Mail.Read, Reports.Read.All # Adjust scopes as needed

Examples

1: Track a Specific Message:

$messageId = "<insert Message-ID here>"
Get-MgMessageTrace -MessageId $messageId

2: Recent Messages From a Specific Sender:

$sender = "user@example.com"
$startTime = (Get-Date).AddHours(-12) # Past 12 hours
Get-MgMessageTrace -Sender $sender -StartDate $startTime

3: Failed Deliveries for Troubleshooting:

$yesterday = (Get-Date).AddDays(-1)
Get-MgMessageTrace -StartDate $yesterday |
    Where-Object { $_.Status -eq "Failed" } |
    Select-Object Sender, Recipients, Subject, Status, FailureDetail

Real-World Applications

Troubleshooting Delays: Identify bottlenecks and pinpoint the cause of delayed emails.
Delivery Confirmation: Verify if critical emails reached their intended recipients.
Compliance Reporting: Demonstrate adherence to regulations or internal policies with delivery status reports.