498356 – Microsoft 365: SMTP onboarding to App Role Based Access Control

Product:

Exchange, Microsoft 365 Apps

Platform:

Mac, Online, Web, Windows Desktop, World tenant

Status:

Launched

Change type:

Links:

MC1158911

Details:

We're simplifying how organizations grant applications permission to send email on behalf of mailboxes. Today, customers must manually assign permissions to each individual mailbox using PowerShell, which is time-consuming and inefficient. With this new capability, admins can assign the SMTP.SendAsApp role to an app through App Role-Based Access Control (RBAC), enabling group-based or scoped access to mailboxes. This eliminates the need for per-mailbox configuration and streamlines onboarding for SMTP clients using OAuth. It’s a scalable, secure, and modern approach to managing mailbox access for applications.

Change Category:
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Scope:
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Release Phase:
General Availability, Preview

Created:
2025-07-11

updated:
2025-12-19

Public Preview Start Date

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Docu to Check

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MS workload name

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summary for non-techies**

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Direct effects for Operations**

Please, look at the most relevant linked item for details

explanation for non-techies**

Imagine you're running a law firm and you have a system in place where every time a new case comes in, you need to individually assign a lawyer to handle the case files. This process can be tedious and time-consuming, especially as your firm grows and more cases come in. Now, imagine you could simply assign a team of lawyers to handle specific types of cases, and they would automatically have access to the necessary files without you having to manually grant permissions each time. This is similar to what Microsoft 365 is doing with its new feature for managing email permissions.

Previously, IT administrators had to manually assign permissions to each mailbox for applications that needed to send emails on behalf of users. This was done using a tool called PowerShell, which could be quite cumbersome, especially for large organizations with many mailboxes. It was like having to assign each lawyer to each case file one by one.

With the new system, Microsoft is introducing a more efficient way to manage these permissions. By using something called App Role-Based Access Control (RBAC), administrators can now assign a role to an application that allows it to send emails on behalf of a group of mailboxes. It's like creating a specialized team of lawyers who automatically get access to all the case files they need to work on, without any additional steps required.

This change not only saves time but also makes the process more secure and scalable. It's a modern approach that simplifies how organizations manage access for applications, ensuring that the right permissions are in place without the need for constant manual intervention. Just as having a streamlined process for assigning lawyers to cases can improve efficiency in a law firm, this new feature helps organizations manage their email systems more effectively.