MC1081538 – (Updated) Important Update to the Get-FederationInformation Cmdlet in Exchange Online (archived)

Product:

Exchange

Platform:

Online, US Instances, World tenant

Status:

Change type:

Admin impact, Feature update, Updated message

Links:

Details:

Summary:
To enhance security, the `Get-FederationInformation` cmdlet in Exchange Online will now only return domain information explicitly passed as a parameter. This update, affecting scripts and tools, will roll out from late June 2025 to late August 2025. Review and update any automation accordingly. More details are available in the official blog post.

Details:
Updated July 17, 2025: We have updated the timeline. Thank you for your patience.
To enhance security and reduce potential data exposure, we are updating the behavior of the Get-FederationInformation cmdlet in Exchange Online. This change limits the scope of domain data returned by the cmdlet.
[When this will happen:]
General Availability (Worldwide, GCC, GCC-High, DoD): Rollout will begin in late June 2025 (previously mid-June) and is expected to complete by late August 2025 (previously early July).

Change Category:
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Scope:
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Release Phase:

Created:
2025-05-24

updated:
2025-07-18

Task Type

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Docu to Check

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MS How does it affect me

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MS Preperations

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summary for non-techies**

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Direct effects for Operations**

Limited Data Retrieval
The Get-FederationInformation cmdlet will only return domain information explicitly passed as a parameter, potentially leading to incomplete data retrieval for scripts and tools that rely on the previous behavior.
   - roles: Exchange Online Administrators, IT Support Teams
   - references: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/exchange/important-update-to-the-get-federationinformation-cmdlet-in-exchange-online/4410095

Automation Failures
Scripts and automation tools that do not explicitly pass domain parameters may fail or return errors, disrupting automated processes and workflows.
   - roles: Exchange Online Administrators, DevOps Engineers
   - references: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/exchange/important-update-to-the-get-federationinformation-cmdlet-in-exchange-online/4410095

User Experience Degradation
Users may experience delays or issues if their requests depend on automated scripts that fail due to the updated cmdlet behavior, leading to potential service disruptions.
   - roles: End Users, Help Desk Staff
   - references: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/exchange/important-update-to-the-get-federationinformation-cmdlet-in-exchange-online/4410095

Configutation Options**

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Opportunities**

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Potentional Risks**

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IT Security**

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explanation for non-techies**

Imagine you're using a search engine to find information about different restaurants in your city. Previously, when you typed "restaurants," the search engine would give you a list of all the restaurants available, even if you were only interested in Italian ones. Now, to improve your search experience and protect sensitive information, the search engine requires you to specify "Italian restaurants" to get the relevant results. This means you get exactly what you ask for, but you need to be more specific in your request.

Similarly, in Exchange Online, the Get-FederationInformation cmdlet is undergoing a change. Before, it would return all federated domain information when you ran it, much like the search engine giving you all restaurant types. With the update, the cmdlet will only provide information about the specific domain you ask for, enhancing security by reducing unnecessary data exposure. This means if your scripts or tools rely on getting all domain information without specifying, they might not work as expected after the update.

It's important to review and adjust any automated processes to ensure they include the specific domain information needed. Think of it as updating your search habits to be more precise to get the best results. This change is scheduled to roll out from late June 2025 to late August 2025, so there's time to prepare and communicate with your team to ensure a smooth transition. For further details, you can refer to the official blog post linked in the update.