Microsoft Purview | Data Lifecycle Management – Graph API Support for archive mailboxes

Microsoft is retiring Exchange Web Services (EWS) in Exchange Online by April 2027 and expanding Microsoft Graph API support for archive mailboxes. Organizations must migrate applications from EWS to Microsoft Graph APIs by October 2026 to maintain archive mailbox access, compliance, eDiscovery, and data lifecycle management. As part of the retirement of Exchange Web Services (EWS) in Exchange Online, Microsoft is expanding support for archive mailbox scenarios through Microsoft Graph APIs. Organizations that currently use EWS to access archive mailbox data should begin migrating to Microsoft Graph APIs before EWS is disabled. Microsoft Graph now provides API support for importing and exporting mailbox data and for managing archive mailbox folders, including support for auto-expanding archives. This change helps ensure continued access to archive mailbox data after EWS is retired and provides a supported path forward for compliance, data lifecycle management, eDiscovery, backup, and related archive mailbox solutions. Rollout schedule General Availability (Worldwide): Beginning in late October 2026 and expected to complete by early November 2026 Important: Exchange Web Services (EWS) in Exchange Online will begin to be disabled globally in October 2026 and is expected to be fully disabled by April 2027 Impact on your organization Who is affected Organizations that use applications, scripts, or third-party solutions that rely on EWS to access archive mailbox content. Examples include: eDiscovery solutions Compliance and records management workflows Data lifecycle management solutions Backup and export tools Custom applications that access archive mailboxes Platforms and services Microsoft Purview Exchange Online Microsoft Graph What will happen Applications and scripts that continue to use EWS for archive mailbox operations will stop functioning after EWS is disabled. Organizations using auto-expanding archive mailboxes must update applications to support Microsoft Graph archive mailbox behaviors. Microsoft Graph APIs support archive mailbox scenarios through: Mailbox import and export APIs MailboxFolder APIs for folder management operations Applications may need to handle redirect responses when archive content resides in auxiliary archive mailboxes. Action required and recommendations Action required: Yes Before October 2026, we recommend that administrators and developers: Identify applications and scripts that use EWS to access archive mailboxes. Review EWS Usage Reports: […]

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