Mail contacts in Microsoft 365 are mail-enabled directory service objects that contain information about users outside your organization. These external users will then appear in your organization’s shared address book and other address lists.
Creating Mail Contacts
Here is the example PowerShell command to create a mail contact in Exchange Online:
New-MailContact -Name “John Doe” -ExternalEmailAddress “johndoe@example.com” -OrganizationalUnit “Users”
This command creates a new mail contact named John Doe. The OrganizationalUnit parameter specifies the OU where you want the contact object to be created.
You can see the mail contact’s detail by using the Get-MailContact command in PowerShell:
Get-MailContact -Identity “John Doe”
Managing Mail Contacts
Managing mail contacts involves operations like changing contact information, removing mail contacts, and much more.
For instance, if you need to change or update the external email address of a mail contact, you can use the Set-MailContact command:
Set-MailContact -Identity “John Doe” -ExternalEmailAddress “newaddress@example.com”
To remove a mail contact from the organization, use the Remove-MailContact command:
Remove-MailContact -Identity “John Doe”
Create and Manage Mail Users
Mail users, unlike mail contacts, are directory objects in your Microsoft 365 organization that are similar to mail contacts. Both have external email addresses and both contain information about people outside your organization. However, unlike a mail contact, a mail user has logon credentials in your organization’s cloud-based services and can log into them.
Creating Mail Users
To create a mail user in Exchange Online using PowerShell, use the below command:
New-MailUser -Name “Jane Doe” -Password (ConvertTo-SecureString -String ‘Pa$$word1’ -AsPlainText -Force) -UserPrincipalName “janedoe@contoso.com” -ExternalEmailAddress “janedoe@example.com”
This command creates a new mail user named Jane Doe, with a specified username and password.
To view the details of the mail user, the Get-MailUser command can be used:
Get-MailUser -Identity “Jane Doe”
Managing Mail Users
Management of mail users also involves operations like changing user information, removing mail users, etc. The commands used are quite similar to the ones used for mail contacts.
To update the password for a mail user, the Set-MailUser command is used:
Set-MailUser -Identity “Jane Doe” -Password (ConvertTo-SecureString -String ‘NewPassword’ -AsPlainText -Force)
And, to remove a mail user, the Remove-MailUser command is used:
Remove-MailUser -Identity “Jane Doe”
Overall, creating and managing mail contacts and mail users efficiently is crucial in daily operations of Microsoft 365. Remembering these precis processes, commands, and their use cases, as outlined in this article, can help excel your performance in managing Microsoft 365 Messaging, and most importantly, aid you in passing the MS-203 Microsoft 365 Messaging exam.
Practice Test
True or False: In Microsoft 365, Mail contacts and mail users are essentially the same.
- Answer: False
Explanation: Mail contacts are generally those that have an email address outside of your organization. Mail users, on the other hand, are similar to mail contacts, but they have additional capabilities, like logging into your organization’s network.
What should you do if you cannot create a new mail user?
- A. Restart the computer
- B. Check error message for guidance
- C. Clear cache and cookies
- D. Change the email server
Answer: B. Check error message for guidance
Explanation: If you are unable to create a new mail user, the error message usually gives you the direction on what the issue might be. The other options might not necessarily solve the problem.
True or False: Mail users have mailboxes in Microsoft
- Answer: False
Explanation: Mail users have email addresses and can be given security roles within organization’s network, but they don’t have mailboxes in Microsoft
Mail contacts in Microsoft 365 are those that have an email address ________.
- A. Within your organization
- B. Outside your organization
- C. Not associated with any organization
- D. Both A & B
Answer: B. Outside your organization
Explanation: Mail contacts are used to manage those contacts that have an email address outside of your organization.
What kind of administrative privilege do mail users have in Microsoft 365?
- A. Global administration
- B. Exchange administration
- C. No administration capabilities
- D. All administration capabilities
Answer: C. No administration capabilities
Explanation: Mail users don’t have administration capabilities in your Microsoft 365 organization, but they are similar to mail contacts.
True or False: Microsoft 365 cannot send mail to a mail contact or a mail user.
- Answer: False
Explanation: As long as the mail contact or mail user is set up and linked correctly, mail can be sent from a Microsoft 365 account to a mail contact or a mail user.
What is the difference between a mail user and a mailbox user in Microsoft 365?
- A. A mailbox user cannot receive mail
- B. A mail user cannot have an email address
- C. A mail user cannot send mail
- D. A mail user does not have a mailbox in your Microsoft 365 organization
Answer: D. A mail user does not have a mailbox in your Microsoft 365 organization
Explanation: The main difference between mail users and mailbox users is that mail users do not have a mailbox in your Microsoft 365 organization.
To add a new mail contact in Microsoft 365, you go to the admin center and then to “Recipients”. True or False?
- Answer: True
Explanation: To add a new contact, you typically navigate to the admin center and then to the “Recipients” section.
Mail users in Microsoft 365 are considered ________.
- A. Internal Users
- B. External Users
- C. Part-time Users
- D. Temporary Users
Answer: A. Internal Users
Explanation: Mail users are similar to mail contacts, but can log on to your organization’s network and do things like access resources. This makes them internal users.
It is not possible to edit or delete mail contacts once they have been created. True or False?
- Answer: False
Explanation: Just like other contact types in Microsoft 365, mail contacts can be edited or deleted after their creation.
Interview Questions
What is a Mail User in the context of Microsoft 365 Messaging?
A Mail User is an entity in Microsoft 365 Exchange Online that has a user account in Azure Active Directory (AAD) and holds information about a person that resides outside your Exchange organization.
How can you create a Mail Contact in MS-365 Exchange admin center?
To create a Mail Contact in MS-365 Exchange admin center, navigate to recipents -> contacts -> new, then provide the contact’s information and click on save.
What command in Exchange Online PowerShell can be used to create a Mail User?
The “New-MailUser” command can be used in Exchange Online PowerShell to create a Mail User.
Can a Mail Contact receive email from individuals outside the organization?
Yes, a Mail Contact can receive emails from individuals both within and outside the organization.
Where does the Mail Contact feature reside in the Microsoft 365 admin center?
The Mail Contact feature resides in the Exchange admin center under the recipients section.
How can you delete a Mail User in the Exchange admin center?
To delete a Mail User, navigate to Recipients -> Mail users, select the user, and then click on delete.
Is it possible to restore a deleted Mail Contact in Microsoft 365?
No, once deleted, a Mail Contact cannot be restored.
What is the chief distinction between a Mail User and a Mail Contact?
The chief distinction is that a Mail User has login credentials and can sign in, whilst a Mail Contact does not have this capability.
Can you assign a license to a Mail Contact in Microsoft 365?
No, you cannot assign a license to a Mail Contact. Licenses can only be assigned to Users and not Contacts.
Which PowerShell cmdlet can be used to modify an existing mail contact?
The “Set-MailContact” cmdlet in Exchange Online PowerShell can be used to modify an existing mail contact.
What’s the maximum number of Mail Contacts that you can create in Microsoft 365?
Microsoft 365 supports up to 500,000 Mail Contacts.
Can we update the external email address for mail users in MS-365?
Yes, you can update the external email address for mail users using the ‘Set-MailUser’ cmdlet in Exchange Online PowerShell.
Is it possible to convert a mail user to a mailbox user in Exchange Online?
Yes, you can convert a mail user to a mailbox user in Exchange Online by assigning a Microsoft 365 or Office 365 license that includes an Exchange Online plan to the mail user.
What happens when you delete a mail user from the Microsoft 365 admin center?
When you delete a mail user from the Microsoft 365 admin center, the corresponding Azure AD user is also deleted.
How can you hide a Mail Contact from the global address list (GAL)?
You can hide a Mail Contact from the GAL using the “Set-MailContact” cmdlet with the “-HiddenFromAddressListsEnabled” option in Exchange Online PowerShell. For example: Set-MailContact -Identity “Mail Contact” -HiddenFromAddressListsEnabled $true.
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