Export Distribution Groups in Microsoft 365

In today's fast-paced digital world, clear email communication is crucial for any M365 organization. Though distribution groups are useful for sending emails to multiple recipients, managing them becomes a nightmare as business expands. Fortunately, there's a solution! This guide will show you how to export distribution groups as CSV files which can be useful for reporting, backups, migration, and offline audits. With exported data, you can gain valuable insights to manage them securely and streamline your email communication.

Native Solution

Microsoft 365 Permission Required

High

Global Admin or Exchange Admin.

Option 1 Using Exchange Admin Center

Login to the Exchange admin center.
Navigate to Recipients»Groups»Distribution list.
Choose Export»Export groups in this list to download all the distribution lists in your organization.

Option 2 Using Windows PowerShell

Connect to the Exchange Online PowerShell using the below cmdlet:
Windows PowerShell
```
 Connect-ExchangeOnline
```
To export all the distribution lists as CSV file, run the below cmdlet:

Windows PowerShell

 Get-DistributionGroup -RecipientTypeDetails MailUniversalDistributionGroup -ResultSize Unlimited | Export-Csv -Path “C:\DistributionGroup.csv” -NoTypeInformation

In the exported CSV file, you can get the details about the distribution list, such as group name, when it is created, group owner, maximum incoming message size, maximum outgoing message size, etc...

Option 3 Using PowerShell Script

As the above cmdlets offer a limited view of distribution groups, our PowerShell script dives deeper. It exports additional details like member count, membership types, and other settings related to the distribution group.
Download and run the following script in Administrator PowerShell to export the Microsoft 365 distribution list.

Get-DistributionGroup.ps1

AdminDroid Solution

This report and 150+ more reports are under free editionFREE

AdminDroid Permission Required

Delegated

The Super Admin can assign report access to any user.

StepsUsing AdminDroid

Login to the AdminDroid Office 365 portal.
Navigate to the Distribution Groups report under Reports»Azure AD»Group reports.

The report consolidates the count of owners and members in the group along with the group name, group type, Proxy address, and much more.

To export Office 365 distribution group, click the download button. This action enables you to export the list in your preferred file formats.

Uncover top distribution groups by member count using interactive charts to organize them better and use resources efficiently.

Explore a full range of reporting options

Unify your Distribution group management!

Gain complete control over distribution group memberships and permissions with AdminDroid Exchange Online management tool.

Witness the report in action using the

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Important Tips

Regularly identify and remove both inactive distribution lists and empty distribution groups, optimizing resources for a clutter-free organization.

Enable message approval settings for sensitive distribution groups to reduce the risk of malicious or inappropriate content being disseminated.

Ensure emails reach intended recipients and avoid leaks to irrelevant or suspicious contacts by proactively managing group membership changes.

Exchange OnlineExport all Distribution List for effective group management in M365

Showing 1 of 5

How to manage the Microsoft 365 distribution groups? How to export the members of a distribution group? How to create a dynamic distribution group in Exchange admin center? Are distribution groups and shared mailboxes the same? How to upgrade a distribution list to Microsoft 365 group?

How to manage the Microsoft 365 distribution groups?

By actively managing distribution groups, organizations can mitigate security risks, eliminate redundancy, and enhance their Microsoft 365 environment. This approach ensures that only the appropriate individuals receive information, keeping everyone informed and aligned. These groups can be managed using the Exchange admin center and PowerShell.

Using Exchange Admin Center

Login to the Exchange admin center.
Navigate to Recipients»Groups»Distribution list.
Click on the distribution group you want to manage. Go to Settings tab to manage message approvals, membership approvals, delivery management, etc.
You can also create and delete distribution lists from this page.

You can also create and delete distribution lists using the steps below.

To create a Distribution list,

Click the Add a group button in the Distribution list page.
Select the group type as Distribution and give all the details that are required.
Click Create group. The Office 365 distribution group will be created.

To delete a Distribution list,

Select the group you want to remove and click the More Actions button.
Choose Delete group to confirm.
A confirmation prompt will appear. Click it again to remove the distribution group.

Using Windows PowerShell

Connect to the Exchange Online PowerShell using the below cmdlet.
```
 Connect-ExchangeOnline 
```
To create a distribution group, run the below cmdlet.
```
New-DistributionGroup -Name <"Group name">
```
To remove a distribution group, run the below cmdlet.
```
Remove-DistributionGroup -Identity <"Group name">
```

To add or remove members of a distribution group.

Add-DistributionGroupMember -Identity <"Group name"> -Member <"Member Name">
Remove-DistributionGroupMember -Identity <"Group name"> -Member <"Member name">

To add or remove distribution group owners.

Set-DistributionGroup <"Group name"> -ManagedBy @{Add= <"User-email address">
Set-DistributionGroup <"Group name"> -ManagedBy @{Remove= <"User-email address">

To manage the settings of your existing distribution groups, utilize the below command.
```
Set-DistributionGroup
```
For instance; To hide a distribution list from the Gloal Address List (GAL), use the cmdlet:
```
Set-DistributionGroup <"Group name"> -HiddenFromAddressListsEnabled $True
```
To explore distribution groups in your organization, run the below cmdlet.
```
Get-DistributionGroup
```
To get a list of members of a specific distribution group, run the below cmdlet.
```
Get-DistributionGroupMember -Identity <"Group email address">
```

The Distribution group audit reports in AdminDroid, provide a clear picture of all changes in distribution groups facilitating your group management.

The Distribution Group Changes report provides a comprehensive view of all distribution group changes, including membership changes, ownership changes, creation & deletion of groups, and any other modifications in distribution groups settings.

How to export the members of a distribution group?

By exporting distribution list members to CSV, you can gain critical data for maintaining accurate records to:

streamline security measures
simplify compliance reporting
manage membership data

How to export members of a distribution group using the Exchange admin center

Login to the Exchange Online admin center.
Navigate to Recipients»Groups»Distribution list.
Click the distribution list for which you need to export the memberships.
Choose Export Group Members on the Export option. Click continue in the pop-up message and the distribution group membership report will be exported as a CSV file.

Export Microsoft365 distribution group members using PowerShell

Connect to Exchange Online PowerShell using the cmdlet
```
Connect-ExchangeOnline
```
To export all the distribution lists with members into a CSV file using PowerShell, run the below script:

$Groups = Get-DistributionGroup -RecipientTypeDetails MailUniversalDistributionGroup -ResultSize Unlimited

  $Groups | ForEach-Object {
      $group = $_
      Get-DistributionGroupMember -Identity $group.DisplayName | ForEach-Object {
          New-Object -TypeName PSObject -Property @{
              GroupName = $group.DisplayName
              MemberDisplayName = $_.DisplayName
              MemberPrimarySMTPAddress = $_.PrimarySmtpAddress
              RecipientType = $_.RecipientType
              Alias = $_.Alias
          }
      }
  } | Export-CSV "D:\DistributionGroupMembers.csv" -NoTypeInformation

Instantly export group membership for effective auditing and reporting with AdminDroid's Distribution Group Members report in a single click.

Save time and effort by exporting AdminDroid's Distribution Group Members report.
Simply select the group and get a complete list of distribution group members delivered straight to your inbox in various formats like CSV, PDF, XLS, XLSV, RAW, etc.

How to create a dynamic distribution group in Exchange admin center?

In Microsoft 365, Dynamic distribution groups are a flexible way to manage email recipients. They automatically populate their membership list based on pre-defined filters, ensuring emails reach the intended audience every time.

Create a dynamic distribution group using the Exchange admin center

Open your Exchange admin center and navigate to Recipients»Groups and then click Dynamic distribution groups.
Click the Add a group button and ensure the Dynamic distribution option is chosen as the group type.
Provide a unique name for the group and a description detailing the group’s purpose.
Assign group owner who will have permission to manage the group's properties and memberships.
Utilize the Members section to define criteria for automatic membership inclusion. Select recipients to be added to the group dynamically.
Click 'Add another rule' to define conditions determining recipient eligibility for group membership.
Create a specific email address and finalize by clicking the Create group button to establish the new dynamic distribution group.

Create a dynamic distribution group using PowerShell

Connect to Exchange Online PowerShell using your administrative credentials.
```
Connect-ExchangeOnline
```

Create a dynamic distribution group using the below cmdlet:

New-DynamicDistributionGroup -IncludeRecipients <RecipientType> -Name <"Group name">

With insightful reports of AdminDroid, gain a comprehensive view of all dynamic distribution groups within your Office 365 environment.

Maintain efficient group management with Dynamic Distribution Groups report available in AdminDroid.
This simplifies identification of the group's manager, recipient filter, and other relevant group details.

Are distribution groups and shared mailboxes the same?

No. While both distribution groups and shared mailboxes involve the sharing of emails among multiple users, they serve different purposes.

Distribution groups

Microsoft 365 distribution groups are used to send emails to a group of users at once. Company announcements, newsletters, and mass notifications can be sent using the distribution group.

Quick and Easy: Send emails to a large audience with minimal setup.
Reduced Clutter: Recipients only receive the main message, not replies.
Scalable: Easily manage groups with hundreds or even thousands of recipients.

Note: Distribution groups lack inherent mailboxes. Emails addressed to a distribution group are routed directly to the primary inboxes of all its designated members.

Shared mailboxes

Shared mailboxes are used when multiple people need access to the same mailbox such as team inboxes (customer support, sales), or project communication.

Two-Way Communication: Team members can read, send, and reply to emails from a central address.
Collaboration Features : Assign tasks, track email threads, and manage folders for organized teamwork.
Shared Calendar: Schedule meetings, track team availability, and manage vacation time collaboratively.

While shared mailboxes provide valuable collaboration features, distribution groups shine when your primary goal is efficient one-way communication. They excel at broadcasting information to a large audience. This simplifies email management for both you and the recipients, who only receive the initial message, keeping their inboxes less cluttered.

How to upgrade a distribution list to Microsoft 365 group?

If you're looking to boost collaboration within your team but already have a distribution group set up, consider upgrading it to a Microsoft 365 group. This saves you the hassle of creating a whole new group and re-adding all the members. Even better, this smooth transition keeps your established structure intact while unlocking the powerful collaboration features of Microsoft 365 groups.

Enjoy easier access to shared resources and improved teamwork capabilities – all without starting from scratch. However, all the distribution lists may not be eligible for the upgrade. Check the eligibility before upgrading.

To Upgrade distribution list to Microsoft365 group

Login to the Exchange admin center.
Navigate to Recipients»Groups»Distribution list and select the specific distribution list.
In the 'Change Group Type Option', click the Send Upgrade Request. Select send a request to the owner of that group, if that group is eligible for an upgrade.
Once the owner selects the Upgrade options in the email, the distribution list gets upgraded to a Microsoft 365 group.

You can also use PowerShell to upgrade, if the group is eligible.

Upgrade-DistributionGroup -DlIdentities "<Distribution-group-email-address>"

Eligibility criteria for upgrading a distribution group to a Microsoft 365 group

Simple and Non-Nested: The group cannot be nested within another group or have child groups of its own.
Cloud-managed: The group must be managed entirely within Exchange Online, not on-premises.
Limited Owners: The group can have a maximum of 100 owners.
Members and Owners: The group must have at least one owner and can have members.
Supported Member types: All members must have a valid recipient type, such as UserMailbox, SharedMailbox, TeamMailbox, or MailUser.
No Sender restrictions: The group cannot be part of sender restrictions applied to another distribution list.
Not a Forwarding address: The group cannot be configured to forward emails to a shared mailbox.
Static group: The group cannot be a dynamic distribution group that automatically populates members based on criteria.
Valid Alias: The group alias cannot contain special characters.

You can also use the below PowerShell cmdlet to get all the distribution groups eligible for upgrade.

Get-EligibleDistributionGroupForMigration

AdminDroid Exchange Online Reporting Export and Manage Microsoft 365 Distribution List for effective mail communication

AdminDroid Exchange Online reporting tool gives Microsoft 365 admins an ultimate solution to abandon complex manual methods and gain instant comprehensive reports of distribution list data with a user-friendly interface, eliminating the need for PowerShell scripting.

Unlock the potential of AdminDroid to manage distribution lists in Microsoft 365!

The ‘Distribution Groups’ report offers detailed information on a list of all distribution groups in Microsoft 365 with details like group names, group mail, members, external users, empty distribution groups, etc.

A Quick Summary

Get Real-time alerts on membership modifications

Create an alert policy to detect distribution group membership changes and prevent sharing sensitive information to the wrong recipients.

Customize the Distribution Group View

Filter the report to focus on distribution groups with external members to enhance security on those groups and save it as a View to access it anytime.

Schedule Automated reports to Stay Informed

Schedule your distribution group reports and receive them directly to your inbox. These reports provide a clear and concise summary of your distribution groups and their memberships, focusing only on the most recent data.

Track each change with Audit reports

Audit distribution group changes and
dynamic distribution group changes report to track additions, removals, and modifications to ensure accountability and identify any unauthorized changes.

Monitor Inactive Distribution Groups with Low activity

Audit the last email activity of distribution groups to find the inactive distribution group and take the required actions to optimize your Microsoft 365 resources.

Birds Eye View of Distribution Groups Activity

The distribution groups summary report provides a comprehensive view of your cloud, empty, on-premises, and deleted distribution groups and gain complete control over your email communications.

With AdminDroid Exchange Online reporting and auditing tool, effectively overseeing and exporting distribution groups in Microsoft 365 becomes a straightforward task which helps you to proficiently manage your organization’s email communication and optimize your workflow.

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Common Errors and Resolution Steps while getting started with distribution list in Microsoft 365

The following are possible errors and troubleshooting hints while dealing with Microsoft 365 distribution list:

Error: Set-DistributionGroup The parameter 'PrimarySmtpAddress' is already being used by another distribution group.

This error arises when assigning a primary email address (SMTP address) to a distribution group that is already in use by another group by using PowerShell.

Troubleshooting hint :Make sure you choose a unique email address that's available (not already in use). Then, update the cmdlet or script you're using to set that email address for the distribution group.

Error: ValidationException | Invalid StartDate value.

This error occurs in PowerShell because the start date cannot be older than 10 days from today.

Troubleshooting hint :The –StartDate should be within a valid range for message trace retrieval (typically up to 10 days in the past). Double-check the date you are providing. If you want to get the report of message trace for more than 10 days, you can use the Exchange admin center.

Error: We encountered an error while fetching the eligibility of the distribution list. Please try again later.

This error typically occurs in Exchange admin center when there's a problem with the system or server responsible for fetching the eligibility information of the distribution list. It could be due to various reasons such as server downtime, network issues, or a temporary glitch in the system.

Troubleshooting hint :To troubleshoot the error, check your internet connection for stability, refresh the page to address potential glitches, or try again later as the issue might be temporary.

Error: The specified distribution group is not eligible to be upgraded or you are not allowed to upgrade this distribution group.

The error indicates that the specified distribution group is not eligible to be upgraded to Microsoft 365 group.

Troubleshooting hint :Use the below PowerShell cmdlet to check whether the specified distribution group is eligible for an upgrade. If not, check why the distribution group can’t be upgraded to Microsoft 365 groups and modify the cause to upgrade.

Get-EligibleDistributionGroupForMigration

Error: PositionalParameterNotFound - When adding members to Distribution Groups.

This error occurs in PowerShell, if the identity parameter in the ‘Add-DistribuionGroupMember’ cmdlet has a missing value or the value is formatted incorrectly.

Troubleshooting hint :While using ‘group name’ value to the identity parameter ensure it’s enclosed in quotation marks(“”) or use group’s GUID (if known) in the identity parameter.

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How to Export Distribution Groups in Microsoft 365