Microsoft Entra ID · M365 & Platform Services
Message Center Reader
Can read messages and updates for their organization in Office 365 Message Center only.
Scope: Read-only access to Microsoft 365 Message Center communications
Permissions
- Read Message Center posts
- Receive weekly email digests
- Share Message Center posts
- View basic directory information
- Access to groups and domains info
Common use cases
- Tracking M365 service updates
- Change communication awareness
- Proactive planning for updates
- Sharing updates with stakeholders
- Advisory monitoring
Best practices
- Review Message Center weekly
- Share relevant updates with teams
- Track major change announcements
- Plan for upcoming changes
- Subscribe to important categories
Security considerations
- Read-only role with no modification ability
- Message Center may contain roadmap info
- No access to security messages (use Privacy Reader)
Common questions
When should I assign the Message Center Reader role?
Assign Message Center Reader when you need to: Tracking M365 service updates; Change communication awareness; Proactive planning for updates; Sharing updates with stakeholders; and Advisory monitoring. It is part of Microsoft Entra ID and should be granted as a least-privilege alternative to broader roles like Global Administrator.
What can someone with the Message Center Reader role do?
The Message Center Reader role grants permissions including: Read Message Center posts; Receive weekly email digests; Share Message Center posts; View basic directory information; and Access to groups and domains info. See the Permissions section above for the full list.
What are the security risks of the Message Center Reader role?
Key considerations when assigning Message Center Reader: Read-only role with no modification ability; Message Center may contain roadmap info; and No access to security messages (use Privacy Reader). Review the Security considerations section before assignment, and pair with Privileged Identity Management (PIM) for just-in-time access where possible.