Exchange Online · View-Only & Reporting
View-Only Organization Management
Members can view the properties of any object in the Exchange Online organization. Read-only access for monitoring and auditing purposes.
Scope: Read-only access to entire Exchange Online organization
Permissions
- View-Only Configuration - View all organization and mail flow settings
- View-Only Recipients - View all recipient properties
Common use cases
- Auditing Exchange configuration
- Monitoring without change access
- Reporting and analysis
- Compliance oversight
Best practices
- Use for audit and oversight roles
- Suitable for compliance monitoring staff
- Combine with Security Reader for broader view
- Assign to reporting tools that need Exchange data
Security considerations
- Cannot modify any settings
- Can view all configuration including security settings
- Suitable for automated monitoring systems
Common questions
When should I assign the View-Only Organization Management role?
Assign View-Only Organization Management when you need to: Auditing Exchange configuration; Monitoring without change access; Reporting and analysis; and Compliance oversight. It is part of Exchange Online and should be granted as a least-privilege alternative to broader roles like Global Administrator.
What can someone with the View-Only Organization Management role do?
The View-Only Organization Management role grants permissions including: View-Only Configuration - View all organization and mail flow settings; and View-Only Recipients - View all recipient properties. See the Permissions section above for the full list.
What are the security risks of the View-Only Organization Management role?
Key considerations when assigning View-Only Organization Management: Cannot modify any settings; Can view all configuration including security settings; and Suitable for automated monitoring systems. Review the Security considerations section before assignment, and pair with Privileged Identity Management (PIM) for just-in-time access where possible.