configure a naming policy for Microsoft 365 Groups

Microsoft 365 Groups

Microsoft 365 Groups is a service that enables teams to collaborate by providing a single identity for various Microsoft resources, such as Teams, SharePoint, and Outlook. Configuring a naming policy for Microsoft 365 Groups is an essential task for administrators as it helps maintain a consistent, easy-to-understand naming convention across the organization and also makes managing groups more straightforward. Naming policies can enforce certain prefixes or suffixes and block specific words to keep group names appropriate and informative.

Prerequisites for Configuring a Naming Policy

Before setting up a naming policy for Microsoft 365 Groups, certain prerequisites must be met:

• You must have either an Azure AD Premium P1 or Azure AD Premium P2 license.
• You have to be a Global Administrator or a User Administrator in your Azure AD organization.
• The Azure Active Directory PowerShell for Graph module should be installed for executing PowerShell commands.

Steps to Configure a Naming Policy

Naming policies are configured using the Azure Active Directory admin center or through PowerShell. The policy will apply to any new groups created through Outlook, SharePoint, Teams, Planner, and other group-enabled services.

Defining Blocked Words

1. Go to the Azure Active Directory admin center.
2. Navigate to “Groups” and then select “Settings” > “Group settings”.
3. Navigate to “General” and then find “Group naming policy”.
4. Under the “Blocked words” section, you can add words that are not allowed in group names.

Setting up Prefixes and Suffixes

A common use of the naming policy is to automatically add prefixes or suffixes to group names based on certain attributes of the group or the user creating it.

1. In the “Group naming policy” section, define the prefixes or suffixes that you want to enforce.
2. Use fixed strings or user attributes encased in brackets, like [Department] or [Company].

Example

Imagine a company wants to automatically prefix group names with the department name and suffix with the group creation date. The naming policy might be configured as follows:

• Prefix: [Department]_
• Suffix: _Created[yyyy-MM-dd]

If a user from the “Sales” department creates a group on March 15, 2023, the group name might auto-populate as “Sales_GroupName_Created2023-03-15”.

Using PowerShell to Configure Naming Policy

To define a naming policy using PowerShell, you would typically follow these steps:

1. Connect to Azure AD with the Connect-AzureAD command.
2. Use the New-AzureADDirectorySetting cmdlet to create a new directory setting template.
3. Define your blocked words, prefixes, and suffixes within the settings object.

Here’s a snippet of what the PowerShell script might look like:

$template = Get-AzureADDirectorySettingTemplate | Where-Object {$_.DisplayName -eq "Group.Unified"}
$setting = $template.CreateDirectorySetting()
$setting["PrefixSuffixNamingRequirement"] = "GRP_[Department]_CreatedBy[Creator]_[yyyy-MM-dd]"
$setting["CustomBlockedWordsList"] = "Payroll,HR,CEO,Secret"
New-AzureADDirectorySetting -DirectorySetting $setting

Impact of Naming Policy

Once a naming policy is in place, when users attempt to create a group, they will be guided by the policy. If the group name does not comply with the policy, they will receive an error and will need to adjust the name accordingly.

Policy Exemptions

In some cases, you might want to exempt certain users or groups from the naming policy. You can achieve this by creating an exemption rule. This might be necessary for groups created by IT admins or for certain automation processes that require specific naming conventions outside of the enforced policy.

Monitoring and Compliance

After implementing a naming policy, it’s important to monitor that the policy is being followed and identify any loopholes or challenges in compliance. Regular audits of group names and applications of the policy will help maintain the structural integrity of the organization’s group management.

In summary, configuring a naming policy for Microsoft 365 Groups helps in keeping the digital workspace organized and structured, making management and discovery easier for users and administrators alike. It enforces organizational standards and guidelines, enhances discoverability of groups and content, and helps in maintaining professional and relevant naming conventions across an organization’s Microsoft 365 environment.