This article is a follow‑up to our main guide:

Using Entra ID (previously Azure Active Directory) to set up valid email addresses

If you followed that setup guide and are seeing permission errors when syncing mail-enabled groups, this article explains why it happens and how to fix it.

Common Error Message

When syncing mail-enabled groups, you may see an error like this:

Syncing groups failed: Response missing required 'value': {
  "error": {
    "code": "Authorization_RequestDenied",
    "message": "Insufficient privileges to complete the operation.",
    "innerError": {
      "date": "2024-10-05T09:22:31",
      "request-id": "a3f7c2d1-9b84-47e1-8c0d-2a6f1f8d9e77",
      "client-request-id": "a3f7c2d1-9b84-47e1-8c0d-2a6f1f8d9e77"
    }
  }
}

This indicates that the Entra ID application used for syncing does not have sufficient Microsoft Graph API permissions.

Why This Happens

1. App registration missing group permissions
   The initial setup only requires User.Read.All and Group.Read.All to sync user accounts. Group sync requires additional permissions.
2. Mail-enabled groups are read-only in Graph
   Microsoft Graph allows you to read mail-enabled security groups and distribution groups, but you cannot create or modify them through Graph.
   • This means syncing is possible, but write operations will always fail.

Required Permissions

To successfully read mail-enabled groups and their memberships, add these Application (not Delegated) permissions to your app:

⚠️ Note: Group.ReadWrite.All is not required for most sync scenarios, and does not allow modifications to mail-enabled groups.

How to Add the Permissions

1. In the Azure Portal, go to Entra ID → App registrations.
2. Select the app you created during the original setup.
3. Navigate to API permissions → Add a permission.
4. Choose Microsoft Graph → Application permissions.
5. Add:
   • Group.Read.All
   • GroupMember.Read.All
   • (Optional) Group.ReadWrite.All
6. Click Grant admin consent for your tenant.
7. Restart your sync or token refresh process so the new permissions are applied.

Limitations with Mail-Enabled Groups

Even with the correct permissions, Graph only provides read access for mail-enabled groups. You cannot:

• Create new mail-enabled groups
• Update their attributes
• Add or remove members

For those tasks, you must use:

• Exchange Admin Center (EAC)
• PowerShell (Exchange Online Management)
• On-prem Active Directory (if hybrid)

Troubleshooting Checklist

• ✅ Confirm your app has Group.Read.All and GroupMember.Read.All under Application permissions.
• ✅ Verify admin consent has been granted.
• ✅ Ensure your sync process is using app-only tokens (not delegated user tokens).
• ✅ If you still see Authorization_RequestDenied, check that the app registration you’re using is the same one updated with the new permissions.

Summary

• The "Authorization_RequestDenied" error means your sync app lacks group-related Graph permissions.
• Add Group.Read.All and GroupMember.Read.All as application permissions and grant admin consent.
• Mail-enabled groups are read-only in Graph, so management must be done in Exchange or AD.
• Once configured, your sync will be able to read mail-enabled groups successfully.