Automate Email Flagging for Follow-Up with Graph PowerShell

In the fast-paced environment of email communication, some important messages might slip through the cracks. To avoid this, it’s essential to flag crucial emails for follow-up, ensuring they don’t get overlooked. Using Microsoft Graph PowerShell, administrators can automate the process of flagging emails based on specific criteria, such as keywords in the subject or content, ensuring that key messages are highlighted for users to review later.

In this article, we’ll walk through a PowerShell script that automatically flags emails for follow-up based on the presence of specified keywords. This can be particularly useful for monitoring key communications and reminding users about important tasks.

The Script: Automatically Flag Emails for Follow-Up

# Connect to Microsoft Graph
Connect-MgGraph -Scopes "Mail.ReadWrite"

# Define the user and the search keyword (subject or content) to flag emails
$UserId = "user@yourdomain.com"
$searchKeyword = "Meeting"

# Retrieve emails that match the specified subject or content from the user's mailbox
$emailsToFlag = Get-MgUserMessage -UserId $UserId -Filter "contains(subject, '$searchKeyword')" -Property Subject ReceivedDateTime

# Flag each retrieved email for follow-up
foreach ($email in $emailsToFlag) {
    $flag = @{
        FlagStatus = "flagged"
    }
    Update-MgUserMessage -UserId $UserId -MessageId $email.Id -BodyParameter @{ Flag = $flag }
    Write-Host "Flagged email for follow-up: $($email.Subject)"
}

# Disconnect from Microsoft Graph
Disconnect-MgGraph

How the Script Works

  • Connect to Microsoft Graph: The script starts by connecting to Microsoft Graph using the Mail.ReadWrite permission, which allows the script to both read and update emails in a user’s mailbox.
  • Search for Emails: The script defines the keyword(s) to search for in the subject or content of emails. In this case, we’re using "Meeting" as the keyword. The Get-MgUserMessage cmdlet retrieves all emails that match this keyword.
  • Flag Emails: For each matching email, the script flags it for follow-up by setting the FlagStatus to "flagged." This marks the email with a follow-up flag in the user’s mailbox.
  • Completion: After processing all the matching emails, the script disconnects from Microsoft Graph.

Further Enhancements

  • Flag Emails Based on Multiple Keywords: Add additional search criteria to flag emails based on multiple keywords or phrases (e.g., "Invoice," "Action Required").
  • $searchKeywords = @("Meeting", "Invoice", "Action Required")
  • Send a Notification Email: Once emails are flagged, the script can be extended to send a notification email to the user, informing them that specific emails have been flagged for follow-up.
  • $subject = "Follow-up Notification"
    $bodyContent = "Dear User, several emails have been flagged for follow-up."
    
  • Flag Emails Based on Other Properties: Instead of keywords, you can flag emails based on other properties, such as emails from specific senders or those received within a certain date range.
  • $emailsToFlag = Get-MgUserMessage -UserId $UserId -Filter "sender/emailAddress/address eq 'manager@domain.com'"
  • Schedule Automatic Execution: Automate the script to run periodically using Task Scheduler or Azure Automation, ensuring that follow-up flags are consistently applied.

Possible Errors & Solutions

Error Cause Solution
No emails found matching the criteria The search criteria (keyword) may not match any emails in the user’s mailbox. Ensure that the keyword is appropriate and adjust the filter criteria to match existing emails.
Insufficient privileges to complete the operation The connected account does not have the necessary permissions to flag emails. Make sure the account has been granted the Mail.ReadWrite permission in Azure AD and that admin consent has been provided if necessary.
The term 'Get-MgUserMessage' is not recognized The Microsoft Graph PowerShell module might not be installed or updated. Install or update the Microsoft Graph PowerShell module by running: Install-Module Microsoft.Graph
Invalid filter syntax The syntax used in the Filter parameter might be incorrect. Double-check the syntax and ensure the property names (like subject) and values are correctly formatted for filtering.

Conclusion

Automatically flagging emails for follow-up is a simple yet effective way to ensure important communications are tracked and reviewed. By leveraging Microsoft Graph PowerShell, administrators can automate this process, ensuring that key emails are properly flagged without manual intervention. This helps users stay on top of critical tasks and ensures that nothing is missed.

With further enhancements, the script can be adapted to suit various email management needs, such as flagging emails based on multiple criteria or sending notifications. Try implementing this solution to streamline email management in your organization and improve communication efficiency.

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