Using New-MgGroup with Get-MgGroup: Create and Verify Microsoft 365 Groups

Microsoft 365 Groups are essential for collaboration and resource management. Pairing New-MgGroup and Get-MgGroup allows administrators to programmatically create new groups and verify their details. This article demonstrates a practical example, helpful tips, and use cases for these cmdlets.

The New-MgGroup cmdlet creates a new Microsoft 365 Group, while the Get-MgGroup cmdlet retrieves details of existing groups. By combining these cmdlets, administrators can automate group creation and retrieve the details of the newly created group.

Usage Example: Creating and Verifying a Microsoft 365 Group

Here’s how to create a new Microsoft 365 Group and verify its details:

# Step 1: Define the new group's details
$newGroup = @{
    DisplayName = "Project Alpha Team"
    MailNickname = "projectalpha"
    GroupTypes = @("Unified")  # Indicates it's a Microsoft 365 Group
    MailEnabled = $true
    SecurityEnabled = $false
}

# Step 2: Create the group
try {
    $createdGroup = New-MgGroup -BodyParameter $newGroup
    Write-Output "Group created successfully: $($createdGroup.DisplayName)"
} catch {
    Write-Error "Failed to create group: $_"
    return
}

# Step 3: Verify the group's details
try {
    $verifiedGroup = Get-MgGroup -Filter "displayName eq 'Project Alpha Team'"
    if ($verifiedGroup) {
        Write-Output "Group Found:"
        Write-Output "Display Name: $($verifiedGroup.DisplayName)"
        Write-Output "Mail: $($verifiedGroup.Mail)"
        Write-Output "Group ID: $($verifiedGroup.Id)"
    } else {
        Write-Error "Group verification failed: Group not found."
    }
} catch {
    Write-Error "Failed to retrieve group details: $_"
}

Cmdlet Tips

Use GroupTypes for Microsoft 365 Groups: Set GroupTypes to @("Unified") to ensure the group is a Microsoft 365 Group (not a security group).
Mail-Enabled Groups: Use MailEnabled = $true to create a mail-enabled group for email communication.

Avoid Duplicate Groups: Use Get-MgGroup with a filter to check if a group already exists before creating it:

$existingGroup = Get-MgGroup -Filter "displayName eq 'Project Alpha Team'"
if ($existingGroup) {
    Write-Output "Group already exists."
    return
}

Bulk Group Creation: Automate the creation of multiple groups by iterating through a list of group definitions from a file or script:

$groups = Import-Csv "groups.csv"
foreach ($group in $groups) {
    $newGroup = @{
        DisplayName = $group.DisplayName
        MailNickname = $group.MailNickname
        GroupTypes = @("Unified")
        MailEnabled = $true
        SecurityEnabled = $false
    }
    New-MgGroup -BodyParameter $newGroup
}

Assign Owners and Members: Use New-MgGroupOwner and New-MgGroupMember to assign owners and members to the group after creation.

Use Cases

Automating Team Creation: Create groups for project teams, departments, or other organizational units programmatically.
Standardizing Group Configurations: Ensure all newly created groups follow a standardized naming convention, email format, and settings.
Onboarding Workflows: Automate the creation of groups for new hires or projects as part of onboarding workflows.
Bulk Group Management: Programmatically create or update multiple groups during reorganization or tenant migrations.

Possible Errors & Solutions

Error Message	Cause	Solution
Group Already Exists	Duplicate group name	Check for existing groups using `Get-MgGroup` before creating new ones.
Invalid MailNickname	Invalid characters in MailNickname	Ensure the `MailNickname` contains only letters, numbers, and hyphens.
Insufficient Permissions	Lack of required permissions	Grant `Group.ReadWrite.All` or `Directory.ReadWrite.All` permissions.
Invalid Group Type	Missing or incorrect GroupTypes property	Ensure `GroupTypes` is set to `@("Unified")` for Microsoft 365 Groups.

Conclusion

Pairing Get-MgGroup and New-MgGroup simplifies group management in Microsoft 365. Whether creating new groups for projects, automating workflows, or standardizing configurations, these cmdlets provide a powerful solution for administrators. By leveraging these tools, you can ensure consistent group management, improve collaboration, and streamline organizational processes.