PowerShell Export to CSV

What is PowerShell Export to CSV?

The Export-Csv cmdlet in PowerShell is used to export structured data—such as user details, reports, or object properties—into a CSV (Comma-Separated Values) file. This is especially useful when administrators want to analyze Microsoft 365 data, share results, or archive records for compliance and auditing.

CSV files are lightweight, widely supported, and easy to open in Excel or other spreadsheet tools, making them ideal for reporting and data exchange.

How PowerShell Export to CSV Operates?

The Export-Csv cmdlet takes a collection of PowerShell objects and converts them into a properly formatted .csv file. It uses the pipeline (|) to accept input and writes each object’s properties as rows and columns.

Syntax:

$data | Export-Csv -Path "output.csv" -NoTypeInformation

• -Path specifies where the CSV file will be saved.
• -NoTypeInformation excludes metadata headers from the output.

You can export users, licenses, groups, and any other data fetched from Microsoft Graph or local PowerShell commands using this method.

Usage Example

Here’s a Microsoft 365 script that fetches all users using Get-MgUser and exports their key details to a CSV file:

# Connect to Microsoft Graph
Connect-MgGraph -Scopes "User.Read.All"
                                            
# Get all users with selected properties
$users = Get-MgUser -All -Property DisplayName, UserPrincipalName, Mail
                                            
# Select relevant fields for export
$exportData = $users | Select-Object DisplayName, UserPrincipalName, Mail
                                            
# Export to CSV
$exportData | Export-Csv -Path "M365Users.csv" -NoTypeInformation
                                            
Write-Host "✅ Export complete: M365Users.csv"
                                        

Explanation:

• Retrieves all Microsoft 365 users with selected properties.
• Uses Select-Object to structure the data for clean output.
• Saves the result to a file named M365Users.csv in the current directory.

This technique is essential for admins who want to document tenant data or generate quick reports.