Commands › SharePoint Online
Connect-SPOService
Connects a SharePoint Administrator or SharePoint Embedded Administrator to the SharePoint admin center. You must run this cmdlet before running any other SharePoint Online cmdlets.
Quick start script
# Connect-SPOService — quick start (serv365.ai)
# 1. Connect (app-only shown; interactive: omit the certificate parameters)
Connect-SPOService -Url https://$org-admin.sharepoint.com
# 2. Run and inspect
Connect-SPOService -AuthenticationUrl <String> -ClientId <String> -ManagedIdentity <SwitchParameter> | Format-List
# 3. Export for evidence / drift tracking
Connect-SPOService | Export-Clixml .\SPOService-$(Get-Date -Format yyyyMMdd).xmlSyntax — 4 parameter sets
AuthenticationCertificate
Connect-SPOService [-Url] <UrlCmdletPipeBind> [[-ClientTag] <String>] [-Region <AADCrossTenantAuthenticationLocation>] [-AuthenticationUrl <String>] [-Certificate <X509Certificate2>] [-CertificatePath <String>] [-CertificateThumbprint <String>] [-CertificatePassword <SecureString>] -ClientId <String> -TenantId <String> [<CommonParameters>]AuthenticationLocation
Connect-SPOService [-Url] <UrlCmdletPipeBind> [[-Credential] <CredentialCmdletPipeBind>] [[-ClientTag] <String>] [-Region <AADCrossTenantAuthenticationLocation>] [[-ModernAuth] <Boolean>] [[-UseSystemBrowser] <Boolean>]AuthenticationManagedIdentity
Connect-SPOService -Url <UrlCmdletPipeBind> [-ClientTag <String>] [-ManagedIdentity] [-ManagedIdentityType <ManagedIdentityType>] [-ManagedIdentityClientId <String>] [<CommonParameters>]AuthenticationUrl
Connect-SPOService [-Url] <UrlCmdletPipeBind> [[-Credential] <CredentialCmdletPipeBind>] [[-ClientTag] <String>] -AuthenticationUrl <String> [[-ModernAuth] <Boolean>] [[-UseSystemBrowser] <Boolean>] [<CommonParameters>]Parameters (16)
| Parameter | Type | Required | What it controls |
|---|---|---|---|
| -AuthenticationUrl | String | yes | Specifies the URL for the Microsoft Entra cross-tenant authentication service. Use this parameter when a non-default cross-tenant authentication endpoint is required. |
| -Certificate | X509Certificate2 | Specifies the X.509 certificate used for authentication. | |
| -CertificatePassword | SecureString | Specifies the password for the certificate file. | |
| -CertificatePath | String | Specifies the path to the local `.pfx` certificate file. | |
| -CertificateThumbprint | String | Specifies the thumbprint of the certificate in the current user's certificate store. | |
| -ClientId | String | yes | Specifies the client ID of the application. |
| -ClientTag | String | Optionally adds a client tag to CSOM HTTP traffic to help identify the calling script or solution. | |
| -Credential | CredentialCmdletPipeBind | Specifies the credentials used to connect. If you do not provide credentials, you are prompted to enter them. The credentials must belong to an administrator who has access to the SharePoint admin center. | |
| -ManagedIdentity | SwitchParameter | yes | Indicates that the connection uses a managed identity instead of user or certificate‑based authentication. |
| -ManagedIdentityClientId | String | Specifies the client ID of a user‑assigned managed identity to use for authentication. | |
| -ManagedIdentityType | ManagedIdentityType | Specifies the type of managed identity to use when authenticating. If not specified, the default managed identity type is used. | |
| -ModernAuth | Boolean | Enables modern authentication when connecting to SharePoint administration cmdlets. When you use this parameter, you must also specify the `AuthenticationUrl` parameter. | |
| -Region | AADCrossTenantAuthenticationLocation | Specifies the authentication region. Valid values are: `Default`, `ITAR`, `Delos`, `France`, `Germany`, and `China`. The default value is `Default`. | |
| -TenantId | String | yes | Specifies the ID of the tenant to connect to. |
| -Url | UrlCmdletPipeBind | yes | Specifies the URL of the SharePoint admin center. |
| -UseSystemBrowser | Boolean | Uses the Microsoft Authentication Library (MSAL) to authenticate the user by using the system browser. |
Reference facts derived from Microsoft documentation, © Microsoft, licensed CC BY 4.0; restructured with original guidance by serv365.ai.