Commands › Exchange Online

Remove-ComplianceSearch

Exchange Online ExchangeOnlineManagement Remove-*

Remove compliance searches from Exchange Server 2016 and from the Microsoft Purview compliance portal. The searches must be stopped or completed. > [!NOTE] > In the cloud, this cmdlet has the following requirements: > - Version 3.9.0 or later of the Exchange Online PowerShell module (August 2025). > - Use the *EnableSearchOnlySession* parameter when you run the **Connect-IPPSSession** command to connect to Security & Compliance PowerShell.

Quick start script

# Remove-ComplianceSearch — quick start (serv365.ai)
# 1. Connect (app-only shown; interactive: omit the certificate parameters)
Connect-ExchangeOnline -CertificateThumbprint $thumb -AppId $appId -Organization $org

# 2. Capture the current state first — you cannot roll back what you never recorded
$before = Get-ComplianceSearch
$before | Format-List

# 3. Make the change (dry run first)
Remove-ComplianceSearch -Identity <ComplianceSearchIdParameter> -WhatIf
Remove-ComplianceSearch -Identity <ComplianceSearchIdParameter>

# 4. Verify and diff
$after = Get-ComplianceSearch
Compare-Object ($before | Out-String) ($after | Out-String)

Syntax

Remove-ComplianceSearch [-Identity] <ComplianceSearchIdParameter>
 [-Confirm]
 [-WhatIf]
 [<CommonParameters>]

Parameters (3)

Parameter	Type	Required	What it controls
-Identity	ComplianceSearchIdParameter	yes	The Identity parameter specifies the name of compliance search that you want to remove.
-Confirm	SwitchParameter		The Confirm switch specifies whether to show or hide the confirmation prompt. How this switch affects the cmdlet depends on whether the cmdlet requires confirmation before proceeding.
-WhatIf	SwitchParameter		The WhatIf switch doesn't work in Security & Compliance PowerShell.

Reference facts derived from Microsoft documentation, © Microsoft, licensed CC BY 4.0; restructured with original guidance by serv365.ai.