MC1189663 High Major change
(Updated) Retirement of external access token for actionable messages – moving to Microsoft Entra authentication
Summary AI-generated
Actionable messages using external access tokens retire May 15, 2026; switch to Microsoft Entra authentication to maintain functionality and improve security.
Suggested actions AI-generated
- Review actionable message integrations
- Update to use Microsoft Entra authentication by May 15, 2026
Written by Azure OpenAI (gpt-4.1) from the text of the post below. It can be incomplete or wrong; the original post is authoritative.
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Original post from Microsoft
Updated March 24, 2026: We have updated the timeline. Thank you for your patience.
[Introduction]
We’re retiring the use of external access tokens for actionable messages and transitioning to Microsoft Entra-based authentication. This update enhances security and aligns with modern identity standards, providing a more robust and compliant experience for actionable messages.
[When this will happen]
This change takes effect on May 15, 2026. After this date, external access tokens will no longer be supported.
[How this affects your organization]
Who is affected:
Organizations using actionable messages that currently rely on external access tokens.
What will happen:
- Actionable messages that depend on external access tokens will fail after May 15, 2026.
- All integrations and workflows using actionable messages must adopt Microsoft Entra authentication.
- This change improves security posture by leveraging Entra’s identity and access management capabilities.
- Review all actionable message implementations in your organization.
- Update integrations to use Microsoft Entra authentication before May 15, 2026.
Learn more:
[Compliance considerations]No compliance considerations identified, review as appropriate for your organization.
Additional details from Microsoft
- Summary
- External access tokens for actionable messages will be retired on May 15, 2026, requiring organizations to switch to Microsoft Entra authentication. This change enhances security and affects all integrations using actionable messages with external tokens, which will fail after the deadline. Organizations should update their implementations accordingly.