How to Use New-MgGroupOwner to Add Microsoft 365 Group Owners?

When managing Microsoft 365 Groups, it’s essential to assign ownership to ensure proper access, lifecycle management, and accountability. The New-MgGroupOwner cmdlet in Microsoft Graph PowerShell makes this task effortless by letting you programmatically assign owners to Microsoft 365 Groups — whether it's one owner, many owners, or importing from a CSV file.

In this blog, we'll explore the New-MgGroupOwner cmdlet with real-world examples and use cases.

What is New-MgGroupOwner?

New-MgGroupOwner is a cmdlet from the Microsoft Graph PowerShell SDK that lets you add owners to existing Microsoft 365 Groups. Owners are privileged members who can manage group settings, approve join requests, and remove members.

Why Use New-MgGroupOwner?

Using New-MgGroupOwner offers many benefits:

• Automation: Add one or many owners with a script.
• Bulk Assignment: Import data from CSVs and assign owners in bulk.
• Consistency: Maintain uniform owner assignment across your organization.
• Efficiency: Avoid repetitive manual steps through scripts.

Cmdlet Syntax

New-MgGroupOwner -GroupId <String> -DirectoryObjectId <String> [-Confirm]

• GroupId is the unique identifier of the Microsoft 365 group.
• DirectoryObjectId is the unique identifier of the user you want to assign as owner.

Usage Examples

Adding a Single Owner to a Group

$groupId = "12345abc-678d-90ef-ghij-klmnopqrstuv"
$directoryObjectId = "98765zyx-432w-vuts-rqpo-nmlkjihgfedc"
                                            
New-MgGroupOwner -GroupId $groupId -DirectoryObjectId $directoryObjectId
                                        

Adding Multiple Owners to a Group

$groupId = "12345abc-678d-90ef-ghij-klmnopqrstuv"
$directoryObjectIds = @(
    "98765zyx-432w-vuts-rqpo-nmlkjihgfedc",
    "abcdef12-3456-7890-abcd-efghijklmnop"
)
                                            
foreach ($directoryObjectId in $directoryObjectIds) {
    New-MgGroupOwner -GroupId $groupId -DirectoryObjectId $directoryObjectId
}
                                        

Adding Owner with Confirmation Prompt

$groupId = "12345abc-678d-90ef-ghij-klmnopqrstuv"
$directoryObjectId = "98765zyx-432w-vuts-rqpo-nmlkjihgfedc"
                                            
New-MgGroupOwner -GroupId $groupId -DirectoryObjectId $directoryObjectId -Confirm
                                        

Importing Group Owners from a CSV File

$csvPath = "C:\\path\\to\\your\\file.csv"
$groupOwners = Import-Csv -Path $csvPath
                                            
foreach ($owner in $groupOwners) {
    New-MgGroupOwner -GroupId $owner.GroupId -DirectoryObjectId $owner.DirectoryObjectId
}
                                        

CSV File Structure

GroupId,DirectoryObjectId
12345abc-678d-90ef-ghij-klmnopqrstuv,98765zyx-432w-vuts-rqpo-nmlkjihgfedc
12345abc-678d-90ef-ghij-klmnopqrstuv,abcdef12-3456-7890-abcd-efghijklmnop

Use Cases

• Assign multiple owners during group creation workflows.
• Fix misconfigured groups missing owners.
• Mass assign owners for all existing Microsoft 365 groups.
• Import ownership data from HR systems or CSVs.

Frequently Asked Questions

• What is New-MgGroupOwner used for?
  The New-MgGroupOwner cmdlet is used to assign users or service principals as owners of a Microsoft 365 group. Owners have elevated permissions to manage the group, such as modifying settings or adding members.
• Can I assign multiple owners to a group at once?
  Yes, you can assign multiple owners by iterating through a list of User IDs. Here’s an example:
  

  
  $GroupId = "<GroupId>"
  $Owners = @("<OwnerId>", "<OwnerId2>", "<OwnerId3>")
  foreach ($OwnerId in $Owners) {
  New-MgGroupOwner -GroupId $GroupId -DirectoryObjectId $OwnerId
  }
  

• Can New-MgGroupOwner be used for adding group members?
  You cannot use New-MgGroupOwner cmdlet to add group members. New-MgGroupMember is the cmdlet for adding group members.
  
• What happens if I try to add the same user as an owner multiple times?
  No change will occur, and no error is thrown. Microsoft Graph silently ignores duplicate owner assignments. It’s safe but good practice to check current owners using Get-MgGroupOwner before adding new ones.
• Can New-MgGroupOwnerByRef be used for adding group owners?
  Yes, New-MgGroupOwnerByRef can also be used to add group owners. Group owner details need to be passed as hashtable to -BodyParameter property.

Conclusion

Managing Microsoft 365 Groups efficiently means assigning the right owners who can handle administrative tasks. The New-MgGroupOwner cmdlet gives you full control over ownership assignments via scripting — whether you're adding one owner or a hundred.