Using Get-MgUser with New-MgUser: Creating and Verifying Users in Microsoft 365

Managing user accounts is a critical task in Microsoft 365 administration. Pairing Get-MgUser and New-MgUser allows administrators to create new users and immediately verify their details. This article demonstrates a simple use case with practical tips for everyday user management.

The New-MgUser cmdlet enables you to create new users in Microsoft 365, while Get-MgUser retrieves user details, such as their display name, email, and assigned licenses. Using these cmdlets together ensures accuracy during the user creation process by allowing immediate verification.

Usage Example: Creating and Verifying a User


# Step 1: Define new user details
$newUser = @{
    DisplayName = "Jane Doe"
    UserPrincipalName = "jane.doe@domain.com"
    MailNickname = "janedoe"
    AccountEnabled = $true
    PasswordProfile = @{
        ForceChangePasswordNextSignIn = $true
        Password = "P@ssw0rd123!"
    }
}

# Step 2: Create the user
try {
    New-MgUser -BodyParameter $newUser
    Write-Output "User created successfully: $($newUser.DisplayName)"
} catch {
    Write-Error "Failed to create user: $_"
    return
}

# Step 3: Verify the user's details
$user = Get-MgUser -Filter "userPrincipalName eq 'jane.doe@domain.com'"
if ($user -ne $null) {
    Write-Output "User Found: $($user.DisplayName)"
    Write-Output "User Principal Name: $($user.UserPrincipalName)"
    Write-Output "Account Enabled: $($user.AccountEnabled)"
} else {
    Write-Error "User verification failed: User not found."
}

Cmdlet Tips

Avoid Duplicate Users: Use Get-MgUser with the -Filter parameter to check if the user already exists before creating them:

$existingUser = Get-MgUser -Filter "userPrincipalName eq 'jane.doe@domain.com'"
if ($existingUser) {
    Write-Error "User already exists."
    return
}

Password Management: Ensure strong passwords are used in the PasswordProfile to meet organizational security requirements.
Enable or Disable Accounts: Set AccountEnabled to $true for active users or $false for inactive accounts at the time of creation.
Review Required Properties: For successful user creation, ensure required properties like DisplayName, UserPrincipalName, and MailNickname are provided.

Use Cases

Onboarding New Employees: Automate the creation and verification of new accounts during onboarding workflows.
Testing and Training: Quickly create test accounts for training sessions or system testing.

Bulk User Creation: Create multiple users by looping through a list of user details from a CSV or other source:


$users = Import-Csv "users.csv"
foreach ($user in $users) {
    $newUser = @{
        DisplayName = $user.DisplayName
        UserPrincipalName = $user.UserPrincipalName
        MailNickname = $user.MailNickname
        AccountEnabled = $true
        PasswordProfile = @{
            ForceChangePasswordNextSignIn = $true
            Password = $user.Password
        }
    }
    New-MgUser -BodyParameter $newUser
}

Possible Errors & Solutions

Error Message	Cause	Solution
User Already Exists	Attempting to create a user with an existing UPN	Check for existing users with `Get-MgUser` before creating new ones.
Invalid Password	Password does not meet complexity requirements	Ensure passwords comply with the organization's password policy.
Insufficient Permissions	Missing required permissions	Grant `User.ReadWrite.All` or `Directory.ReadWrite.All` permissions.
Invalid Property Value	Missing or incorrect user properties	Verify that all required properties are correctly specified.

Conclusion

Pairing Get-MgUser and New-MgUser simplifies the process of creating and verifying user accounts in Microsoft 365. This approach ensures that user accounts are created accurately and allows for immediate validation to avoid potential issues.

By incorporating these cmdlets into your workflows, you can streamline user management and enhance administrative efficiency in your organization.