POWERSHELL / EXCHANGEONLINEMANAGEMENT
ProAdvancedRead-onlylow

Find inactive Exchange mailboxes

Find Exchange Online inactive mailboxes retained for compliance and export their identity details to CSV with PowerShell.

Generated securely after server-side Pro license validation · Review before running · Opselith does not connect to your tenant

What this PowerShell script does

Finds inactive mailboxes retained for compliance.

Requirements

  • CSV output path - Example: C:\Temp\report.csv

Environment

  • Module: ExchangeOnlineManagement
  • Permissions: View-Only Recipients
  • Output: CSV report
  • Context: PowerShell 7 · Exchange Online
  • Risk: Low
Review before you run The script is generated securely after server-side Pro license validation. Test outside production first.
NEXT STEP

Ready to generate

Configure Find inactive Exchange mailboxes in the Builder, review the generated PowerShell and run it yourself in your own PowerShell session.

More about this script

Why use this template?

Use this PowerShell template when you need to find inactive mailboxes retained for compliance. It can be previewed in the Builder; Pro access is required to generate it for your own environment.

The template uses ExchangeOnlineManagement and requires View-Only Recipients. Output: CSV report. Level: Advanced. Action: Read-only. Risk: Low.

Review before running

The script remains preview-only until Pro access is enabled. Review it before running it, and test it outside production first. “Read-only” describes the script itself; anything you add around it can still change data.

Preview the script

  1. Open the template in the PowerShell Builder.
  2. Review the purpose, requirements, permissions, output and risk.
  3. Activate Pro when you are ready to generate the full script, then test it outside production.

Pro templates remain previewable before purchase or activation. No tenant connection is required. When you generate a Pro script, only the configuration values needed for that template are sent to Opselith after license validation.Preview Find inactive Exchange mailboxes →

How to use this result

Use this report for the specific Exchange/Purview inactive-mailbox state, not as a generic list of users who have not signed in recently.

When this helps

  • Inventory inactive mailboxes retained after user departure.
  • Prepare a compliance or migration review that needs ExchangeGuid and deletion timing.
  • Find inactive mailboxes that may require recovery, restore or hold investigation.

How to read the result

  • An inactive mailbox is a retained Exchange Online mailbox with a specific compliance lifecycle; Microsoft exposes it through the InactiveMailboxOnly query path.
  • Inactive mailbox does not mean simply 'no recent login'. User sign-in inactivity is a different concept and should be measured separately.

Things to check

  • Recovery and restore are different operations and can have additional requirements; this report does neither.
  • Confirm hold and retention requirements before making lifecycle decisions about an inactive mailbox.

What to do next: Use the mailbox identity and ExchangeGuid to investigate the intended retention, restore or recovery path for any mailbox that needs action.

Related tasks

Official references

Before you runModule, permissions, inputs, compatibility and script checks
OPS / SCRIPT DETAILS

Script details

Finds inactive mailboxes retained for compliance. Review these details before generating or running the script.

securityfindmailboxexchangecomplianceinactive
Generated here. Run by you.Opselith does not connect to your tenant or run PowerShell. After generating, review the script and run it in your own PowerShell session.

What it works with

Module: ExchangeOnlineManagement

ExchangeOnlineManagement lets PowerShell connect to and work with Exchange Online.

Context: PowerShell 7 · Exchange Online

Compatibility: PowerShell 7 is the supported target for this Microsoft 365 template.

Permissions and changes

Permissions: View-Only Recipients

Risk: Low

Read-only: designed to collect information without intentionally changing the target environment.

Changes: Read-only. The script reads data and does not intentionally change the target environment.

Inputs

  • CSV output path - Example: C:\Temp\report.csv (Required)

What to expect

Output: CSV report

Expect a CSV file at the path you choose. Open it in Excel or another CSV viewer and review the rows.

Example: C:\Temp\report.csv

This template is in the Pro library. Generating the full script requires eligible Pro or tester access. Opselith receives only the values needed to build the script; it does not connect to your tenant, run PowerShell or store the generated script. You review and run the result in your own PowerShell session.

Example use

Finds inactive mailboxes retained for compliance.

Enter the required values in the Builder, review the generated script and confirm the output before running it.

Before you run: Make sure your account has View-Only Recipients. Check that the ExchangeOnlineManagement PowerShell module is available and that you are using the supported PowerShell version. Review the generated script and output path, then test outside production first.
Script checksWhat has been verifiedQA reviewed
Static checksPassed
PSScriptAnalyzerPending
Real-world run testNot yet recorded
Last checkedNot yet recorded

Real-world run results are shown only after Opselith reviews and accepts a tester report.

Tester: report a result →
TEST STATUSWhat Opselith has checked

Last reviewed: 10 Sept 2026

PSScriptAnalyzer: Awaiting a release PSScriptAnalyzer gate that includes this script. No analyzer pass is claimed yet.

Pending or Not yet recorded means there is no accepted result on file yet. A passed analyzer check does not mean the script has been run in a real tenant.