How to remove an Azure AD group using PowerShell scripts
Administrators use Azure Active Directory (AD) groups to manage users and their permissions collectively. It is essential to remove groups that are no longer in use due to organizational changes, as it avoids confusion and streamlines group management. ADManager Plus, a unified Active Directory, Microsoft 365, Exchange, and Google Workspace management and reporting tool, can also be used to accomplish this task.
The following table is a comparison on how to remove a group from Azure AD using PowerShell scripts and ADManager Plus.
Azure PowerShell
Steps to remove a group from Azure AD using PowerShell scripts:
- Note down the variables of the required parameters (ObjectId, InformationAction, InformationVariable, and other CommonParameters) for removing the group.
- Execute the following PowerShell script with the required parameters and their values.
Copied
Remove-AzureADGroup
-ObjectId <ObjectId>
[-InformationAction <ActionPreference>]
[-InformationVariable <Var>]
[<CommonParameters>]
Click to copy entire script
Where <ObjectId> refers to the ID of the group, <ActionPreference> describes the way in which this cmdlet reacts to an information event, and <var> refers to the information variable.
ADManager Plus
Steps to remove a group from Azure AD using ADManager Plus:
- Log in to ADManager Plus and navigate to Microsoft 365 tab > Management > Group Management.
- Under Bulk Group Modification, click Delete Groups.
- Select the desired Microsoft 365 tenant from the Microsoft 365 Tenant drop-down.
- Select the group(s) that you wish to delete by searching for the name of the group(s) or by importing a CSV file.
- Click Apply, and the selected group(s) will be removed from Azure AD.
Limitations of using PowerShell scripts to remove Azure AD groups
- Administrators must have sufficient permissions to modify memberships of Azure AD groups if they wish to use the above-mentioned PowerShell script. However, one wrong move from the administrator can affect the security posture of your organization.
- Only technicians with PowerShell expertise can execute this command.
- The security groups that have been deleted cannot be restored.
- PowerShell scripts are time-consuming and can affect productivity.
- To apply conditions to these cmdlets, parameters should be entered manually, which can be cumbersome for admins.
Benefits of using ADManager Plus:
- ADManager Plus provides group modification templates that simplify the process of group modification in bulk.
- ADManager Plus comes with an intuitive UI and does not demand extensive knowledge of PowerShell.
- Management actions come built-in with ADManager Plus and can be performed at the click of a button.
