--- title: How to Use Get-Mailbox in Powershell slug: get-mailbox-powershell published: 2025-07-24T16:40:50.000Z updated: 2025-07-24T16:40:50.000Z feature_image: /blog/images/get-mailbox-powershell/get-mailbox-syntax-microsoft-learn.1600.webp feature_image_alt: Microsoft Learn documentation for the Get-Mailbox cmdlet showing its PowerShell syntax author: James Futhey author_slug: james meta_description: How to use Get-Mailbox in PowerShell to retrieve mailbox details in Exchange environments. Includes practical examples, parameters, & use cases status: published --- The **Get-Mailbox** cmdlet is one of the most widely used tools in Exchange Online and on-premises Exchange environments. It retrieves information about mailboxes and their properties, allowing administrators to view mailbox attributes, filter results, automate reports, and script management tasks in PowerShell. ## What is the Get-Mailbox Cmdlet? The **Get-Mailbox** cmdlet lets you retrieve mailbox objects from Exchange Online or Exchange Server. It provides access to mailbox-level information, such as **Alias, DisplayName, EmailAddresses, Quota settings**, and **RecipientTypeDetails**. You can also use it with filters and pipeline logic to automate mailbox auditing, management, and reporting. This cmdlet is part of the **Exchange Online PowerShell module** (EXO V2) or **Exchange Management Shell** for on-premises environments. It's essential for tasks like retrieving **UserMailbox, SharedMailbox, RoomMailbox**, or **ArchiveMailbox** details across tenants or within an on-premises organization. ### Syntax _`Get-Mailbox [-Identity ] [-Filter ] [-ResultSize ] [...]`_ You can also use it without the **\-Identity** parameter to return all mailboxes (up to the limit set by **\-ResultSize). Heads up:** The -Filter parameter uses Exchange OPATH syntax - not regular PowerShell expressions. ### Parameters - **Identity** – Specify a mailbox using Alias, Email address, Display name, Distinguished Name, or GUID. - **Anr** – Use Ambiguous Name Resolution to find mailboxes matching a partial name. - **Archive** – Returns only mailboxes with archive mailboxes enabled. - **Filter** – Apply a **server-side OPATH filter** as a string. Example: "RecipientTypeDetails -eq 'UserMailbox'". - **RecipientTypeDetails** – Filter by mailbox type, e.g., SharedMailbox, UserMailbox, RoomMailbox, etc. - **ResultSize** – Sets the maximum number of results. Use Unlimited for full queries. - **DomainController** – _(On-prem only)_ Specify the FQDN of a domain controller to retrieve mailbox data. - **OrganizationalUnit** – _(On-prem only)_ Search mailboxes within a specific Active Directory OU. - **ReadFromDomainController** – _(On-prem only)_ Force the command to get data directly from a domain controller. - **IncludeSoftDeletedRecipients** – Returns mailboxes that are soft-deleted but still restorable. - **SortBy** – _(On-prem only)_ Sorts the results by a specific mailbox property. - **WhatIf / Confirm** – Common switches to simulate or confirm the command's effect. ## Key Differences: Get-Mailbox vs Get-ExoMailbox If you're managing Exchange Online, Microsoft now recommends using Get-ExoMailbox instead of Get-Mailbox. Get-ExoMailbox is part of the Exchange Online PowerShell v2 module (EXO V2), which supports **modern authentication, faster performance**, and **pagination for large datasets** - all critical for handling mailboxes at scale in Microsoft 365. We’ve covered Get-ExoMailbox in detail, including installation steps and performance tips, in this [Get-ExoMailbox guide](https://www.meetingroom365.com/blog/get-exomailbox-powershell/). | Feature | Get-Mailbox | Get-ExoMailbox | | --- | --- | --- | | Module | Exchange Management Shell / EXO V1 | ExchangeOnlineManagement (EXO V2) | | API Layer | Remote PowerShell | REST-based | | Performance | Slower for large tenants | Faster, more scalable | | Filtering | Server-side only | Supports client-side filtering | | MFA Support | Limited | Fully supports MFA | | Availability | On-premises & Exchange Online | Exchange Online only | | Modern Use Case | Legacy or hybrid environments | Recommended for Microsoft 365 tenants | ## Practical Uses Here are three real-world scenarios where **Get-Mailbox** is used regularly in Microsoft 365 or Exchange environments: ### 1\. Audit All Shared Mailboxes in a Tenant An IT admin needs a full list of **SharedMailbox** objects in the tenant for documentation, quota checks, or to ensure that none are being misused. **Get-Mailbox** lets you filter by **RecipientTypeDetails** and output attributes like **DisplayName, EmailAddresses**, or **Quota** for reporting or cleanup. ### 2\. Monitor Mailbox Sizes Across Departments Exchange admins often run scripts using **Get-Mailbox** in combination with **Get-MailboxStatistics** to track mailbox usage and enforce quota policies. This is critical in environments with limited storage or aggressive retention rules. Results are typically piped to **Export-Csv** for reporting. ### 3\. Identify Inactive User Mailboxes for Deprovisioning By combining **Get-Mailbox** with **Last logon time** pulled from **Get-MailboxStatistics**, you can detect **UserMailbox** objects that haven’t been accessed in months. This is key for license management, offboarding workflows, and compliance checks in Microsoft 365. ## Prerequisites Before using **Get-Mailbox**, make sure the following conditions are met: - **You have appropriate RBAC permissions**, such as **Recipient Management** or **View-Only Organization Management. - For Exchange Online**: - Install the **ExchangeOnlineManagement** module. - Connect using Connect-ExchangeOnline (MFA is required in most tenants). - **For on-premises Exchange**: - Use the **Exchange Management Shell** or a remote PowerShell session. - You must have access to a domain controller and be authorized via **RBAC**. - Admins do **not** need mailbox access to run Get-Mailbox, unless you're retrieving mailbox content (which this cmdlet does not do). - Some parameters (e.g., DomainController, OrganizationalUnit) are **only available in on-prem environments**. ## How to Use Get-Mailbox This section walks through essential **Get-Mailbox** usage patterns in Exchange Online and on-premises Exchange. Each task includes the PowerShell command, the context, and how to modify it for different mailbox types or reporting needs. ### 1\. Get a Specific Mailbox by Identity _`Get-Mailbox -Identity "james@meetingroom365.com"`_ This retrieves all properties for a specific mailbox. Use it to **inspect mailbox configuration** like Alias, PrimarySmtpAddress, and RecipientTypeDetails, especially when investigating user issues or validating provisioning. ### 2\. List All Mailboxes in the Tenant _`Get-Mailbox -ResultSize Unlimited`_ The default result limit is 1,000. Use -ResultSize Unlimited to fetch **every mailbox** in the organization. This is essential for **tenant-wide audits, reporting, or scripting tasks** that loop through all users. ### 3\. Filter by Mailbox Type (e.g. SharedMailbox) _`Get-Mailbox -ResultSize Unlimited -Filter "RecipientTypeDetails -eq 'SharedMailbox'"`_ This filters mailboxes to only show those of type SharedMailbox. It’s useful when checking **license status, mailbox delegation**, or validating correct usage of shared inboxes. Other valid types include UserMailbox, RoomMailbox, EquipmentMailbox, etc. ### 4\. Use Wildcard Matching on Display Name _`Get-Mailbox -ResultSize Unlimited | Where-Object {$_.DisplayName -like "Sales*"}`_ Returns all mailboxes where the DisplayName starts with “Sales”. Useful when naming conventions reflect teams or roles. **Note:** this is a **client-side filter**  - inefficient for large tenants. Use server-side filtering (-Filter) when possible. ### 5\. Export Mailbox Info to CSV _`Get-Mailbox -ResultSize Unlimited -Filter "RecipientTypeDetails -eq 'UserMailbox'" | Select-Object DisplayName,Alias,PrimarySmtpAddress | Export-Csv -Path "C:\MailboxReport.csv" -NoTypeInformation`_ Exports selected mailbox fields to CSV for **reporting, audits, or license tracking**. This lets you build lightweight reports for stakeholders, or use mailbox data in external workflows. Add more fields like ProhibitSendQuota or CustomAttribute1 depending on your needs. ### 6\. Get Archive Mailbox Status _`Get-Mailbox -ResultSize Unlimited -Filter "ArchiveStatus -eq 'Active'"`_ Shows users with **active archive mailboxes**, often used for **compliance, litigation hold, or storage management**. Especially useful in regulated environments or when optimizing long-term mailbox growth. ### 7\. Filter Mailboxes by Custom Attribute _`Get-Mailbox -Filter "CustomAttribute1 -eq 'HR'"`_ Custom attributes (1–15) allow you to tag mailboxes with internal metadata. This lets you **target specific departments, locations, or policy groups**. Useful for automating policies, building distribution groups, or scoped reporting. ### 8\. Show Specific Mailbox Properties _`Get-Mailbox -Identity "james@meetingroom365.com" | Format-List`_ DisplayName,Alias,EmailAddresses,RecipientTypeDetails Displays a **clean, focused view** of selected mailbox fields. Ideal when you only care about a few properties and want to avoid scanning through the entire object. Also good for **debugging or script output cleanup**. That covers the key usage scenarios for **Get-Mailbox** in both **Exchange Online** and **on-premises Exchange Server**. This cmdlet is foundational to nearly every Exchange PowerShell script, especially when paired with other cmdlets like [**Get-MailboxStatistics**](https://www.meetingroom365.com/blog/get-mailboxstatistics-powershell/), **Export-Csv**, or **Format-List**.