--- title: How to use Set-MailboxImportRequest in Powershell meta_title: "How to Use Set-MailboxImportRequest in PowerShell: 7 Examples" slug: set-mailboximportrequest-powershell published: 2026-10-15T17:00:00.000Z updated: 2026-10-15T17:00:00.000Z feature_image: /blog/images/set-mailboximportrequest-powershell/set-mailboximportrequest-powershell-syntax-microsoft-learn.1600.webp feature_image_alt: Microsoft Learn documentation for the Set-MailboxImportRequest cmdlet showing its PowerShell syntax author: James Futhey author_slug: james meta_description: Learn how to use Set-MailboxImportRequest in PowerShell to modify existing Exchange mailbox import requests, limits, priority, and other settings. status: published --- Mailbox import requests do not always run with the settings you originally assigned. A request might encounter **corrupt mailbox items**, messages that exceed the **maximum message size** allowed by the target mailbox, or simply need a different priority or retention setting after it has already been created. `Set-MailboxImportRequest` lets an Exchange administrator change supported properties on an existing mailbox import request that has not completed. It does not create the request or start a new PST import. Microsoft also documents the cmdlet as one way to change options when recovering from failed import requests. The important part is identifying the correct existing request first, then changing only the settings that need adjustment. ## What Is Set-MailboxImportRequest? `Set-MailboxImportRequest` is an Exchange PowerShell cmdlet that changes options on an existing mailbox import request after that request has been created and before it has completed. Microsoft documents support for direct request identity and pipeline input from `Get-MailboxImportRequest`. This distinction matters because `Set-MailboxImportRequest` does not create the import request itself. Creating a request is a separate operation used with `New-MailboxImportRequest`. For the initial PST import workflow, see [how to use New-MailboxImportRequest in PowerShell](https://www.meetingroom365.com/blog/new-mailboximportrequest-powershell/). Other related cmdlets also have separate jobs. `Get-MailboxImportRequest` retrieves existing requests, while request statistics are available through `Get-MailboxImportRequestStatistics`. Suspending, resuming, and removing requests are handled by their respective Exchange cmdlets. Microsoft states that `Set-MailboxImportRequest` is available only to administrators who have the Mailbox Import Export management role. That role is not assigned to any role group by default. ## Syntax and Core Parameters The main identity-based syntax documented by Microsoft is: ```powershell Set-MailboxImportRequest -Identity [options] ``` The exact options available depend on the Exchange version and parameter set. | Parameter | Purpose | Important notes | | ----- | ----- | ----- | | `Identity` | Specifies the import request to modify | Mandatory. Uses values such as `Alias\Name`. Accepts pipeline input. | | `BadItemLimit` | Sets the maximum number of bad items allowed before the request fails | On-premises Exchange Server. Microsoft marks it deprecated in the cloud service. | | `LargeItemLimit` | Sets the maximum number of oversized items allowed before failure | Exchange Server 2013 and later on-premises versions listed by Microsoft. | | `AcceptLargeDataLoss` | Allows the request to continue when the documented high item-limit thresholds are used | Required with `LargeItemLimit` values of 51 or higher in Exchange 2013 or later, and with `BadItemLimit` values of 51 or higher in Exchange 2010. | | `Priority` | Changes the request's queue priority | On-premises only. Values range from `Lowest` through `Emergency`. | | `BatchName` | Assigns a batch name to the request | Available across the Exchange versions listed for the cmdlet. | | `CompletedRequestAgeLimit` | Controls how long a completed request remains before automatic removal | Exchange Server 2013 and later plus Exchange Online. Default documented value is 30 days. | | `RequestExpiryInterval` | Sets an age limit for completed or failed requests | Exchange Server 2016 and later listed versions plus Exchange Online. | | `DomainController` | Specifies the Active Directory domain controller used by the cmdlet | On-premises only. Uses a fully qualified domain name. | | `WhatIf` | Shows what the command would do without applying the change | Available across the listed Exchange environments. | | `Confirm` | Adds a confirmation prompt | `Set-*` cmdlets do not normally pause automatically, so specifying `-Confirm` introduces the prompt. | These are only the parameters most relevant to normal administrative work. Microsoft also lists parameters intended primarily for debugging or internal Microsoft use. ## Exchange Server Availability Microsoft currently lists `Set-MailboxImportRequest` as applicable to Exchange Server 2010, Exchange Server 2013, Exchange Server 2016, Exchange Server 2019, Exchange Server Subscription Edition, and Exchange Online. Parameter availability differs substantially between those environments. For example: * `BadItemLimit` applies to Exchange Server 2010 through Exchange Server SE, but Microsoft marks it as deprecated in the cloud-based service. * `LargeItemLimit` applies to Exchange Server 2013, Exchange Server 2016, Exchange Server 2019, and Exchange Server SE. It is an on-premises parameter. * `Priority` and `DomainController` are available only in on-premises Exchange. * `CompletedRequestAgeLimit` begins with Exchange Server 2013. * `RequestExpiryInterval` applies to Exchange Server 2016, Exchange Server 2019, Exchange Server SE, and Exchange Online. * Some Exchange Online parameters listed by Microsoft are reserved for internal Microsoft use and should not be treated as normal administrator settings. Microsoft separately states that `New-MailboxImportRequest` is no longer supported in Exchange Online and directs Exchange Online administrators to the network upload PST import process instead. For that reason, commands copied from an older Exchange Server environment should not be assumed to work unchanged in Exchange Online. ## How to Find an Existing Mailbox Import Request Before modifying a request, retrieve it with `Get-MailboxImportRequest`. For example: ```powershell Get-MailboxImportRequest ``` The command returns mailbox import requests that the current Exchange environment can retrieve. If you know the target mailbox, you can filter the results: ```powershell Get-MailboxImportRequest -Mailbox james ``` Microsoft documents the `Mailbox` filter as functional only in on-premises Exchange. The mailbox alias is the simplest identifier to use for current Exchange Server versions. Once you know the request name, retrieve it by identity: ```powershell Get-MailboxImportRequest -Identity "james\MailboxImport" ``` Mailbox import request identities use the mailbox alias followed by the request name. By default, Exchange uses `MailboxImport` as the request name and can generate request identities using the pattern: ```powershell \MailboxImportX ``` where `X` can be absent or a number from 0 through 9. If a custom name was specified when the request was created, the identity uses `Alias\Name`. For example: ```powershell james\MailboxImport ``` is a request identity, while: ```powershell james@meetingroom365.com ``` identifies the mailbox rather than a specific import request. For more detailed request information, Microsoft documents `Get-MailboxImportRequestStatistics`: ```powershell Get-MailboxImportRequestStatistics -Identity "james\MailboxImport" ``` You can also use `-IncludeReport` when you need the detailed request report. ## How to Use Set-MailboxImportRequest: 7 Practical Examples The following examples change properties on requests that already exist and have not completed. Confirm the request identity with `Get-MailboxImportRequest` before modifying it. ### 1. Allow a Small Number of Bad Items A mailbox import can encounter corrupt or missing items. The `BadItemLimit` parameter controls how many bad items can be encountered before the request fails. **Command:** ```powershell Set-MailboxImportRequest -Identity "james\MailboxImport" -BadItemLimit 5 ``` This changes the existing request so that up to five bad items are allowed. Microsoft defines bad items as corrupt source mailbox items that cannot be copied, along with missing items that cannot be found in the target mailbox when the request is ready to complete. The default documented value is `0`, meaning the request fails if bad items are detected. Microsoft recommends using a reasonable value of 10 or lower when leaving a small number of bad items behind is acceptable. `BadItemLimit` applies to on-premises Exchange Server versions listed by Microsoft and is deprecated in the cloud-based service. If the request is suspended or failed, resume it with `Resume-MailboxImportRequest` after changing the setting. ### 2. Allow Large Items in an Import Request Messages can exceed the maximum message size allowed by the target mailbox. On supported on-premises Exchange versions, `LargeItemLimit` controls how many such items can be encountered before the request fails. **Command:** ```powershell Set-MailboxImportRequest -Identity "james\MailboxImport" -LargeItemLimit 10 ``` Microsoft defines a large item as a source mailbox message that exceeds the maximum message size allowed by the target mailbox. If the mailbox does not have its own maximum configured, the organization-wide limit is used. The documented default is `0`. Microsoft recommends a value of 10 or lower when leaving a small number of large items behind is acceptable. `LargeItemLimit` applies to Exchange Server 2013, Exchange Server 2016, Exchange Server 2019, and Exchange Server SE. It is not available for Exchange Server 2010 and is deprecated from the cloud-based service. If the request is suspended or failed, resume it with `Resume-MailboxImportRequest` after changing the setting. ### 3. Use AcceptLargeDataLoss with a High LargeItemLimit When `LargeItemLimit` is set to 51 or higher in Exchange Server 2013 or later, Microsoft requires the `AcceptLargeDataLoss`switch. **Command:** ```powershell Set-MailboxImportRequest -Identity "james\MailboxImport" -LargeItemLimit 60 -AcceptLargeDataLoss ``` Without `-AcceptLargeDataLoss`, Microsoft states that the command fails when `LargeItemLimit` is 51 or higher. The switch tells Exchange that the request should continue even when a large number of large items cannot be copied to the target mailbox. It should therefore not be added mechanically to every import command. Exchange 2010 uses a different documented rule. In that version, `AcceptLargeDataLoss` is required when `BadItemLimit` is set to 51 or higher. ### 4. Change the Priority of an Existing Request If multiple mailbox import requests are queued, you can change the processing priority of a specific request. **Command:** ```powershell Set-MailboxImportRequest -Identity "james\MailboxImport" -Priority High ``` Microsoft documents these priority values: ```powershell Lowest Lower Low Normal High Higher Highest Emergency ``` `Normal` is the default. Request processing also depends on server health, request status, priority, and last update time, so assigning a higher priority does not mean that priority is the only queue-processing factor. The `Priority` parameter is available only in on-premises Exchange. ### 5. Assign a Batch Name Using Pipeline Input `Set-MailboxImportRequest` accepts mailbox import request objects through the pipeline. This is useful when the requests to modify can be selected with `Get-MailboxImportRequest`. **Command:** ```powershell Get-MailboxImportRequest -Status Suspended | Set-MailboxImportRequest -BatchName "OctoberImports" ``` This follows the same pattern documented in Microsoft's own example. `Get-MailboxImportRequest` first retrieves suspended requests, and each returned request is then passed to `Set-MailboxImportRequest`, which sets the batch name. Use filtering carefully when applying changes through a pipeline because every request returned by the first command is passed to the second command. You can verify the result with: ```powershell Get-MailboxImportRequest -BatchName "OctoberImports" ``` ### 6. Specify an Active Directory Domain Controller In an on-premises Exchange environment, you can specify the domain controller used to read or write Active Directory data. **Command:** ```powershell Set-MailboxImportRequest -Identity "james\MailboxImport" ` -Priority High ` -DomainController "dc01.meetingroom365.com" ``` The `DomainController` value must identify the server by its fully qualified domain name. This parameter applies to Exchange Server 2010, Exchange Server 2013, Exchange Server 2016, Exchange Server 2019, and Exchange Server SE. It is not available in Exchange Online. ### 7. Preview a Change with WhatIf Use `WhatIf` when you want PowerShell to show the proposed operation without making the modification. **Command:** ```powershell Set-MailboxImportRequest -Identity "james\MailboxImport" ` -Priority Higher ` -WhatIf ``` Microsoft documents `WhatIf` as showing what the command would do without making changes. After reviewing the output, rerun the command without `-WhatIf` if the proposed target and change are correct: ```powershell Set-MailboxImportRequest -Identity "james\MailboxImport" -Priority Higher ``` ## Common Problems ### 1. Using Set-MailboxImportRequest to Create a New PST Import `Set-MailboxImportRequest` changes an existing request that has not completed. It does not create one. If no request exists yet, the operation belongs to the PST import creation workflow rather than `Set-MailboxImportRequest`. On supported Exchange Server environments, that distinction means using `New-MailboxImportRequest` first, then using `Set-MailboxImportRequest` only if one of its exposed properties needs to be changed later. ### 2. Using a Mailbox Address Where a Request Identity Is Required The `Identity` parameter identifies the import request, not merely its target mailbox. For example: ```powershell james\MailboxImport ``` matches Microsoft's documented `Alias\Name` request identity syntax. If Exchange assigned a default request name, the identity follows the `Alias\MailboxImportX` pattern, where `X` can be absent or a number from 0 through 9. Use `Get-MailboxImportRequest` first when the exact request name is unknown. ### 3. Using a Parameter That Is Not Available in That Exchange Version Parameter support differs by Exchange release and between on-premises Exchange and Exchange Online. For example, this is an on-premises setting: ```powershell Set-MailboxImportRequest -Identity "james\MailboxImport" -Priority High ``` `Priority` is not listed for Exchange Online. `LargeItemLimit` is also restricted to the supported on-premises versions documented by Microsoft. Check the applicability section for the specific parameter rather than assuming that availability of the cmdlet means availability of every parameter. ### 4. Setting a High Item Limit Without AcceptLargeDataLoss Microsoft requires `AcceptLargeDataLoss` for specific high-limit cases. For Exchange Server 2013 and later supported versions, `LargeItemLimit` values of 51 or higher require the switch: ```powershell Set-MailboxImportRequest -Identity "james\MailboxImport" ` -LargeItemLimit 60 ` -AcceptLargeDataLoss ``` For Exchange 2010, the documented threshold applies to `BadItemLimit` instead. Do not transfer the Exchange 2010 rule to later Exchange versions without checking the parameter documentation. ### 5. Expecting Set-MailboxImportRequest to Control Request Status Request configuration and request state are handled by different cmdlets. `Set-MailboxImportRequest` changes the supported properties exposed by its parameter sets. If you need detailed request information, use `Get-MailboxImportRequestStatistics`. Microsoft provides separate cmdlets for suspending, resuming, and removing mailbox import requests. For example: ```powershell Get-MailboxImportRequestStatistics -Identity "james\MailboxImport" ``` After modifying a suspended or failed mailbox import request, you need to resume it with `Resume-MailboxImportRequest`. Changing a setting with `Set-MailboxImportRequest` should not be confused with issuing a separate request-state operation. ## Final Note The practical workflow for `Set-MailboxImportRequest` is straightforward: identify the existing import request, modify only the supported properties you need before the request has completed, resume the request if it is suspended or failed, and then check the request with the appropriate Exchange retrieval or statistics cmdlet. Pay particular attention to Exchange-version applicability and item-loss parameters, since the available settings and documented thresholds differ between Exchange releases and between on-premises Exchange and Exchange Online.