Inactive Distribution Groups (last 10 days)

The question it answers: Which distribution groups received no mail in the last 10 days?

Microsoft keeps the message trace for 10 days per query, so this report cannot cover a longer period.

Note

Lists static and dynamic distribution groups (mail-enabled security groups included) that received no message in the last 10 days, the longest window one Get-MessageTraceV2 query allows. Activity = a message trace row with the group as recipient and status Expanded, matched on any of the group’s SMTP addresses; all of the trace is read (5,000 rows per call, at most 1,000 calls). Mail older than 10 days is not considered.

At a glance

Where in the app	Exchange Online › Groups › Inactive Distribution Groups
Workload	Exchange Online
Kind	Table
Data	Read from Microsoft 365 when someone first opens it, then kept for the report cache lifetime (Settings > Data & cache, 1 hour unless changed). It reads through PowerShell (Exchange Online or SharePoint Online), so the first load takes longer than a Graph report.
Licence	Exchange Online.
Report id (API and MCP)	exchange.groups.inactive-distribution-groups
An empty result means	Every distribution group received mail in the last 10 days.

Columns

Column	Key	Type	Meaning
Display Name	DisplayName	Text
Group Type	GroupType	Text	Static or Dynamic
Last Active Date	LastActiveDate	DateTime

What it needs

Licence: Exchange Online.

Application permissions on the IntensiveReports app registration (all permissions):

Permission	API	What it allows	Note
Exchange.ManageAsApp	Office 365 Exchange Online	Manage Exchange As Application	+ View-Only Recipients

Roles and other setup:

• Exchange role: Message Tracking

Data sources it reads

• PowerShell: Get-DistributionGroup -ResultSize Unlimited
• PowerShell: Get-DynamicDistributionGroup -ResultSize Unlimited
• PowerShell: Get-MessageTraceV2 -StartDate (now - 10 days) -EndDate (now) -Status Expanded -ResultSize 5000 (next batch: -EndDate / -StartingRecipientAddress of the last row)

Through the API and MCP

GET /ir-api/v1/reports/exchange.groups.inactive-distribution-groups?size=100

An AI assistant reads it with the MCP tool get_report and the id exchange.groups.inactive-distribution-groups. The client needs the Read grant for Exchange Online. See Using the API.