EWS Retirement in Exchange Online: What It Means for AvePoint Customers

Microsoft is retiring the longstanding Exchange Web Services (EWS) in Exchange Online, directing developers to Microsoft Graph. Microsoft will begin blocking EWS requests from third-party apps on October 1, 2026, and is also removing EWS dependencies from its own products as it moves toward globally disabling EWS. 

AvePoint has been partnering closely with Microsoft to ensure a smooth transition across all affected products (Cloud Backup for Microsoft 365, Fly, Fly Server, and AvePoint Opus). If re-authorization or acceptance of new Microsoft Graph permissions is required, we will provide clear announcements and in-product prompts to guide you through the process.

What’s Changing — and When

• Retirement plan. Microsoft announced it will block EWS requests from non-Microsoft apps to Exchange Online starting October 1, 2026. This retirement does not apply to on-premises Exchange Server.
• Broader scope and security. Following the Midnight Blizzard incident, Microsoft widened the effort to remove EWS dependencies across its own applications and is working toward disabling EWS globally for all organizations in that timeframe. The company is closing Graph parity gaps and publishing guidance as needed. 

What replaces EWS?

Microsoft Graph is the designated replacement, enabling access to Exchange Online mail, calendar, contacts, mailbox settings, and related workloads. Microsoft provides EWS-to-Graph API mappings and is actively working on remaining parity gaps (for example: import/export scenarios, public folders, archive, recurring event deltas, user configuration, and certain admin APIs).

Bottom line: Graph is the path forward for Exchange Online integration, with ongoing investments to cover EWS-only scenarios.

How AvePoint is Handling the Transition

We’ve been preparing for this change for some time. For products that use EWS (Cloud Backup for M365, Fly, and Opus), our engineering and product teams are:

• Shifting EWS-based flows to Microsoft Graph wherever Graph has feature parity today. We’re validating performance, scale, and fidelity for backup/restore and migration use cases.
• Partnering with Microsoft on remaining parity items that matter to enterprise backup, migration, and lifecycle management. We are working with the Microsoft Graph team to provide detailed information on the use cases our products address and where we see gaps between EWS and Graph capabilities.
• Hardening security by aligning with Microsoft’s modern auth patterns and least-privilege Graph scopes as features migrate.  
• Designing smooth re-consent experiences (only if needed) so admins can update permissions with confidence — directly inside our products with clear, step-by-step guidance. For cutomers leveraging custom applications, we will clearly outline which permissions should be removed and which should be added, ensuring a smooth transition.  

What We Need From You (Right Now)

For the majority of our customers, no immediate action is required. AvePoint will manage the underlying transition and proactively communicate any required customer actions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this affect on-premises Exchange Server?

No. Microsoft’s retirement plan applies to Exchange Online. EWS in Exchange Server (on-prem) is not part of this change.

What if a feature I rely on is still EWS-only?

Microsoft has published a list of remaining parity gaps and is actively closing them; we’re engaged with Microsoft and will steer our implementations accordingly. Where Graph is ready, we’re already moving; where it isn’t, we’ll follow Microsoft’s official guidance and keep you posted. 

Could I be asked to re-authorize AvePoint apps?

Possibly. We will provide precise, auditable instructions through release notes, customer communications, and in-product guidance.

Our Commitment to You

• No surprises. We will provide advance notice of any required tenant actions (e.g., new Graph permissions or application re-consent.)
• In-product guidance. If a change is needed, we will provide the appropriate announcements within AvePoint Online Services outlining what needs to be done.
• Ongoing updates. We’ll continue publishing updates as Microsoft delivers new Graph capabilities and as we complete the remaining transitions.

For more details straight from Microsoft, see:

• Microsoft 365 Developer blog — EWS retirement (key date: Oct 1, 2026)
• Microsoft Learn — Deprecation of EWS in Exchange Online (timeline, parity gaps, and admin options)

If you have questions about your specific environment, reach out to your AvePoint account team — we are committed to making this transition safe, predictable, and seamless.