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How to Get Exchange Online Email Reports Automatically
Question details
The user wants to compile monthly business statistics and track the total number of emails sent and received in Exchange Online.
- Product
- Exchange Online
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Compiling and automating monthly email activity and mail flow statistics for business monitoring.
- Observed behavior
- The goal is to successfully locate Exchange email activity reports in the Microsoft admin portals or configure PowerShell scripts and APIs to extract these metrics automatically.
Ensure you are signed in with an account that has Global Administrator, Exchange Administrator, or Reports Reader permissions in your Microsoft 365 tenant.
Use the Microsoft 365 Admin Center for Email Activity Reports
Access built-in usage reports to view your organization's sent and received message statistics.
The Microsoft 365 admin center provides a highly visual dashboard for tracking user activity, including email usage. This is the simplest way to check your monthly email statistics without using code.
Go to the Microsoft 365 admin center and log in with your administrator credentials.
On the left-hand navigation menu, expand 'Reports' and select 'Usage'.
Locate the 'Email activity' widget on the dashboard and click 'View more'. Choose 'Exchange email activity' to review your detailed sent and received message statistics.
Generate Mail Flow Reports in the Exchange Admin Center
Utilize the Exchange Admin Center (EAC) to monitor specific mail flow statistics and transport rules.
Automate Email Reports via PowerShell or Reporting APIs
Set up scheduled or automated reporting using PowerShell cmdlets or Microsoft Graph APIs to gather monthly business statistics.
Analyze Your Exported Email Reports with WPS Office
While Exchange Online manages your email infrastructure, you will often need to download these reports as CSV files for deeper analysis. WPS Office provides a free, lightweight, and highly capable spreadsheet tool that makes sorting, graphing, and presenting your email statistics effortless, without the need for an expensive Office subscription.
- 1. Download WPS Office: Install WPS Office for free from the official website.
- 2. Open WPS Spreadsheet: Launch the WPS Spreadsheet application on your device.
- 3. Import Your Report: Open the CSV file exported from the Exchange admin center to format, analyze, and chart your monthly email statistics.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I export the Exchange Online email activity reports?
Yes. In the Microsoft 365 admin center under Reports > Usage, you can click the Export link to download your email activity data as a CSV file for offline viewing and spreadsheet analysis.
How long is email reporting data retained in Microsoft 365?
Standard usage reports in the Microsoft 365 admin center typically retain data for 7, 30, 90, or up to 180 days, depending on the specific report and your organization's subscription tier.
Why can't I see the Reports section in the admin center?
If the Reports section is missing, your account likely lacks the necessary administrative permissions. You must be assigned a role such as Global Admin, Exchange Admin, or Reports Reader to view usage data.
Can I filter the Exchange email activity report by specific users?
Yes, you can search for and filter by specific user principal names within the Email activity widget in the Microsoft 365 admin center, or by applying filters to your PowerShell queries.
