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How to Verify Compliance with Exchange Online SMTP Relay Requirements
Question details
Tenant administrators need to verify that their Exchange Online SMTP relay configuration complies with Microsoft's updated prerequisites.
- Product
- Exchange Online
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Administrators evaluating their tenant's SMTP relay setup after Microsoft updated the prerequisites to ensure continuous email delivery.
- Observed behavior
- Users require a clear checklist to review prerequisites, authentication methods, connector configurations, and sending limits.
Ensure you have Exchange Online administrator privileges and access to the Microsoft 365 admin center before reviewing your SMTP relay configurations.
Evaluate Configuration Using the Compliance Workflow
Review the official Microsoft guidance and verify your tenant's SMTP relay settings across authentication, connectors, and sending limits.
Microsoft periodically updates security prerequisites to prevent spam and unauthorized email relaying. It is highly recommended to follow the official compliance workflow chart to evaluate your setup before enforcement takes effect.
Log in to the Microsoft 365 admin center with your administrator credentials and navigate to the Exchange admin center.
Verify that your on-premises servers, applications, or multifunction devices use modern authentication (OAuth) or TLS for SMTP submission, rather than deprecated basic authentication.
Navigate to Mail flow > Connectors. Check the properties of any inbound connectors used for relaying emails. Ensure they are correctly configured with the required TLS certificates or static IP addresses mandated by the new update.
Check your tenant's bulk email sending volume to confirm it remains within the prescribed Exchange Online receiving and sending limits to avoid throttling or blocking.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if my SMTP relay is not compliant with the updated requirements?
If your configuration fails to meet the updated prerequisites, your applications or devices may be blocked from sending emails through Exchange Online, resulting in delivery failures and workflow disruptions.
Can I still use basic authentication for SMTP relay?
Microsoft has been actively deprecating basic authentication for Exchange Online services. It is strongly recommended to switch to modern authentication (OAuth) or use an inbound connector secured with a certificate or static IP.
Where can I find the official compliance workflow chart?
The official compliance workflow chart and detailed technical prerequisites are available in Microsoft Learn documentation under the topic 'Updated Requirements for SMTP Relay through Exchange Online'.
How do I check my current SMTP sending limits?
Sending limits are determined by your specific Microsoft 365 subscription tier. You can view these limits by reviewing the Exchange Online limits documentation on the Microsoft Learn portal.
