How to Fix Moodle Sign-In Error AADSTS700016 Application Not Found
Question details
The user is unable to sign into the Moodle portal using Microsoft 365 credentials because the system returns an AADSTS700016 error.
- Product
- Microsoft 365
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Attempting to log into a third-party application portal (Moodle.apc.com) via Microsoft 365 Single Sign-On (SSO).
- Observed behavior
- The login fails with error AADSTS700016, indicating that the application identifier was not found in the directory or the sign-in request was routed to the wrong tenant.
Before proceeding, take a screenshot or copy the entire error message from the sign-in screen, making sure to capture the application identifier, correlation ID, and timestamp to provide to your IT support team.
Contact Your Organization's IT Administrator
This is a tenant-level configuration issue that requires administrative access to Microsoft Entra ID (Azure AD) to fix.
Error AADSTS700016 occurs when the application (in this case, Moodle) has not been properly registered in your organization's Microsoft 365 directory. Because end users do not have permission to register enterprise applications, you cannot resolve this on your own.
Microsoft Community or regular Microsoft Support cannot access your organization's backend systems to fix this.
Highlight and copy the full text of the AADSTS700016 error, especially the Application Identifier (Client ID) and Correlation ID.
Find the contact information for your school or company's IT helpdesk, or the website administrator for Moodle.apc.com.
Send an email or submit a ticket to your IT administrator including the copied error details, your affected account email address, and the exact time you attempted to sign in.
Sign In Using an Incognito or Private Window
Use a private browsing window to ensure your browser isn't automatically sending cached credentials for a different Microsoft 365 tenant.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What exactly does Microsoft 365 error AADSTS700016 mean?
This error signifies that the application you are attempting to log into has not been registered in your organization's Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure AD) tenant, or your sign-in request was misrouted to a different organization's directory.
Can I fix the AADSTS700016 error by resetting my Microsoft 365 password?
No. Password resets will not fix this issue because it is a backend configuration problem between the third-party application (Moodle) and the organization's cloud directory, not an issue with your user credentials.
Why does Microsoft Community refuse to fix this directory error?
Microsoft Community support agents do not have administrative access to individual organizational tenants. Privacy and security policies dictate that only your organization's verified global administrators can manage enterprise applications and resolve tenant-specific configuration errors.
