How to Fix Microsoft 365 Audit Log Search Errors

Before changing anything, confirm whether the affected account already has a role that allows audit log access.

Check required permissions

• 1

  Identify the account running the search

  Use the exact Microsoft 365 account that triggers the error. The permission check must match that user, not a different admin account.

• 2

  Confirm whether the user is a Global admin

  If the user is not a Global admin, the source says the account should include either View-Only Audit Logs or Audit Logs.

• 3

  Know the expected result

  If neither role is assigned, the audit log search may fail with the exact message shown in this article.

Assign the role in Exchange admin center

Use the exact menu path from the source to create a role group and add the required audit permission.

Open the correct admin area

Open the Exchange admin center. This is the exact entry point named in the source for managing the audit log role group.

• Expected control: Exchange admin center in Exchange Online.
• Use an account that can manage admin roles.

Go to the admin role page

In Exchange admin center, go to Permission > admin role. Then select New to create a new role group.

• This step creates the container that will hold the audit role and the user membership.

On the New role group page, enter a name for the group. In the Role box, select Add, then add either View-Only Audit Log or Audit Log, and select OK.

• Use one of the two role names exactly as listed in the source.
• This is the core fix when the account lacks audit log access.

Add the user and save

In the Member box, select Add, add the affected user, and then select Save. After the role group is saved, rerun the audit log search with that same account.

• Final verification: the user should be able to search the audit log without the previous error.
• If the role is already correct and the error remains, wait about one hour and try again.

Pricing and scope

The source mentions pricing coverage, but it does not provide any Microsoft 365 plan names, subscription costs, or add-on fees for audit logging in this case.

• No pricing, plan tier, or cost figure is stated in the documented behavior, so none can be added here without inventing unsupported details.
• The documented fix is permission-based: assign View-Only Audit Log or Audit Log in Exchange admin center when the user lacks access.
• If permissions are already correct, the only source-backed fallback is to wait and retry later because the issue may be temporary.

If the affected Microsoft 365 account is missing the required audit role, adding View-Only Audit Log or Audit Log should resolve the search failure. If the role is already assigned, rerun the search after about an hour because the source also identifies a temporary issue as a valid cause.

Most audit log search failures here come down to role access

For this Microsoft 365 error, the clearest fix is to verify whether the user has View-Only Audit Log or Audit Log in Exchange admin center. If that permission is already present, the documented behavior supports only one next move: wait and retry because the failure may be temporary.

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Resolve Microsoft 365 audit log search failures by checking audit roles in Exchange admin center and confirming whether the issue is only temporary.

This Microsoft 365 error appears when you try to search the audit log and the request cannot be completed. Based on the source guidance, there are two supported explanations.

• The account does not have the required permission to view or run audit log searches.
• The issue is temporary, so retrying after about one hour may succeed without any configuration change.

If the affected user is not a Global admin, role assignment is the first check. If the role is already present, the source only supports waiting and trying the search again later.

The failure happens during audit log search, not during general Microsoft 365 sign-in.

Global admin status may already cover access, but non-admin users need the audit role explicitly.

Assign the correct role group in Exchange admin center, then rerun the search.

For Microsoft-side account and tenant controls like audit log permissions, WPS Office cannot repair roles, licensing, or cloud admin settings. It is still useful if you need a free, lightweight suite for local DOCX, XLSX, PPTX, and PDF work while Microsoft 365 access is being corrected, with a familiar ribbon UI, PDF tools, and WPS AI features for drafting or summarizing content. Compatibility is generally strong, but advanced Microsoft-only cloud controls and tenant features do not carry over.

Fix Microsoft 365 Audit Log Search Errors FAQs

What role should a non-Global admin have to search the audit log?

The source lists two valid roles: View-Only Audit Logs or Audit Logs . If the user is not a Global admin and has neither role, the search can fail with the request-could-not-be-completed message.

Where exactly do I assign the audit log role in Microsoft 365?

Open the Exchange admin center , then go to Permission > admin role , select New , add View-Only Audit Log or Audit Log in the Role box, add the user in the Member box, and save the role group.

What if the correct audit role is already assigned but the error still appears?

the documented behavior supports one additional explanation: the problem may be temporary. In that case, wait about an hour and run the audit log search again to see whether the request completes normally.

Which exact role should I assign to search audit logs?

the documented behavior supports either View-Only Audit Logs or Audit Logs . Add one of these in Exchange admin center through Permission > admin role > New , then add the affected user as a member.