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Why OneDrive Reports Show User IDs Instead of Email Addresses

Natalie Taylor Sep 27, 2026 869 views

Question details

Users need to understand why administrative reports return an alphanumeric user ID instead of an email address in the User Principal Name field and how to resolve it.

Fix OneDrive Reports Showing User IDs Instead of Email Addresses

Product: Microsoft 365
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Generating Microsoft 365 usage reports, OneDrive activity reports, or Power BI reports using PowerShell or Graph API.
Observed behavior: The reports display a unique user ID instead of the expected email address in the User Principal Name (UPN) field.

Before you start

Ensure you have global administrator or reports reader permissions in Microsoft 365, and confirm you have access to Microsoft Graph or PowerShell to run directory queries.

Solution 1Recommended

Map the User ID to a User Principal Name

Query your Azure Active Directory to map the returned user ID back to the corresponding email address.

Microsoft sometimes updates its reporting schema for privacy or performance reasons, which can result in user IDs being displayed instead of email addresses. You can resolve this by querying the directory using the ID.

Identify the User ID

Open your OneDrive or Microsoft 365 activity report and locate the specific alphanumeric user ID shown in the User Principal Name field.

Open PowerShell or Graph Explorer

Launch PowerShell as an administrator or open the Microsoft Graph Explorer tool in your web browser.

Query Directory Information

Run a directory query using the copied user ID to retrieve the specific user's object details from your organization's directory.

Extract the Email Address

Look for the 'UserPrincipalName' property in the returned query response to find the correct email address associated with that user ID.

Map the User ID to a User Principal Name

Tip: You can automate this mapping process by adding an extra directory query step inside your PowerShell script before exporting the final report.

Solution 2

Consult Microsoft Documentation and Q&A

Verify if a recent endpoint schema change has occurred and seek assistance from Microsoft specialists.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why did my Microsoft 365 report suddenly change to show User IDs?

Microsoft frequently rolls out updates to the Microsoft Graph reporting endpoint to enhance performance and protect user privacy. These updates can change the default report schema, causing the User Principal Name field to display a unique ID instead of an identifiable email address.

Can I revert the report to show email addresses directly?

If the change is due to a permanent Microsoft Graph schema update, you cannot revert it directly on the reporting endpoint. You will need to use PowerShell or Graph API to map the returned user IDs to their corresponding email addresses within your directory.

Which reports are affected by this schema change?

This behavior can impact various administrative reports, including OneDrive activity reports, Microsoft 365 usage reports, Power BI reports, and any custom PowerShell scripts relying on the Microsoft Graph reporting endpoint.

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