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Why Viva Engage Creates Unexpected Microsoft 365 Groups After Disabling Yammer

Olivia Miller Sep 30, 2026 870 views

Question details

Microsoft 365 administrators are finding unexpected and potentially unauthorized groups created by Viva Engage after Yammer was disabled.

Why Viva Engage Creates Unexpected Microsoft 365 Groups After Disabling Yammer

Product: Microsoft 365
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Administrators notice random or unexpected groups appearing in the Microsoft 365 admin center despite strict group creation policies.
Observed behavior: Unauthorized groups are automatically generated with random or standard names (e.g., All Company, Education, IT Support), seemingly bypassing system restrictions.

Before you start

Before investigating, ensure you have Global Administrator or Support Administrator privileges in the Microsoft 365 admin center to access audit logs and submit service requests.

Solution 1Recommended

Submit a Support Request in the Microsoft 365 Admin Center

Because unexpected group creation by Viva Engage is not standard behavior, Microsoft Support must investigate the backend audit records to determine the root cause.

Automatic group generation bypassing strict network rules typically indicates a backend synchronization error or an unauthorized Microsoft Graph API call.

Since regular tenant administrators cannot access deep backend logs for Viva Engage and Microsoft Graph activity, escalating the issue to Microsoft Support is the only definitive way to resolve it.

Log in to the Admin Center

Navigate to the Microsoft 365 admin center and log in with your administrator credentials.

Navigate to Support

On the left-hand navigation menu, locate and click on the 'Support' tab.

Create a New Service Request

Select 'New service request' from the dropdown menu to initiate a support ticket.

Provide Investigation Details

Detail the issue, mentioning unauthorized group creation linked to Viva Engage. Request a thorough review of audit records, Viva Engage activity, and Microsoft Graph activity.

Submit a Support Request in the Microsoft 365 Admin Center

Information Needed: Provide specific examples of the unexpected group names and the exact dates they appeared to help Microsoft Support speed up the backend investigation.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can regular users create groups in Viva Engage if the admin disabled group creation?

Normally, if group creation is restricted, users cannot create groups. However, backend synchronization issues or Microsoft Graph API glitches might bypass these restrictions, which requires a Microsoft Support investigation.

What kind of audit logs can Microsoft review to find the cause?

Microsoft Support can review backend Viva Engage activity logs, Microsoft Graph API activity, and general group creation events within Microsoft Entra ID to trace exactly how and when the groups were generated.

Should I delete the unexpected groups immediately?

It is generally safe to delete obviously spam or unauthorized groups. However, it is highly recommended to record their exact names, creation dates, and apparent owners before deletion to provide evidence for your Microsoft Support ticket.

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