Fix Microsoft 365 Defender Submissions Message Is Not Found Error
Question details
Users are unable to submit a message for analysis via the Microsoft 365 Defender portal due to an error stating the message cannot be found.
- Product
- Microsoft 365 Defender
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Submitting an email using a message ID copied from an email trace report along with the recipient email address.
- Observed behavior
- The Microsoft 365 Defender Submissions page returns a message-not-found or invalid-message error instead of accepting the submission.
Ensure you have the appropriate administrative permissions in Microsoft 365, such as Security Administrator, to manage and submit messages for analysis.
Verify Message Trace Details and Submission Eligibility
Check for formatting errors in the input data and ensure the message is still within the eligible timeframe for submission.
The submission portal is highly strict regarding input data. A single extra space or a mismatched recipient address will trigger an invalid-message error. Additionally, messages have an expiration window for submission.
Return to your email trace report. Carefully copy the exact Message ID, ensuring that absolutely no leading or trailing whitespace characters are included.
Confirm that the recipient email address you are entering perfectly matches the intended recipient listed in the original message trace report.
Verify the date of the original email. Messages older than 30 days generally expire from the backend cache and are no longer eligible for submission to the service.
If the details are 100% correct, open an Incognito or InPrivate browser window, log back into Microsoft 365 Defender, and attempt the submission again to rule out caching issues.
Escalate to Microsoft 365 Support
If all input details are correct, the message is recent, and the error persists across different browsers, backend technical support is required.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Microsoft 365 Defender say my Message ID is invalid when it was copied directly from a trace?
This most frequently occurs if invisible spaces were accidentally copied along with the Message ID, or if the recipient address provided on the submission page does not match the exact recipient from the trace.
How long are messages kept available for submission in Defender?
Microsoft typically retains message data eligible for submission and detailed analysis for up to 30 days. Attempting to submit a Message ID for an email older than this window will result in a not-found error.
Can browser cache cause the 'Message Is Not Found' error?
Yes, occasionally the Microsoft 365 Defender portal can hold onto stale session data. Trying the submission in an Incognito window or clearing your browser cookies and cache can often resolve false error messages.
