Tips and basics for group management in Entra ID
If you’ve ever tried to master group management in Entra ID, you know that there’s a whole universe between security groups, M365 groups, and dynamic distribution lists—and it doesn’t always feel user-friendly.
The truth is: Microsoft offers many possibilities, but rarely a clear direction. If you want to keep track of everything, you either need a lot of patience — or a better tool.
In this article, we show you what really matters when it comes to group management in Entra ID, how to avoid typical pitfalls, and why the IDM-Portal might be exactly what you secretly wished for during your last admin marathon.
Index
Entra Admin Center and other portals
To manage group memberships in Entra ID, administrators can use the Entra Admin Center. This is available at the following address:
👉 entra.microsoft.com
If Exchange Online is also used in Microsoft 365, administrators must also perform actions in the Exchange Admin Center. This has its own interface, which can be accessed as follows:
👉 admin.cloud.microsoft/exchange
In some cases, the Admin Center for Microsoft 365
👉 admin.microsoft.com
or Teams
👉 admin.teams.microsoft.com
is also necessary.
The disadvantage of using Microsoft portals is that maintenance must be performed manually and employees without IT experience find the portals difficult to use. Ultimately, the Entra Admin Center is primarily intended for IT administrators, less so for the support department, and in fact not at all for inexperienced users in this area.
Entra Admin Center
In addition, there are different types of groups in Entra ID. Therefore, when creating a group, it is important to understand the options available to groups and what needs to be considered during creation.
Understanding group types
Entra ID offers different group types that are suitable for different use cases. M365 groups are specifically designed for collaboration and offer additional resources such as a shared workspace, a shared mailbox, a calendar, and integration with Microsoft Planner. This allows members to work efficiently on projects and have immediate access to all relevant tools.
There are different group and membership types in Entra ID.
In contrast, security groups are designed to control access rights to resources by organizing users or devices into groups and managing them centrally. These groups can be managed both statically and dynamically, with dynamic groups automatically assigning users or devices based on defined attributes.
Distribution groups are used for email communication within specific user groups, while dynamic distribution groups enable automatic membership based on attributes. Email-enabled security groups combine the properties of security and distribution groups, but do not allow device management.
These groups are managed via various management interfaces:
- M365 groups and security groups can be managed directly in Entra ID.
- Distribution lists and email-enabled security groups, on the other hand, must be controlled via the Exchange Admin Center.
The Exchange Admin Center manages distribution lists and email-enabled security groups.
Local Active Directory groups that are transferred to the cloud via synchronization cannot be managed directly in Entra ID, as the local environment remains the leading instance.
The various options available in conjunction with different admin portals at Microsoft make it clear that inexperienced users will quickly become overwhelmed. Even experienced admins quickly make mistakes when creating and managing groups, which can be avoided with specialized tools such as the IDM-Portal.
Important aspects of creating and managing groups in Entra ID
Group management in Entra ID needs to be well thought out, as it forms the basis for an efficient and error-free authorization structure. The foundation is laid during creation, as the selected group type cannot be changed later. Making the right choice here saves unnecessary extra work.
Groups are managed in the Entra Admin Center via the menu item “Identity -> Groups.” Here, new groups can be created manually using the menu item “New Group.”
The assignment of members and owners should also be clearly defined: Who belongs to the group, and who is responsible for it? A clear assignment facilitates later adjustments and creates transparency.
To ensure that only authorized users have access to resources, it is essential to regularly review group memberships. Although users can be easily added or removed, such changes should always be coordinated with the group administrators.
Special attention must be paid to nested groups. They provide structure, but can become complex: changes to parent groups directly affect all child groups and their members.
Another important point is the use of approval workflows. They ensure that changes to group memberships only take effect after approval by an authorized person – such as a manager. This contributes to transparency and prevents unauthorized changes. In addition, it is advisable to check the logs regularly. This allows administrators to keep track of who has made which changes and whether all security requirements have been met.
Efficient group management with the IDM-Portal
Unlike Microsoft’s complex and time-consuming administration portals, FirstAttribute’s IDM-Portal greatly simplifies group management.
The following tips will help you manage groups in the IDM-Portal even more effectively.
Tip 1: Use a single interface for group management in Entra ID and Active Directory
From a group perspective
The user-friendly interface of the IDM-Portal allows you to create and edit groups in both directories.
In the IDM-Portal, administrators can manage both Entra ID and AD groups directly without having to switch between different directories.
From a user perspective
In addition, group memberships can be adjusted directly in a user’s profile.
Entra ID and AD group memberships can be added or completely removed with a simple “drag and drop”. This makes managing groups and memberships much easier and saves time during processing.
Tip 2: Real-time integration with Active Directory and Entra ID for fast processing
⏱️ Another advantage of the IDM-Portal is its direct connection to Active Directory – without the need for a separate database. Changes are implemented in real time, ensuring particularly lean and high-performance processes.
Our own platform with RealTalk technology is used for integration with Entra ID. It intelligently compares and maps data and updates it efficiently in Entra. This ensures high performance and maximum flexibility.
Tip 3: Automation and time savings
A key aspect is automation. The IDM-Portal enables automatic management of group memberships based on user attributes. This significantly reduces repetitive administrative tasks and, of course, ensures a high level of security. Access rights are reliably updated when changes are made.
If, for example, an employee’s department or job title changes, the corresponding groups and permissions are automatically adjusted.
New employees receive the correct permissions immediately, without the need for manual intervention. Temporary permissions can also be managed efficiently, for example by assigning expiration dates.
Tip 4: Delegate tasks and reduce the burden on IT
With role-based access control in the IDM-Portal, permissions can be delegated to specific departments without IT having to relinquish control.
Who can do what – Clear roles control access rights in IDM-Portal
Thanks to the intuitive interface, even colleagues without IT background can easily manage group memberships, adjust access rights, or change user data. Different roles ensure that employees only see and edit data that falls within their area of responsibility. And don’t worry: all changes are logged in full for maximum transparency and reliable compliance.
Tip 5: Set up approvals for sensitive groups
Thanks to integrated approval workflows, the assignment of permissions in the IDM-Portal always remains clear and traceable.
Approval is required to add an employee to a group. Decision-makers can easily grant access via clearly defined processes.
Team leaders with busy schedules cannot always process approval requests immediately. By delegating them to colleagues, requests can be forwarded flexibly, either permanently, once, or for a specified period of time. This allows both single-level and multi-level approval workflows to be managed efficiently. Ultimately, it is important that only the right people have access at the right time. This keeps everything flowing smoothly and secure.
In practice: Group maintenance process with the IDM-Portal
To add the new user Axel Alder to the “Payroll” security group, the process is completed in just a few steps via the IDM-Portal. First, an authorized user, for example from the HR department, logs into the IDM-Portal and searches for the user Axel Alder using the integrated search function. After selecting the user, the desired security group “Payroll” can be assigned using drag & drop.
Once the assignment has been made, an approval process is automatically initiated. Mr. Alder’s supervisor receives a notification via the portal or by email and can approve or reject the request via a user-friendly web interface. The entire process is logged in an audit-proof manner, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements.
In addition, Axel Alder has the option of maintaining his contact details himself. Using the self-service function of the IDM-Portal, he can log in and easily update his phone number, address, or profile picture. All changes are transferred to Active Directory and Entra ID in real time without the need for manual processing by IT.
This structured process significantly reduces administrative effort and ensures that permissions can be assigned quickly and securely.
Conclusion
Managing groups in Microsoft Entra ID presents challenges for companies. Although tools such as the Entra Admin Center and Exchange Admin Center offer comprehensive features, they often require manual maintenance, in-depth IT knowledge, and a significant time investment. FirstAttribute’s IDM portal addresses these issues head-on, offering a user-friendly solution that not only optimizes workflows but also enables secure task delegation.
More about the FirstWare IDM-Portal
FirstWare IDM-Portal by FirstAttribute is an integrated Identity and Access Management (IAM) solution that enables automated user and permissions management, whether on-premises or in the cloud.
This portal integrates all facets of identity and access management and provides centralized access to identity and directory services.
