Microsoft Retires Graph CLI and Toolkit in Push Toward PowerShell SDK

Microsoft has announced the retirement of its Microsoft Graph CLI and the Graph Toolkit. The move is part of the company’s broader effort to simplify and streamline its developer toolset.

The Microsoft Graph CLI is a command-line tool designed to help developers and IT professionals interact with Microsoft Graph APIs directly from the terminal. This tool enables easier automation of tasks and management of Microsoft 365 services. On the other hand, the Microsoft Graph Toolkit is a collection of reusable web components and helpers that simplify the integration of Microsoft Graph data into web applications.

Why is Microsoft retiring Graph CLI and Graph Toolkit?

Starting this week, the Microsoft Graph CLI and Graph Toolkit have entered their deprecation phase, leading to full retirement by August 28, 2026. During this time, these tools will no longer receive new features, and updates will only be available to fix critical security vulnerabilities. Moreover, Microsoft will stop providing active maintenance and official support for both tools.

Microsoft is retiring the Graph CLI and Graph Toolkit as part of a broader effort to streamline and unify its developer tools around more sustainable and widely supported platforms. These tools lacked consistent adoption and did not align well with Microsoft’s long-term strategy for API access and automation across Microsoft 365.

“As part of our ongoing efforts to streamline the Microsoft Graph developer experience, we are consolidating experiences around PowerShell, an alternative that offers significant value and flexibility to our users. This consolidation allows us to focus on delivering a more robust, consistent experience across our supported SDKs and tools,” Microsoft explained.

What is the recommended alternative?

Microsoft recommends using the Microsoft Graph PowerShell SDK as an alternative to the deprecated Graph CLI and Toolkit. This SDK provides a more actively supported way to interact with Microsoft Graph. It allows administrators and developers to automate tasks and manage Microsoft 365 services using PowerShell.

It’s important to note that the Microsoft Graph PowerShell SDK has had reliability issues in the past, including bugs, inconsistent behavior, and compatibility problems. However, a new development team has now taken over its maintenance, and this change brings an enhanced focus on improving the SDK’s performance, stability, and overall quality.

Microsoft has published migration guidance to help users transition their scripts and workflows to PowerShell. We invite you to check out this Microsoft Graph PowerShell support page for more details.