Force AddressList Refresh in Office 365
Manually update the global address list using PowerShell.
Last updated: 2025-01-15 How To
Overview
This guide explains how to manually update the global address list in Office 365. The process requires administrative permissions and uses PowerShell commands.
Role Required
Updating the global address list requires having the Address List Management role.
By default, nobody has this role assigned.
Process Overview
👤
Assign Role
AddressList Mgmt
→
💻
Connect PS
Exchange Online
→
🔄
Update GAL
Refresh complete
Step 1: Assign the AddressList Management Role
Grant Required Permissions
1
Sign in to Office 365
Log in to the Office 365 portal with administrator credentials
2
Navigate to Exchange Admin Center
Access the Exchange Admin Center from the admin portal
3
Go to Permissions
Navigate to the Permissions section and locate admin roles
4
Create Role Group
Create a new role group and assign the AddressList Management role
Step 2: Update AddressList via PowerShell
PowerShell Commands
1. Connect to Exchange Online
$UserCredential = Get-Credential
$Session = New-PSSession -ConfigurationName Microsoft.Exchange `
-ConnectionUri https://outlook.office365.com/powershell-liveid/ `
-Credential $UserCredential -Authentication Basic -AllowRedirection
Import-PSSession $Session2. Verify Connection
Get-AddressListThis command validates the connection is working
3. Update the Address List
Update-AddressList -Identity "All Users"The address book will now refresh with current information
After Update
Once the update completes, the global address list will reflect current user
information across your Office 365 environment.