Valid String Comparison Operators for -RecipientFilter Parameter in Exchange Online

Question

Hi

I'm working to build Dynamic Distribution Groups in Exchange Online that require filtering the recipients based on custom attributes and values of those attributes are in the format <something Department1>, <somethingelse Department1>, <something Department2>, <somethingelse Department2> and so on.

Read here that Exchange Online doesn't allow a wildcard prefix to filter recipients--> https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/module/exchange/new-dynamicdistributiongroup?view=exchange-ps#-recipientfilter

The relevant section in the above article cross-references this article--> https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/module/microsoft.powershell.core/about/about_comparison_operators?view=powershell-7.3

which states that we can use -match and -notmatch string comparison operators, but when trying to use those operators to create DDL, it shows the following error suggesting these are not valid operators:

Can someone please help suggest a way to filter recipients when they have a common string as prefix? I see this as a very common requirement and sure someone out there has figured out a solution.

Thanks

Taranjeet Singh

Answer 1

The -match operator is used for regex matches, those are not supported in recipient filters afaik. Only the -like operator is supported, with a wildcard as prefix/suffix. Though even that is not supported for some parameters.

Use these two articles to get the list of supported properties and operators:

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/exchange/filter-properties?view=exchange-ps

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/exchange/recipientfilter-properties?view=exchange-ps