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Unable to message trace in exchange admin center

Phil Ramoel Augustine Roxas Fajilago 20 Reputation points
2026-04-09T01:15:09.08+00:00

Exchange admin center > Mail flow > Message Trace
Error:
|Microsoft.Exchange.Management.Tasks.ValidationException|Get-MessageTrace will start deprecating on September 1st, 2025. Please refer to: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/module/exchange/get-messagetracev2?view=exchange-ps to switch to Get-MessageTraceV2.

Resolution:
Please run the Exchange Organization Object check diagnostics test in the microsoft article below
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/troubleshoot/exchange/administration/self-help-diagnostics

Usual propagation time is 1 hour but you may check the following day for updates.

Exchange Online
Exchange Online

A cloud-based service included in Microsoft 365, delivering scalable messaging and collaboration features with simplified management and automatic updates.

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  1. Steven-N 25,305 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-04-09T02:10:39.4033333+00:00

    Hi Phil Ramoel Augustine Roxas Fajilago

    Thank you for sharing this resolution and for taking the time to provide clear guidance on the issue.

    Your note about the deprecation of Get-MessageTrace and the recommendation to transition to Get-MessageTraceV2 is especially helpful for others who may encounter the same error in the Exchange Admin Center. Highlighting the Microsoft documentation and the Exchange Organization Object diagnostics test adds valuable context and practical next steps.

    We also appreciate you pointing out the expected propagation time this kind of detail helps set the right expectations for anyone troubleshooting similar scenarios.

    Thanks again for your contribution to the community. Your input helps keep discussions accurate, up to date, and useful for everyone.

    Kind regards,

    Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.

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  2. Q&A Assist
    2026-04-09T01:15:22.7166667+00:00
    AI generated content. This question contains an answer created with AI from Q&A Assist. Learn more

    The error shown in the Exchange admin center is only a deprecation warning for the Get-MessageTrace cmdlet and does not indicate that message trace is unavailable. Message trace in Exchange Online continues to function, but the underlying PowerShell cmdlet is being replaced by Get-MessageTraceV2.

    To troubleshoot message tracing and mail flow issues in Exchange Online, use the message trace tool as follows:

    1. Open the Exchange admin center (EAC) and go to mail flow → message trace.
    2. Adjust the Date range to cover when the message was sent or expected.
    3. Use Add sender and Add recipient to scope the trace to the specific mailbox or addresses involved.
    4. Select Search to run the trace.
    5. On the message trace results page, review the STATUS column (for example, Delivered) to see what happened to each message.
    6. Select a specific message and then select Details to view the explanation of what occurred and the How to fix it guidance.

    Behavior and timing to be aware of:

    • Message trace data typically appears 5–10 minutes after a message is sent, and can take up to one hour in some cases.
    • By default, message trace searches all messages sent or received in the last 48 hours.
    • For messages older than 7 days, results are provided only as a downloadable .csv file and can take up to an hour to generate. Use View pending or completed traces in the message trace tool to see and download those traces.
    • Message traces that include data older than 7 days are automatically deleted after completion and cannot be manually deleted.

    If the web UI is slow or timing out, simplify the search criteria (shorter date range, specific sender/recipient) and rerun the trace.

    For PowerShell-based tracing going forward, use the newer Get-MessageTraceV2 cmdlet as indicated in the deprecation notice for Get-MessageTrace.

    References:

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