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Least privileged roles by task in Azure Active Directory

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In this article, you can find the information needed to restrict a user's administrator permissions by assigning least privileged roles in Azure Active Directory (Azure AD). You will find tasks organized by feature area and the least privileged role required to perform each task, along with additional non-Global Administrator roles that can perform the task.

You can further restrict permissions by assigning roles at smaller scopes or by creating your own custom roles. For more information, see Assign Azure AD roles at different scopes or Create and assign a custom role.

Application proxy

Task Least privileged role Additional roles
Configure application proxy app Application Administrator
Configure connector group properties Application Administrator
Create application registration when ability is disabled for all users Application Developer Cloud Application Administrator
Application Administrator
Create connector group Application Administrator
Delete connector group Application Administrator
Disable application proxy Application Administrator
Download connector service Application Administrator
Read all configuration Application Administrator

External Identities/B2C

Task Least privileged role Additional roles
Create Azure AD B2C directories All non-guest users
Create B2C applications Global Administrator
Create enterprise applications Cloud Application Administrator Application Administrator
Create, read, update, and delete B2C policies B2C IEF Policy Administrator
Create, read, update, and delete identity providers External Identity Provider Administrator
Create, read, update, and delete password reset user flows External ID User Flow Administrator
Create, read, update, and delete profile editing user flows External ID User Flow Administrator
Create, read, update, and delete sign-in user flows External ID User Flow Administrator
Create, read, update, and delete sign-up user flow External ID User Flow Administrator
Create, read, update, and delete user attributes External ID User Flow Attribute Administrator
Create, read, update, and delete users User Administrator
Configure B2B external collaboration settings Global Administrator
Read all configuration Global Reader
Read B2C audit logs Global Reader

Note

Azure AD B2C Global Administrators do not have the same permissions as Azure AD Global Administrators. If you have Azure AD B2C Global Administrator privileges, make sure that you are in an Azure AD B2C directory and not an Azure AD directory.

Company branding

Task Least privileged role Additional roles
Configure company branding Global Administrator
Read all configuration Directory Readers Default user role

Company properties

Task Least privileged role Additional roles
Configure company properties Global Administrator

Connect

Task Least privileged role Additional roles
Passthrough authentication Global Administrator
Read all configuration Global Reader Global Administrator
Seamless single sign-on Global Administrator

Cloud Provisioning

Task Least privileged role Additional roles
Passthrough authentication Hybrid Identity Administrator
Read all configuration Global Reader Hybrid Identity Administrator
Seamless single sign-on Hybrid Identity Administrator

Connect Health

Task Least privileged role Additional roles
Add or delete services Owner
Apply fixes to sync error Contributor Owner
Configure notifications Contributor Owner
Configure settings Owner
Configure sync notifications Contributor Owner
Read ADFS security reports Security Reader Contributor
Owner
Read all configuration Reader Contributor
Owner
Read sync errors Reader Contributor
Owner
Read sync services Reader Contributor
Owner
View metrics and alerts Reader Contributor
Owner
View metrics and alerts Reader Contributor
Owner
View sync service metrics and alerts Reader Contributor
Owner

Custom domain names

Task Least privileged role Additional roles
Manage domains Domain Name Administrator
Read all configuration Directory Readers Default user role

Domain Services

Task Least privileged role Additional roles
Create Azure AD Domain Services instance Application Administrator
Groups Administrator
Domain Services Contributor
Perform all Azure AD Domain Services tasks AAD DC Administrators group
Read all configuration Reader on Azure subscription containing AD DS service

Devices

Task Least privileged role Additional roles
Delete device Cloud Device Administrator Intune Administrator
Disable device Cloud Device Administrator Intune Administrator
Enable device Cloud Device Administrator Intune Administrator
Read basic configuration Default user role
Read BitLocker keys Cloud Device Administrator Helpdesk Administrator
Intune Administrator
Security Administrator
Security Reader

Enterprise applications

Task Least privileged role Additional roles
Consent to any delegated permissions Cloud Application Administrator Application Administrator
Consent to application permissions not including Microsoft Graph Cloud Application Administrator Application Administrator
Consent to application permissions to Microsoft Graph Privileged Role Administrator
Consent to applications accessing own data Default user role
Create enterprise application Cloud Application Administrator Application Administrator
Manage Application Proxy Application Administrator
Manage user settings Global Administrator
Read access review of a group or of an app Security Reader Security Administrator
User Administrator
Read all configuration Default user role
Update enterprise application assignments Enterprise application owner Cloud Application Administrator
Application Administrator
User Administrator
Update enterprise application owners Enterprise application owner Cloud Application Administrator
Application Administrator
Update enterprise application properties Enterprise application owner Cloud Application Administrator
Application Administrator
Update enterprise application provisioning Enterprise application owner Cloud Application Administrator
Application Administrator
Update enterprise application self-service Enterprise application owner Cloud Application Administrator
Application Administrator
Update single sign-on properties Enterprise application owner Cloud Application Administrator
Application Administrator

Entitlement management

Task Least privileged role Additional roles
Add resources to a catalog Identity Governance Administrator With entitlement management, you can delegate this task to the catalog owner
Add SharePoint Online sites to catalog SharePoint Administrator

Groups

Task Least privileged role Additional roles
Assign license User Administrator
Create group Groups Administrator User Administrator
Create, update, or delete access review of a group or of an app User Administrator
Manage group expiration User Administrator
Manage group settings Groups Administrator User Administrator
Read all configuration (except hidden membership) Directory Readers Default user role
Read hidden membership Group member Group owner
Password Administrator
Exchange Administrator
SharePoint Administrator
Teams Administrator
User Administrator
Read membership of groups with hidden membership Helpdesk Administrator User Administrator
Teams Administrator
Revoke license License Administrator User Administrator
Update group membership Group owner User Administrator
Update group owners Group owner User Administrator
Update group properties Group owner User Administrator
Delete group Groups Administrator User Administrator

Identity Protection

Task Least privileged role Additional roles
Configure alert notifications Security Administrator
Configure and enable or disable MFA policy Security Administrator
Configure and enable or disable sign-in risk policy Security Administrator
Configure and enable or disable user risk policy Security Administrator
Configure weekly digests Security Administrator
Dismiss all risk detections Security Administrator
Fix or dismiss vulnerability Security Administrator
Read all configuration Security Reader
Read all risk detections Security Reader
Read vulnerabilities Security Reader

Licenses

Task Least privileged role Additional roles
Assign license License Administrator User Administrator
Read all configuration Directory Readers Default user role
Revoke license License Administrator User Administrator
Try or buy subscription Billing Administrator

Monitoring - Audit logs

Task Least privileged role Additional roles
Read audit logs Reports Reader Security Reader
Security Administrator

Monitoring - Sign-ins

Task Least privileged role Additional roles
Read sign-in logs Reports Reader Security Reader
Security Administrator
Global Reader

Multi-factor authentication

Task Least privileged role Additional roles
Delete all existing app passwords generated by the selected users Global Administrator
Disable per-user MFA Authentication Administrator Privileged Authentication Administrator
Enable per-user MFA Authentication Administrator Privileged Authentication Administrator
Manage MFA service settings Authentication Policy Administrator
Require selected users to provide contact methods again Authentication Administrator
Restore multi-factor authentication on all remembered devices  Authentication Administrator

MFA Server

Task Least privileged role Additional roles
Block/unblock users Authentication Policy Administrator
Configure account lockout Authentication Policy Administrator
Configure caching rules Authentication Policy Administrator
Configure fraud alert Authentication Policy Administrator
Configure notifications Authentication Policy Administrator
Configure one-time bypass Authentication Policy Administrator
Configure phone call settings Authentication Policy Administrator
Configure providers Authentication Policy Administrator
Configure server settings Authentication Policy Administrator
Read activity report Global Reader
Read all configuration Global Reader
Read server status Global Reader

Organizational relationships

Task Least privileged role Additional roles
Manage identity providers External Identity Provider Administrator
Manage settings Global Administrator
Manage privacy statement and contact Global Administrator
Read all configuration Global Reader

Password reset

Task Least privileged role Additional roles
Configure authentication methods Global Administrator
Configure customization Global Administrator
Configure notification Global Administrator
Configure on-premises integration Global Administrator
Configure password reset properties User Administrator Global Administrator
Configure registration Global Administrator
Read all configuration Security Administrator User Administrator

Privileged identity management

Task Least privileged role Additional roles
Assign users to roles Privileged Role Administrator
Configure role settings Privileged Role Administrator
View audit activity Security Reader
View role memberships Security Reader

Roles and administrators

Task Least privileged role Additional roles
Manage role assignments Privileged Role Administrator
Read access review of an Azure AD role Security Reader Security Administrator
Privileged Role Administrator
Read all configuration Default user role

Security - Authentication methods

Task Least privileged role Additional roles
Configure authentication methods Global Administrator
Configure password protection Security Administrator
Configure smart lockout Security Administrator
Read all configuration Global Reader

Security - Conditional Access

Task Least privileged role Additional roles
Configure MFA trusted IP addresses Conditional Access Administrator
Create custom controls Conditional Access Administrator Security Administrator
Create named locations Conditional Access Administrator Security Administrator
Create policies Conditional Access Administrator Security Administrator
Create terms of use Conditional Access Administrator Security Administrator
Create VPN connectivity certificate Global Administrator  
Delete classic policy Conditional Access Administrator Security Administrator
Delete terms of use Conditional Access Administrator Security Administrator
Delete VPN connectivity certificate Conditional Access Administrator Security Administrator
Disable classic policy Conditional Access Administrator Security Administrator
Manage custom controls Conditional Access Administrator Security Administrator
Manage named locations Conditional Access Administrator Security Administrator
Manage terms of use Conditional Access Administrator Security Administrator
Read all configuration Security Reader Security Administrator
Read named locations Security Reader Conditional Access Administrator
Security Administrator

Security - Identity security score

Task Least privileged role Additional roles
Read all configuration Security Reader Security Administrator
Read security score Security Reader Security Administrator
Update event status Security Administrator

Security - Risky sign-ins

Task Least privileged role Additional roles
Read all configuration Security Reader
Read risky sign-ins Security Reader

Security - Users flagged for risk

Task Least privileged role Additional roles
Dismiss all events Security Administrator
Read all configuration Security Reader
Read users flagged for risk Security Reader

Temporary Access Pass

Task Least privileged role Additional roles
Create, delete, or view a Temporary Access Pass for any user (except themselves) and can configure and manage authentication method policy Global Administrator
Create, delete, or view a Temporary Access Pass for admins or members (except themselves) Privileged Authentication Administrator
Create, delete, or view a Temporary Access Pass for members (except themselves) Authentication Administrator
View a Temporary Access Pass details for a user (without reading the code itself) Global Reader
Configure or update the Temporary Access Pass authentication method policy Authentication Policy Administrator

Tenant Creation

Task Least privileged role Additional roles
Create Azure AD or Azure AD B2C Tenant Tenant Creator Global Administrator

Users

Task Least privileged role Additional roles
Add user to directory role Privileged Role Administrator
Add user to group User Administrator
Assign license License Administrator User Administrator
Create guest user Guest Inviter User Administrator
Reset guest user invite User Administrator Global Administrator
Create user User Administrator
Delete users User Administrator
Invalidate refresh tokens of limited admins User Administrator
Invalidate refresh tokens of non-admins Helpdesk Administrator User Administrator
Invalidate refresh tokens of privileged admins Privileged Authentication Administrator
Read basic configuration Default user role
Reset password for limited admins User Administrator
Reset password of non-admins Password Administrator User Administrator
Reset password of privileged admins Privileged Authentication Administrator
Revoke license License Administrator User Administrator
Update all properties except User Principal Name User Administrator
Update User Principal Name for limited admins User Administrator
Update User Principal Name property on privileged admins Global Administrator
Update user settings Global Administrator
Update Authentication methods Authentication Administrator Privileged Authentication Administrator
Global Administrator

Support

Task Least privileged role Additional roles
Submit support ticket Service Support Administrator Application Administrator
Azure Information Protection Administrator
Billing Administrator
Cloud Application Administrator
Compliance Administrator
Dynamics 365 Administrator
Desktop Analytics Administrator
Exchange Administrator
Intune Administrator
Password Administrator
Power BI Administrator
Privileged Authentication Administrator
SharePoint Administrator
Skype for Business Administrator
Teams Administrator
Teams Communications Administrator
User Administrator

Next steps