Get incremental changes for users

The delta query in Microsoft Graph lets you query for additions, deletions, or updates to supported resources, through a series of delta requests. For users, the delta query enables you to discover changes without fetching the entire set of users to compare changes.

Clients that synchronize users with a local profile store can use the delta query for both their initial full synchronization along with subsequent incremental synchronizations. Typically, a client does an initial full synchronization of all the users in a tenant, and then gets incremental changes to users periodically.

Track changes to users

Track user changes through one or more GET requests with the delta function. The GET request has the following characteristics:

  • The delta function prepended to the URL path.
  • A state token (deltatoken or skipToken) from the previous GET delta function call.
  • [Optional] Any supported query parameters

Example

This article shows a series of example requests to track changes to users:

  1. An initial request and response
  2. A nextLink request and response
  3. A final nextLink request and response
  4. A deltaLink request and deltaLink response

Initial request

To track changes in the user resource, make a request and include the delta function as a URL segment.

Tip

/delta is a shortcut for the fully qualified name /microsoft.graph.delta. Requests generated by Microsoft Graph SDKs use the fully qualified name.

Take note of the following items:

  • The optional $select query parameter is included in the request to demonstrate how query parameters are automatically included in future requests. If required, query parameters must be specified in the initial request.
    • Only properties included in $select are tracked for changes. If $select isn't specified, all properties of the object are tracked for changes.
  • The initial request doesn't include a state token. State tokens are used in subsequent requests.
GET https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0/users/delta?$select=displayName,givenName,surname

Initial response

If successful, this method returns 200 OK response code and user collection object in the response body. Assuming the entire set of users is too large, the response includes a @odata.nextLink state token in an @odata.nextLink parameter.

In this example, a @odata.nextLink URL is returned indicating there are more pages of data to be retrieved in the session. Notice the $skiptoken in the URL. The $select query parameter from the initial request is encoded into the @odata.nextLink URL.

The response also contains an @removed annotation for a user with ID 86462606-fde0-4fc4-9e0c-a20eb73e54c6. The @removed annotation is added in the following scenarios:

  • When the user is deleted, the item contains an annotation: @removed with value of "reason": "changed".
  • When the user is permanently deleted, the item contains an annotation: @removed with value of "reason": "deleted".
  • When the user is created, or restored from the deleted items container, there's no annotation.
HTTP/1.1 200 OK
Content-type: application/json

{
  "@odata.context":"https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0/$metadata#users(displayName,givenName,surname)",
  "@odata.nextLink":"https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0/users/delta?$skiptoken=oEBwdSP6uehIAxQOWq_3Ksh_TLol6KIm3stvdc6hGhZRi1hQ7Spe__dpvm3U4zReE4CYXC2zOtaKdi7KHlUtC2CbRiBIUwOxPKLa",
  "value": [
    {
      "displayName":"Cameron White",
      "givenName":"Cameron",
      "surname":"White",
      "id":"ffff7b1a-13b6-477b-8c0c-380905cd99f7"
    },
    {
      "displayName":"Delia Dennis",
      "givenName":"Delia",
      "surname":"Dennis",
      "id":"605d1257-ffff-40b6-8e6f-528a53f5dc55"
    },
    {
      "id": "86462606-fde0-4fc4-9e0c-a20eb73e54c6",
      "@removed": {
        "reason": "deleted"
      }
    },
    {
      "displayName": "Conf Room Adams",
      "id": "6ea91a8d-e32e-41a1-b7bd-d2d185eed0e0"
    }
  ]
}

The second request specifies the skipToken returned from the previous response. Notice the $select parameter is encoded and included in the skipToken.

GET https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0/users/delta?$skiptoken=oEBwdSP6uehIAxQOWq_3Ksh_TLol6KIm3stvdc6hGhZRi1hQ7Spe__dpvm3U4zReE4CYXC2zOtaKdi7KHlUtC2CbRiBIUwOxPKLa

The response contains another @odata.nextLink with a new skipToken value, which indicates that more changes that were tracked for users are available. Use the @odata.nextLink URL in more requests until a @odata.deltaLink URL (in an @odata.deltaLink parameter) is returned in the final response, even if the value is an empty array.

HTTP/1.1 200 OK
Content-type: application/json

{
  "@odata.context":"https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0/$metadata#users",
  "@odata.nextLink":"https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0/users/delta?$skiptoken=pqwSUjGYvb3jQpbwVAwEL7yuI3dU1LecfkkfLPtnIjtQ5LOhVoS7qQG_wdVCHHlbQpga7",
  "value": [
    {
      "displayName":"Mallory Cortez",
      "givenName":"Mallory",
      "surname":"Cortez",
      "id":"d8c37826-ffff-4cae-b348-e2725b1e814b"
    },
    {
      "displayName":"Diego Sicilian",
      "givenName":"Diego",
      "surname":"Sicilian",
      "id":"8b1ee412-cd8f-4d59-ffff-24010edb9f1f"
    }
  ]
}

The third request uses the latest skipToken returned from the last sync request.

GET https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0/users/delta?$skiptoken=pqwSUjGYvb3jQpbwVAwEL7yuI3dU1LecfkkfLPtnIjtQ5LOhVoS7qQG_wdVCHHlbQpga7

This response includes an @odata.deltaLink URL, which indicates there's no more data about the existing state of the user objects. For future requests, the application uses the @odata.deltaLink URL to learn about other changes to users. Save the deltatoken and use it in the subsequent request URL to discover more changes to users.

HTTP/1.1 200 OK
Content-type: application/json

{
  "@odata.context":"https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0/$metadata#users",
  "@odata.deltaLink":"https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0/users/delta?$deltatoken=oEcOySpF_hWYmTIUZBOIfPzcwisr_rPe8o9M54L45qEXQGmvQC6T2dbL-9O7nSU-njKhFiGlAZqewNAThmCVnNxqPu5gOBegrm1CaVZ-ZtFZ2tPOAO98OD9y0ao460",
  "value": [
    {
      "displayName":"Lidia Holloway",
      "givenName":"Lidia",
      "surname":"Holloway",
      "id":"25dcffff-959e-4ece-9973-e5d9b800e8cc"
    },
    {
      "displayName":"Patti Fernandez",
      "givenName":"Patti",
      "surname":"Fernandez",
      "id":"f6ede700-27d0-4c42-bfb9-4dffff43c74a"
    }
  ]
}

Using the deltatoken from the last response, you get changes (additions, deletions, or updates) to users since the last request.

GET https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0/users/delta?$deltatoken=oEcOySpF_hWYmTIUZBOIfPzcwisr_rPe8o9M54L45qEXQGmvQC6T2dbL-9O7nSU-njKhFiGlAZqewNAThmCVnNxqPu5gOBegrm1CaVZ-ZtFZ2tPOAO98OD9y0ao460

If there are no changes, a @odata.deltaLink is returned with no results - the value property is an empty array.

HTTP/1.1 200 OK
Content-type: application/json

{
  "@odata.context":"https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0/$metadata#users",
  "@odata.deltaLink":"https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0/users/delta?$deltatoken=MF1LuFYbK6Lw4DtZ4o9PDrcGekRP65WEJfDmM0H26l4v9zILCPFiPwSAAeRBghxgiwsXEfywcVQ9R8VEWuYAB50Yw3KvJ-8Z1zamVotGX2b_AHVS_Z-3b0NAtmGpod",
  "value": []
}

If there are changes, a collection of changed user objects is included. The response also contains either a @odata.nextLink - in case there are multiple pages of changes to retrieve - or a @odata.deltaLink. Implement the same pattern of following the @odata.nextLink and persist the final @odata.deltaLink for future calls.

Note

This request might have replication delays for users that were recently created, updated, or deleted. Retry the @odata.nextLink or @odata.deltaLink after some time to retrieve the latest changes.

HTTP/1.1 200 OK
Content-type: application/json

{
  "@odata.context":"https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0/$metadata#users",
  "@odata.deltaLink":"https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0/users/delta?$deltatoken=MF1LuFYbK6Lw4DtZ4o9PDrcGekRP65WEJfDmM0H26l4v9zILCPFiPwSAAeRBghxgiwsXEfywcVQ9R8VEWuYAB50Yw3KvJ-8Z1zamVotGX2b_AHVS_Z-3b0NAtmGpod",
  "value": [
    {
      "displayName":"MOD Administrator",
      "givenName":"MOD",
      "surname":"Administrator",
      "id":"25dcffff-959e-4ece-9973-e5d9b800e8cc"
    },
    {
      "id":"8ffff70c-1c63-4860-b963-e34ec660931d",
      "@removed": {
         "reason": "changed"
      }
    }
  ]
}