Add-DistributionGroupMember

This cmdlet is available in on-premises Exchange and in the cloud-based service. Some parameters and settings may be exclusive to one environment or the other.

Use the Add-DistributionGroupMember cmdlet to add a single recipient to distribution groups and mail-enabled security groups. To replace all members, use the Update-DistributionGroupMember cmdlet.

For information about the parameter sets in the Syntax section below, see Exchange cmdlet syntax.

Syntax

Add-DistributionGroupMember
   [-Identity] <DistributionGroupIdParameter>
   [-BypassSecurityGroupManagerCheck]
   [-Confirm]
   [-DomainController <Fqdn>]
   [-Member <RecipientWithAdUserGroupIdParameter>]
   [-WhatIf]
   [<CommonParameters>]

Description

You need to be assigned permissions before you can run this cmdlet. Although this topic lists all parameters for the cmdlet, you may not have access to some parameters if they're not included in the permissions assigned to you. To find the permissions required to run any cmdlet or parameter in your organization, see Find the permissions required to run any Exchange cmdlet.

Examples

Example 1

Add-DistributionGroupMember -Identity "Staff" -Member "[email protected]"

This example adds John Evans to the distribution group named Staff.

Parameters

-BypassSecurityGroupManagerCheck

The BypassSecurityGroupManagerCheck switch specifies whether to allow a user who isn't an owner of the group to modify or delete the group. You don't need to specify a value with this switch.

If you aren't defined in the ManagedBy property of the group, you need to use this switch in commands that modify or delete the group. To use this switch, your account requires specific permissions based on the group type:

  • Distribution groups or mail-enabled security groups: You need to be a member of the Organization Management role group or have the Security Group Creation and Membership role assigned.
  • Role groups: You need to be a member of the Organization Management role group or have the Role Management role assigned.
Type:SwitchParameter
Position:Named
Default value:None
Required:False
Accept pipeline input:False
Accept wildcard characters:False
Applies to:Exchange Server 2010, Exchange Server 2013, Exchange Server 2016, Exchange Server 2019, Exchange Online, Exchange Online Protection

-Confirm

The Confirm switch specifies whether to show or hide the confirmation prompt. How this switch affects the cmdlet depends on if the cmdlet requires confirmation before proceeding.

  • Destructive cmdlets (for example, Remove-* cmdlets) have a built-in pause that forces you to acknowledge the command before proceeding. For these cmdlets, you can skip the confirmation prompt by using this exact syntax: -Confirm:$false.
  • Most other cmdlets (for example, New-* and Set-* cmdlets) don't have a built-in pause. For these cmdlets, specifying the Confirm switch without a value introduces a pause that forces you acknowledge the command before proceeding.
Type:SwitchParameter
Aliases:cf
Position:Named
Default value:None
Required:False
Accept pipeline input:False
Accept wildcard characters:False
Applies to:Exchange Server 2010, Exchange Server 2013, Exchange Server 2016, Exchange Server 2019, Exchange Online, Exchange Online Protection

-DomainController

This parameter is available only in on-premises Exchange.

The DomainController parameter specifies the domain controller that's used by this cmdlet to read data from or write data to Active Directory. You identify the domain controller by its fully qualified domain name (FQDN). For example, dc01.contoso.com.

Type:Fqdn
Position:Named
Default value:None
Required:False
Accept pipeline input:False
Accept wildcard characters:False
Applies to:Exchange Server 2010, Exchange Server 2013, Exchange Server 2016, Exchange Server 2019

-Identity

The Identity parameter specifies the group that you want to modify. You can use any value that uniquely identifies the group. For example:

  • Name
  • Alias
  • Distinguished name (DN)
  • Canonical DN
  • Email address
  • GUID
Type:DistributionGroupIdParameter
Position:1
Default value:None
Required:True
Accept pipeline input:True
Accept wildcard characters:False
Applies to:Exchange Server 2010, Exchange Server 2013, Exchange Server 2016, Exchange Server 2019, Exchange Online, Exchange Online Protection

-Member

The Member parameter specifies the recipient that you want to add to the group. A member can be any mail-enabled recipient in your organization. You can use any value that uniquely identifies the recipient. For example:

  • Name
  • Alias
  • Distinguished name (DN)
  • Canonical DN
  • Email address
  • GUID

Although it isn't required, it's a good idea to add only security principals (for example, mailboxes and mail users with user accounts or other mail-enabled security groups) to mail-enabled security groups. If you assign permissions to a mail-enabled security group, any members that aren't security principals (for example, mail contacts or distribution groups) won't have the permissions assigned.

Type:RecipientWithAdUserGroupIdParameter
Position:Named
Default value:None
Required:False
Accept pipeline input:True
Accept wildcard characters:False
Applies to:Exchange Server 2010, Exchange Server 2013, Exchange Server 2016, Exchange Server 2019, Exchange Online, Exchange Online Protection

-WhatIf

The WhatIf switch simulates the actions of the command. You can use this switch to view the changes that would occur without actually applying those changes. You don't need to specify a value with this switch.

Type:SwitchParameter
Aliases:wi
Position:Named
Default value:None
Required:False
Accept pipeline input:False
Accept wildcard characters:False
Applies to:Exchange Server 2010, Exchange Server 2013, Exchange Server 2016, Exchange Server 2019, Exchange Online, Exchange Online Protection

Inputs

Input types

To see the input types that this cmdlet accepts, see Cmdlet Input and Output Types. If the Input Type field for a cmdlet is blank, the cmdlet doesn't accept input data.

Outputs

Output types

To see the return types, which are also known as output types, that this cmdlet accepts, see Cmdlet Input and Output Types. If the Output Type field is blank, the cmdlet doesn't return data.