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Use the information below to learn how to ingest data using Microsoft 365 Organizational Data Service, including licensing requirements, role assignments, and access to the Microsoft 365 admin center.
Step 1: Review licensing requirements
Licensing requirements vary based on the Microsoft 365 or Viva app that will consume organizational data from Microsoft 365 Organizational Data Service. Review the licensing requirements for the Microsoft 365 and Viva services you plan to enable.
| App | Licensing requirement |
|---|---|
| Microsoft 365 Profile | At least one Exchange Online license in the tenant |
| Insights | A Microsoft Viva Insights license, or a Microsoft 365 license that includes Insights |
| Viva Glint | A Microsoft Viva Glint license, or a Microsoft 365 license that includes Viva Glint |
| People Skills | Microsoft 365 Copilot or Viva. Learn more. |
Step 2: Assign roles
Before you can configure and manage Microsoft 365 Organizational Data Service, ensure the appropriate administrative roles have been assigned.
| Primary role | Coordinate with | Actions to take (including coordination) |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft 365 Global Administrator | Assign the Organizational Data Source Administrator role. In Entra ID, assign the Organizational Data Source Administrator role to the person responsible for managing organizational data imports. Only Global Administrators and Organizational Data Source Administrators can upload data. | |
| Microsoft 365 Global Administrator | Complete provisioning. In the Microsoft 365 admin center, go to Setup > Migration and imports > Organizational Data in Microsoft 365 and complete the provisioning process. | |
| Organizational Data Source Administrator | IT/Security teams, human resource information system (HRIS) data owner | Gather stakeholders and begin internal approval processes. Decide which HRIS connector to use, identify the attributes to import, and complete any required security, compliance, and data governance reviews. |
| Additional steps for Viva Glint | ||
| Viva Glint Administrator | Organizational Data Source Administrator | Review or create a connector for Viva Glint. Coordinate with the Organizational Data Source Administrator to reuse an existing connector or create a new connector for Viva Glint imports. |
| Viva Glint Administrator | HRIS data owner | Complete Viva Glint schema mapping. Ensure imported attributes are mapped to the correct Viva Glint attributes. After configuration, enable Organizational Data Imports in General Settings > Technical Configuration. Coordinate with the HRIS data owner to validate field definitions and mappings. |
Microsoft 365 Global Administrator
This is a privileged role. Users with this role have access to all administrative features in Microsoft Entra ID, as well as services that use Microsoft Entra identities like the Microsoft Defender portal, the Microsoft Purview portal, Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, and Skype for Business Online. Microsoft 365 Global Administrators can view Directory Activity logs.
Organizational Data Source Administrator
Users with this role have permissions to manage settings related to ingesting and managing Microsoft 365 Organizational Data Service.
Note
Organizational data is employee data that describes the employees in your organization and can be ingested manually or using supported HRIS systems.
This role can perform the following tasks:
Data upload and management: Permissions to upload, update, and delete organizational data for the specified applications
Data export: Permissions to export organizational data from the authorized applications
This admin can also connect to human capital management (HCM) systems such as Workday and SAP SuccessFactors, manually ingest HCM data using secure file uploads, and manage which applications can access uploaded data.
Step 3: Access Microsoft 365 Organizational Data Service
After the required licenses and roles have been assigned, access Microsoft 365 Organizational Data Service through the Microsoft 365 admin center to import organizational data and onboard Microsoft 365 and Viva apps.
First, sign in to the Microsoft 365 admin center with an account that has the required administrative permissions (Microsoft 365 Global Administrator or Organizational Data Source Administrator).
Viva apps
On the left, under Settings, select Viva.
Under Data management, select Microsoft 365 Organizational Data Service.
Copilot connectors
On the left, under Copilot, select Connectors.
On the Gallery tab, select Legal + Human resources & recruiting.
Select SAP SuccessFactors or Workday.
Migration resources
On the left, under Setup, select Migration resources.
Under Migrate to the cloud with confidence, select Explore migration & import tools.
Select Microsoft 365 Organizational Data Service.
Step 4: Choose your Connector Options
Microsoft 365 Organizational Data Service supports multiple connector options, allowing you to bring organizational data into Microsoft 365 from HR systems, data lakes, and custom applications. Select the connector that best aligns with your data source and onboarding requirements.
Connector options
| Connector | Description | Role requirements |
|---|---|---|
| CSV Import | You upload a .csv file directly to Microsoft. Ideal for one-time imports, pilots, and organizations without an available connector integration. Supports manual uploads and file replacement. | Microsoft 365 Global Administrator or Organizational Data Source Administrator |
| Workday Connector | Microsoft pulls data directly from Workday's Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) APIs using Workday credentials that you provide. Supports periodic refresh. | Workday administrator + Microsoft 365 Global Administrator or Organizational Data Source Administrator |
| SAP SuccessFactors Connector | Microsoft pulls data directly from SAP SuccessFactors's public APIs using SAP SuccessFactors credentials that you provide. Option to import using middleware such as SAP Cloud Platform Integration. Supports periodic refresh. | SAP SuccessFactors administrator + Microsoft 365 Global Administrator or Organizational Data Source Administrator |
| Azure Blob Storage Connector | Microsoft pulls your .csv file from Azure Blob using a Blob container URL you provide. On-demand refresh on each new file drop. Supports PGP encryption. | Azure administrator + Microsoft 365 Global Administrator or Organizational Data Source Administrator + Data Source Administrator |
| API-based Connector (Public Preview) | You send a .csv file from any HRIS source to the Microsoft API. On-demand refresh using API call. Supports Workday Enterprise Interface Builder (EIB) integration. | Microsoft 365 Global Administrator + Organizational Data Source Administrator + Data Source Administrator |
How to choose your connector
| If your source system is... | Recommended connector |
|---|---|
| Workday and all required attributes are available through the Workday SOAP APIs | Workday Connector |
| Workday, but data requires transformation, middleware, or a Workday EIB process | API-based Connector |
| SAP SuccessFactors and all required attributes are available through the SAP SuccessFactors APIs | SAP SuccessFactors Connector |
| SAP SuccessFactors with middleware (for example, SAP Cloud Platform Integration) | SAP SuccessFactors Connector using middleware |
| Multiple HR systems, a data lake, or another source system | Azure Blob Storage Connector or API-based Connector |
| A custom HR application or source system | API-based Connector |
Use the video below to help you identify which data connector to use to import your attributes.
Additional guidance
Before you select the Workday Connector
Confirm that:
Required attributes are available through the Workday SOAP APIs.
You aren't using middleware or Report-as-a-Service reports to expose the data.
Data doesn't require transformations beyond simple attribute mapping.
Your organization has approved a direct connection between Microsoft 365 and Workday.
Before you select the SAP SuccessFactors Connector
Confirm that:
Required attributes are available through the SAP SuccessFactors APIs.
You aren't dependent on middleware for data retrieval.
Data doesn't require transformations beyond simple attribute mapping.
Your organization has approved a direct connection between Microsoft 365 and SAP SuccessFactors.
When to use the Azure Blob Storage Connector (at least one scenario below should apply)
You have multiple HRIS or source systems.
Organizational data is consolidated in a data lake.
Data requires transformation before being imported into Microsoft 365 Organizational Data Service.
Your organization can export files to an Azure Blob Storage container.
When to use the API-based Connector (at least one scenario below should apply)
You have a custom HRIS solution.
Data is generated by an internal business application.
You need a custom integration process.
Data requires transformations before it is sent to Microsoft 365 Organizational Data Service.
Your organization uses Workday EIB or another integration framework to generate import files.
For detailed setup instructions for each connector, refer to the articles listed under "Import your organizational data" on the left.
Step 5: Bring in your data
Choose destination apps: Select the Microsoft 365 and Viva apps that will receive your organizational data.
Connect your data source: Upload a .csv file or configure a connector to your HRIS or data source.
Map your attributes: Match source attributes to the corresponding Microsoft attributes.
Configure data distribution: Choose which attributes can be shared with selected downstream apps.
Review and confirm: Review your configuration, mappings, and distribution settings before starting the import.
Monitor import status: Track upload progress, review validation results, and address any issues identified during processing.