New name for Azure Active Directory

Microsoft renamed Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) to Microsoft Entra ID to communicate the multicloud, multiplatform functionality of the products, alleviate confusion with Windows Server Active Directory, and unify the Microsoft Entra product family.

No interruptions to usage or service

If you're currently using Azure AD today or previously deployed Azure AD in your organizations, you can continue to use the service without interruption. All existing deployments, configurations, and integrations continue to function as they do today without any action from you.

You can continue to use familiar Azure AD capabilities that you can access through the Azure portal, Microsoft 365 admin center, and the Microsoft Entra admin center.

All features and capabilities are still available in the product. Licensing, terms, service-level agreements, product certifications, support and pricing remain the same.

To make the transition seamless, all existing login URLs, APIs, PowerShell cmdlets, and Microsoft Authentication Libraries (MSAL) stay the same, as do developer experiences and tooling.

Service plan display names changed on October 1, 2023. Microsoft Entra ID Free, Microsoft Entra ID P1, and Microsoft Entra ID P2 are the new names of standalone offers, and all capabilities included in the current Azure AD plans remain the same. Microsoft Entra ID – previously known as Azure AD – continues to be included in Microsoft 365 licensing plans, including Microsoft 365 E3 and Microsoft 365 E5. Details on pricing and what’s included are available on the pricing and free trials page.

For self-service support, look for the topic path of Microsoft Entra or Azure Active Directory/Microsoft Entra ID.

The product name and icons are changing, and features are now branded as Microsoft Entra instead of Azure AD. If you're updating the name to Microsoft Entra ID in your own content or experiences, see How to: Rename Azure AD.

Naming changes and exceptions

Product name

Microsoft Entra ID is the new name for Azure AD. The names Azure Active Directory, Azure AD, and AAD are replaced with Microsoft Entra ID.

• Microsoft Entra is the name for the product family of identity and network access solutions.
• Microsoft Entra ID is one of the products within that family.
• Acronym usage isn't encouraged, but if you must replace AAD with an acronym due to space limitations, use ME-ID.

Logo/icon

Azure AD product icons are replaced with the Microsoft Entra ID product icon.

Azure AD product icons	Microsoft Entra ID product icon

You can download the Microsoft Entra ID icon here: Microsoft Entra architecture icons

Feature names

Capabilities or services formerly known as "Azure Active Directory <feature name>" or "Azure AD <feature name>" are branded as Microsoft Entra product family features. This change is done across our portfolio to avoid naming length and complexity, and because many features work across all the products. For example:

• "Azure AD Conditional Access" is now "Microsoft Entra Conditional Access"
• "Azure AD single sign-on" is now "Microsoft Entra single sign-on"

For a detailed list, see the Glossary of updated terminology.

What names aren't changing?

The following table lists terminology that's not impacted by the rename. Names aren't changing for Active Directory, developer tools, Azure AD B2C, nor deprecated or retired functionality, features, or services.

Frequently asked questions

When is the name change happening?

The name change across Microsoft experiences started on August 15, 2023. Display names for SKUs and service plans changed on October 1, 2023. Most naming text string changes in Microsoft experiences and partner experiences were completed at the end of 2023.

Why is the name being changed?

As part of our ongoing commitment to simplify secure access experiences for everyone, the renaming of Azure AD to Microsoft Entra ID is designed to make it easier to use and navigate the unified and expanded Microsoft Entra product family.

The Microsoft Entra ID name more accurately represents the multicloud and multiplatform functionality of the product, alleviates confusion with the on-premises identity solution (Active Directory), and creates a path to deliver a simpler way to protect every identity and secure every access point as we expand the Microsoft Entra identity and network access portfolio.

What is Microsoft Entra?

The Microsoft Entra product family helps you protect all identities and secure network access everywhere. The expanded product family includes:

Where can I manage Microsoft Entra ID?

You can manage Microsoft Entra ID and all other Microsoft Entra solutions in the Microsoft Entra admin center or the Azure portal.

What are the display names for service plans and SKUs?

Licensing, pricing, and functionality aren't changing. Display names were updated October 1, 2023 as follows.

Is Azure AD going away?

No, only the name Azure AD is going away. Capabilities remain the same.

Does Microsoft still support on-premises identity management?

We continue to support and enhance Windows Server Active Directory for on-premises identity and access management and the connection to Azure and other clouds, as many organizations continue to rely on this solution.

The name for Active Directory remains unchanged. Based on extensive feedback we received about Microsoft Entra ID as the new name for Azure Active Directory, for many customers the rename helps to better differentiate between the on-premises (Active Directory) and multicloud identity (Microsoft Entra ID) solutions.

What happens to the Azure AD capabilities and features like App Gallery or Conditional Access?

All features and capabilities remain unchanged aside from the name. Customers can continue to use all features without any interruption.

The naming of features changes to Microsoft Entra. For example:

• Azure AD tenant -> Microsoft Entra tenant
• Azure AD account -> Microsoft Entra account

For more examples, see the glossary of updated terminology.

Are licenses changing? Are there any changes to pricing?

No. Prices, terms and service level agreements (SLAs) remain the same.

Is Microsoft Entra ID available as a free service with an Azure subscription?

Customers using Azure AD Free as part of their Azure, Microsoft 365, Dynamics 365, Teams, or Intune subscription continue to have access to the same capabilities. This is now called Microsoft Entra ID Free. Get the free version at https://www.microsoft.com/security/business/microsoft-entra-pricing.

What's changing for Microsoft 365 or Azure AD for Office 365?

Microsoft Entra ID – previously known as Azure AD – continues to be available within Microsoft 365 enterprise and business premium offers. Office 365 was renamed Microsoft 365 in 2022. Unique capabilities in the Azure AD for Office 365 apps (such as company branding and self-service sign-in activity search) are now be available to all Microsoft customers in Microsoft Entra ID Free.

What's changing for Microsoft 365 E3?

There are no changes to the identity features and functionality available in Microsoft 365 E3. Microsoft 365 E3 includes Microsoft Entra ID P1, previously known as Azure AD Premium P1.

What's changing for Microsoft 365 E5?

In addition to the capabilities they already have, Microsoft 365 E5 customers also get access to new identity protection capabilities like token protection, Conditional Access based on GPS-based location and step-up authentication for the most sensitive actions. Microsoft 365 E5 includes Microsoft Entra ID P2, previously known as Azure AD Premium P2.

What's changing for identity developer and devops experiences?

Identity developer and devops experiences aren't being renamed. To make the transition seamless, all existing login URLs, APIs, PowerShell cmdlets, and Microsoft Authentication Libraries (MSAL) stay the same, as do developer experiences and tooling.

Many technical components either have low visibility to customers (for example, sign-in URLs), or usually aren't branded, like APIs.

Microsoft identity platform encompasses all our identity and access developer assets. It continues to provide the resources to help you build applications that your users and customers can sign in to using their Microsoft identities or social accounts.

For a detailed list of names that aren't changing, see What names aren't changing?.

Are PowerShell cmdlets being renamed?

No. Today, we offer two PowerShell modules for administering identity tasks: the Azure AD PowerShell module, which is planned for deprecation in March 2024, and the Microsoft Graph PowerShell module.

In the Azure AD PowerShell for Graph module, AzureAD is in the name of almost all the cmdlets. These won't change, and you can continue to use these same cmdlets now that the official product name is Microsoft Entra ID.

Microsoft Graph PowerShell cmdlets aren't branded with Azure AD. We encourage you to plan your migration from Azure AD PowerShell to Microsoft Graph PowerShell, which is the recommended module for interacting with Microsoft Entra ID in the future.

How and when are customers being notified?

The name changes were publicly announced on July 11, 2023.

Banners, alerts, and message center posts notified users of the name change. The change was also displayed on the tenant overview page in the portals including Azure, Microsoft 365, and Microsoft Entra admin center, and Microsoft Learn.

What if I use the Azure AD name in my content or app?

We'd like your help spreading the word about the name change and implementing it in your own experiences. If you're a content creator, author of internal documentation for IT or identity security admins, developer of Azure AD–enabled apps, independent software vendor, or Microsoft partner, you can use the naming guidance outlined in How to: Rename Azure AD to make the name change in your content and product experiences.

Glossary of updated terminology

Features of the identity and network access products are attributed to Microsoft Entra—the product family, not the individual product name.

You're not required to use the Microsoft Entra attribution with features. Only use if needed to clarify whether you're talking about a concept versus the feature in a specific product, or when comparing a Microsoft Entra feature with a competing feature.

Only official product names are capitalized, plus Conditional Access and My * apps.

Revision history

Next steps

• How to: Rename Azure AD
• Get started using Microsoft Entra ID at the Microsoft Entra admin center
• Learn more about the Microsoft Entra family with content from Microsoft Learn