In today’s digital landscape, automating processes is an essential part of increasing efficiency and maximizing productivity. In this blog post, I will introduce you to a powerful PowerShell script that greatly simplifies the registration of applications in Microsoft 365. This script provides a complete solution that not only automates app registration, but also generates a ‘client secret’ and creates a customized log file.
Advantages of automation with PowerShell
Using PowerShell to automate app registration in Microsoft 365 has numerous advantages:
- Time saving: manual processes are replaced by automated scripts, which increases efficiency.
- Error reduction: Automated scripts minimize human error and ensure consistent results.
- Flexibility: All required variables can be stored in a JSON file, which facilitates customization and reuse.
What is PowerShell?
PowerShell is a powerful command line environment and scripting language developed by Microsoft. It is ideal for managing Windows systems and applications. PowerShell can also be used to create automated tasks and scripts.
What is an app registration?
App registration is the process of registering an app with Microsoft 365. This gives the app access to the Microsoft 365 APIs. App registration is required to create apps that interact with Microsoft 365 services.
What is a client secret?
A client secret is a randomly generated key that is used to authenticate apps to Microsoft 365. The client secret should be kept secret and should not be shared with third parties.
What is a log file?
A log file is a file in which information about the execution of a script is recorded. Log files can be used to fix problems with scripts and to monitor the performance of scripts.
How the script works
The script is designed to perform all the necessary steps to register an application in Microsoft 365. Here are the main functions at a glance:
Creating the app registration: the script registers the application in Microsoft 365.
Generation of a client secret: A ‘client secret’ is automatically created and saved as a TXT file.
Creation of a log file: A detailed log file documents all steps and results of the script.
JSON file for variables
One of the outstanding features of this script is the use of a JSON file to store all required variables. This increases flexibility and makes it easy to customize the script for different applications. Here is an example of such a JSON file:
{ "AppName": "MSB365-Test", "SupportedAccountTypes": "AzureADMyOrg", "RedirectUri": "https://www.msb365.blog", "FrontChannelLogoutUri": "https://www.msb365.blog/logout", "RequiredApiPermissions": { "roles": [ "User.Read.All", "Mail.Read" ] } }
Storage of the client secret
The generated ‘client secret’ is stored as a TXT file in the same location as the JSON file. This makes administration easier and increases the security of the secrets.
Log file creation
After the script has been executed, a detailed log file is created that documents all steps and results. This enables easy tracking and troubleshooting. Here is an example of a log file:
Connecting to Microsoft Graph... Creating app registration... Creating client secret... Exporting client secret to text file... Configuring authentication settings... Adding API permissions... App registration created successfully with the following details:
The Script
As already mentioned, this script is used to register a new app in Azure. The most important information required for this is written in the JSON file.
This is what it looks like when the script has run successfully: | ![]() |
After a few minutes, the newly registered application is visible in the Azure portal, including the set graph permissions. | ![]() |
The JSON file is requested during the execution of the script. Therefore, nothing needs to be modified in the script. A corresponding pop-up window appears where the JSON can be conveniently searched for and selected.
Conclusion
Automating app registration in Microsoft 365 with PowerShell offers numerous advantages and makes the entire process much easier. With this script, you can not only save time, but also improve the accuracy and consistency of your app registrations. In the rest of this article, you will find detailed code snippets and images that will help you to better understand and apply the script.
The script and other files such as a sample JSON can be downloaded free of charge from my GitHub profile.
As always, although I have tested and used the script several times, I cannot and will not accept any liability for the use of this script.
Readers who download the script are free to customise it according to their needs. Commercial use is allowed, but monitarisation requires my explicit permission.