The Exchange Web Services (EWS) are a set of APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) developed by Microsoft to allow applications and services to communicate and interact with Microsoft Exchange servers. As we know, with Exchange companies can manage emails, appointments, activities and other company data with an integrated suite that provides messaging and collaboration solutions.
By using Exchange Web Services, developers can make their applications capable of access your email inboxes users, folders, email content, attachments and other data associated with emails.
Furthermore, with EWS, applications can interface with Exchange for manage appointmentsthe events of calendar and meetings; to manage the activities and the various task within the company; to interact with contacts; to activate search and filter functionality.
Initially introduced as an integral part of Microsoft Exchange Server 2007, EWS has subsequently been adopted in numerous third-party applications and services that integrate email, scheduling and task management.
Goodbye Exchange Web Services: Microsoft urges you to migrate towards Graph API
In a note published in September 2023, Microsoft announces the retirement of EWS urging users to switch to it as soon as possible Graph API.
Microsoft Graph is a development platform and set of APIs that allow developers to create applications capable of interacting with Microsoft 365 services and data (including Exchange, SharePoint, OneDrive, Teams, among others). It provides a unified access point to access and manage Microsoft 365 data and features, allowing developers to build applications that take full advantage of the Microsoft ecosystem.
The technicians of the Redmond company declare themselves aware of the fact that some functionality integrated into EWS are not currently available with Graph. For example, there is a lack of access to archive folders for email, information associated with the folders, user configuration and, in general, Exchange Online Management. The latter is a tool for managing and administering the settings, resources and features of Exchange Online.
Microsoft specifies that it is still working to bridge the gap in terms of functionality between EWS and Graph: the missing features should be implemented within a few months.
However, on October 1, 2026, Microsoft will begin to block EWS requests directed to Exchange Online and coming from applications not developed by Satya Nadella’s company. EWS components, however, will continue to receive updates in terms of safety and functionality.
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