Overview
Today I am going to walk you through installing the SharePoint Online Management Shell and connecting to your tenant.
The SharePoint Online Management Shell, once installed, allows Global and SharePoint Administrators to run cmdlets against their SharePoint Online tenant to configure tenant level SharePoint settings.
For example, you can configure legacy authentication, create/delete/update sites, configure public and private CDN’s, and more.
There are two different installation methods I will cover in this article. The first method is to use the MSI installer, and the second method from PowerShell using the Install-Module cmdlet. I will cover both methods and some noticeable differences you will want to keep in mind.
Method 1: MSI Installer
Installing the SharePoint Online Management Shell using the MSI installer will give you an entry in add/remove programs where you can easily uninstall later. It also creates shortcuts in the Start Menu that you can click on to open the SharePoint Online Management Shell. This option works best for those that may not be as familiar with PowerShell. If you already have the SharePoint Online Management Shell installed, you will need to remove it prior to installing the latest version.
- Browse to https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=35588
- Select your language and click Download
- Select where you want to save the MSI
- Open SharePointOnlineManagementShell_XXXXX-XXXXX_en-us.msi
Method 2: Install-Module
For those that live in PowerShell, this option typically works best because you can install the module right from any PowerShell window. However, you will not get the SharePoint Online Management Shell shortcuts in the Start Menu nor will you see an entry in add/remove programs if you want to uninstall at a later time. You would need to remove the module through PowerShell.
- Open a PowerShell window as an Administrator
- Run the following cmdlet to install SPO Management Shell:
Install-Module -Name Microsoft.Online.SharePoint.PowerShell
- The next time you open PowerShell, the SharePoint Online Management Shell cmdlets should be available for use. If not, you can always import the module by running the following:
Import-Module Microsoft.Online.SharePoint.PowerShell
Finding Cmdlets
You can find a list of cmdlets on the Microsoft Docs cmdlet reference page. You can also run Get-Command to see a list of available cmdlets in PowerShell:
Get-Command -Module Microsoft.Online.SharePoint.PowerShell
Connecting to your tenant
Use the Connect-SPOService cmdlet to connect to your tenant. Also, you must connect to the -admin SharePoint Online Admin URL. See below for an example:
Connect-SPOService -Url https://<YOURTENANT>-admin.sharepoint.com
Logging into a Government GCC High or DoD tenant
Use the Connect-SPOService cmdlet to connect to your government tenant. Also, you must connect to the -admin SharePoint Online Admin URL. Use -Region ITAR to indicate that you want to login with a Government endpoint. See below for an example:
Connect-SPOService -Url https://<YOURTENANT>-admin.sharepoint.us -Region ITAR
Issues 🤯
Syntax Errors
If you are getting a bunch of red text when trying to run a cmdlet, the first thing is to check for syntax errors and typos. Often times what I will see is someone copied a cmdlet from a web page and pasted it into the PowerShell window. A hidden character or bullet point from the web page will cause the cmdlet not to be found or give an invalid parameter name and it will fail. If you are copying cmdlets from the internet, sterilize the cmdlet by pasting and recopying in Notepad first (or similar method) then try to run the command again.
Outdated version
I have seen folks attempt to run a cmdlet and they get an error message. Typically, it is a syntax error such as a misspelling, extra character, or forget to close a string. If you are sure you have your command typed correctly, it might be that your SharePoint Online Management Shell is outdated. Windows Updates does not automatically update this module for you. It is your job to make sure you have the latest version. If you have the MSI version installed on your machine, here is an easy method to compare your version of the SPO Management Shell to what you currently have installed:
