This setting defines the search query scope. To improve query performance, limit the scope to a specific Entra ID administrative unit.

IMPORTANT: To test the rule configuration, limit the rule scope to an administrative unit that contains test accounts or objects.

Query criteria are sent with the query and may improve query performance.

TIP: For additional information on the criteria builder, see the How to use Query Builder dialog for Query Criteria and Filter rule settings.

You can filter Groups and Teams by:

• No owners.

• No owners or all owners are disabled.

• No filtering.

Specify statistics properties to display for each object in the rule scope.

Other Query Settings

Each object property defined in this setting matches the column that will be displayed in the Web Portal for this web query.

To display additional columns, add the required properties to the Properties to display list.

List of properties required for this rule to be executed correctly.

To hide unwanted data based on criteria, not supported by the Microsoft 365 query criteria above, set the filtering conditions here.

TIP: For optimal performance, use the Query criteria above to filter objects whenever possible.

Sort result object list.

This setting is used to optimize performance by limiting the number of objects returned by the Microsoft Graph API.

Unlike query criteria, any post-filters on the returned objects are applied after they are returned, which means that the final set of returned objects could be less than the number configured here despite these objects existing in the source system. 

By default, Query criteria are used. But when the MS Graph query condition is specified, it overrides the Query criteria setting.

See this article for examples: How to use Query Builder dialog for Query Criteria and Filter rule settings.

Usually, rules use query criteria to limit the query search scope. It improves the performance of the executed rule.

Due to the PowerShell limitations, it is not possible to use calculated expressions in query criteria. That is the point where the initialization script can help. You can initialize a global variable in this setting and then use it in query criteria.

IMPORTANT: To use a variable, declared in the initialization script, in the query scope, it must be global: $global:<variable name>.

Example: Update AD users, created in the last ten days.

1. Add this initialization script

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   {$global:DatePeriod = (Get-Date).AddDays(-10)}

2. Use the $DatePeriod variable in the query criteria builder:

Specify the owner you want to assign:

Notify owner

Email subject.

TIP: It is possible to customize email subjects by using different tokens, see Customizing an automation rule or web action output email. 

Message text.

TIP: It is possible to customize email messages by using different tokens, see Customizing an automation rule or web action output email.