Managing Focused Inbox in Office 365 using PowerShell

In the current article, we review how to manage the option of Focused Inbox in Office 365 by using PowerShell.

Generally speaking, we can enable or disable the option Focused Inbox in “organization level” by using the PowerShell cmdlet Get-OrganizationConfig or by managing single Exchange mailbox” by using the PowerShell cmdlet Set-FocusedInbox.

Focused Inbox feature purpose

Focused Inbox – focus on the emails that matter most.

For many, the inbox is the command center for their day. It’s the way to keep track of what is going on and what needs to get done. Outlook’s Focused Inbox makes this process easier by helping you focus on the emails that matter most to you. It separates your inbox into two tabs—Focused and Other. Emails that matter most to you are in the Focused tab, while the rest remain easily accessible—but out of the way in the Other tab. You’ll be informed about email flowing to “Other”, and you can switch between tabs at any time to take a quick look.

Transition from Clutter to Focused Inbox in Office 365

Users can keep using the existing Clutter experience through the transition. However, after the transition period, Clutter will be completely replaced by Focused Inbox.

In the meantime, if a Clutter user chooses to opt-in to using Focused Inbox they will no longer receive the less important email in the “Clutter” folder.

Instead, the email will be split between the Focused and Other tabs in their inbox. Tenant admins will be proactively notified before Clutter is fully replaced.

SECTION A: Enable “Focused Inbox” option

Enable Focused Inbox option | Organization level

When using the PowerShell cmdlet – Set-OrganizationConfig, the option of Focused Inbox will be applied (activated) for all existing Exchange mailboxes + to all NEW Exchange mailboxes that will be created in the Future.

In case that we want to Disable the option of Focused Inbox for a specific Exchange mailbox, we can use the PowerShell cmdlet – Set-FocusedInbox.

PowerShell command example:

Set-OrganizationConfig -FocusedInboxOn $True

Enable Focused Inbox | Single Mailbox

PowerShell command syntax:

Set-FocusedInbox -Identity <Mailbox> -FocusedInboxOn $True

PowerShell command example:

Set-FocusedInbox -Identity Bob -FocusedInboxOn $True

Enable Focused Inbox | All Exchange USER Mailboxes (Bulk)

PowerShell command example:

Get-MailBox -Filter '(RecipientTypeDetails -eq "UserMailbox")' | Set-FocusedInbox -FocusedInboxOn $True

SECTION B: Disable “Focused Inbox” option

When using the PowerShell cmdlet – Set-OrganizationConfig, the option of Focused Inbox will be applied (activated) for all existing Exchange mailboxes + to all NEW Exchange mailboxes that will be created in the Future.

In case that we want to Enable the option of Focused Inbox for a specific Exchange mailbox, we can use the PowerShell cmdlet – Set-FocusedInbox.

PowerShell command example:

Set-OrganizationConfig -FocusedInboxOn $False

Disable Focused Inbox | Organization level

PowerShell command syntax:

Set-FocusedInbox -Identity <Mailbox> -FocusedInboxOn $False

PowerShell command example:

Set-FocusedInbox -Identity "Bob" -FocusedInboxOn $False

Disable Focused Inbox | Single Mailbox

PowerShell command example:

Get-MailBox -Filter '(RecipientTypeDetails -eq "UserMailbox")' | Set-FocusedInbox -FocusedInboxOn $False

Disable Focused Inbox | All Exchange USER Mailboxes (Bulk)

SECTION C: Export + View (Display) “Focused Inbox” settings” option

View Focused Inbox settings | Organization level

PowerShell command example:

Get-OrganizationConfig | Select *FocusedInbox*

View Focused Inbox settings | Single Mailbox

PowerShell command syntax:

Get-FocusedInbox -Identity <Mailbox>

PowerShell command example:

Get-FocusedInbox -Identity "Bob" | Select MailboxIdentity,FocusedInboxOn,FocusedInboxOnLastUpdateTime

View (Display) information about All Exchange user mailboxes Focused Inbox (Enabled or Disabled)

PowerShell command example:

Get-MailBox -Filter '(RecipientTypeDetails -eq "UserMailbox")' | Get-FocusedInbox | Select MailboxIdentity,FocusedInboxOn,FocusedInboxOnLastUpdateTime

View (Display) information about All Exchange user mailboxes that their Focused Inbox option is Enabled

PowerShell command example:

Get-Mailbox | Where {$_.RecipientTypeDetails -eq 'UserMailbox'}| Get-FocusedInbox | Where {$_.FocusedInboxOn -eq '$True'} | Select MailboxIdentity,FocusedInboxOn,FocusedInboxOnLastUpdateTime

View (Display) information about All Exchange user mailboxes that their Focused Inbox option is Disabled

PowerShell command example:

Get-Mailbox | Where {$_.RecipientTypeDetails -eq 'UserMailbox'} | Get-FocusedInbox | Where {$_.FocusedInboxOn -eq $False} | Select MailboxIdentity,FocusedInboxOn,FocusedInboxOnLastUpdateTime

Export information about All Exchange user mailboxes Focused Inbox (Enabled or Disabled)

PowerShell command example:

Get-MailBox -Filter '(RecipientTypeDetails -eq "UserMailbox")' | Get-FocusedInbox | Select MailboxIdentity,FocusedInboxOn,FocusedInboxOnLastUpdateTime | Export-CSV c:\temp\"All Exchange user mailboxes that their Focused Inbox option is Enabled.CSV" –NoTypeInformation -Encoding UTF8

SECTION D: Using Exchange Online rule to send specific E-mails Focused Inbox

When using the Focused Inbox option, the Exchange server who manages the user mailbox, “decide” according to an internal algorithm to “move” (or not to “move”) a specific E-mail message to the Focused Inbox view.

In some scenarios, the Focused Inbox algorithm, can decide not to classify E-mail messages as an E-mail that will be sent to the Focused Inbox view. In other words, the Focused Inbox algorithm, can decide that specific E-mail address is not important, and this E-mail will not “sent” to the Focused Inbox view.

To be able to override this decision and to be able to “inform” Exchange server that we would like to send a specific E-mail to the Focused view.

The Exchange rule is implemented by, defining the characters of these specific emails, and asks from Exchange to add a specific mail field to the E-mail message header.

This special mail field is named is X-MS-Exchange-Organization-BypassFocusedInbox.

We will need to add this mail field and set the value of this mail field to “true”.

For example:

X-MS-Exchange-Organization-BypassFocusedInbox = true

In case that Exchange server “locate” this mail field, he “understands” that he needs to bypass the Focused Inbox process.

The Exchange rule can be created manually or via PowerShell.

In the following section, we review two examples of such as Exchange rule that will bypass the Focused Inbox process for specific mail items.

Create Exchange rule that bypasses Focused Inbox process for E-mail that includes specific text in mail SUBJECT

PowerShell command syntax:

New-TransportRule -Name <Name of the rule> -SubjectContainsWords "<Text String>" -SetHeaderName " X-MS-Exchange-Organization-BypassFocusedInbox" -SetHeaderValue "true"

PowerShell command example:

New-TransportRule -Name "Bypass Clutter – Subject important" -SubjectContainsWords "important" -SetHeaderName " X-MS-Exchange-Organization-BypassFocusedInbox" -SetHeaderValue "true"

Create Exchange rule that bypasses Focused Inbox process for E-mail that sent from specific SENDER

PowerShell command syntax:

New-TransportRule -Name <Name of the rule> -From "<E-mail address>" -SetHeaderName "X-MS-Exchange-Organization-BypassFocusedInbox" -SetHeaderValue "true"

PowerShell command example:

New-TransportRule -Name "Bypass Clutter – E-mail from Bob" -From "Bob@o365info.com" -SetHeaderName "X-MS-Exchange-Organization-BypassFocusedInbox" -SetHeaderValue "true"