News
Microsoft to Retire Graph CLI Tool, Pushes Users to PowerShell
- By John K. Waters
- September 3, 2025
Microsoft Corp will discontinue its Graph command-line interface tool next year, citing declining usage and overlap with existing developer tools as the company consolidates its software development offerings around PowerShell.
The Microsoft Graph CLI, which allows developers and IT administrators to interact with Microsoft 365 data and services through terminal commands, entered deprecation on September 1, 2025, with full retirement scheduled for August 28, 2026.
Microsoft attributed the retirement decision to the CLI's "limited extensibility, narrower ecosystem, and overlap with more powerful alternatives." The company said customers increasingly favor tools with deeper automation integration and broader community support.
The Graph CLI was introduced as a lightweight, cross-platform tool for accessing Microsoft Graph APIs, which provide programmatic access to data across Microsoft's cloud services including Teams, Outlook, and SharePoint.
Microsoft is directing users to transition to its Graph PowerShell SDK, which the company describes as offering broader API coverage, regular updates, and stronger integration with scripting workflows. The PowerShell tool is part of Microsoft's long-term developer tooling strategy.
During the deprecation period, Microsoft will address only critical security vulnerabilities in the CLI and will not introduce new features. The tool will remain available as open source but without active maintenance or support.
The retirement reflects Microsoft's broader effort to streamline its developer experience offerings. The company has been consolidating various tools and interfaces as it focuses resources on what it considers core platforms.
Microsoft said it will provide migration documentation to help users convert existing CLI scripts and workflows to PowerShell. The company has not disclosed current usage figures for the Graph CLI or adoption metrics for the PowerShell alternative.
The move affects developers and IT professionals who use the CLI for automation, scripting, and accessing Microsoft 365 services through command-line interfaces.
About the Author
John K. Waters is the editor in chief of a number of Converge360.com sites, with a focus on high-end development, AI and future tech. He's been writing about cutting-edge technologies and culture of Silicon Valley for more than two decades, and he's written more than a dozen books. He also co-scripted the documentary film Silicon Valley: A 100 Year Renaissance, which aired on PBS. He can be reached at [email protected].