Key Takeaways
- SCIM 2.0 Service Provider with external sources able to provision and manage users and groups.
- Microsoft Entra ID can provision users and groups to partner applications as a SCIM client.
- Microsoft Entra supports SCIM-based provisioning to SaaS apps and inbound provisioning from HR systems
- Support for automation and integration with SCIM-based tools and identity governance platforms
Hey, let’s discuss about Microsoft Entra SCIM 2.0 APIs for User and Group Lifecycle Management. Microsoft Entra ID supports the System for Cross-domain Identity Management (SCIM) 2.0 standard in multiple ways depending on the provisioning scenario, acting either as a SCIM client to provision users and groups from Microsoft Entra into partner applications, or as a SCIM service provider that exposes SCIM APIs for external systems to provision users and groups directly into Microsoft Entra.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Microsoft Entra SCIM 2.0 APIs for User and Group Lifecycle Management
Modern organizations rely on a growing ecosystem of applications, platforms, and services to run their business, making consistent management of users and groups across these systems essential for security and operational efficiency. Many teams use the System for Cross-domain Identity Management (SCIM) standard to ensure predictable integrations, reduce custom provisioning work, and simplify lifecycle management.
Microsoft Entra has long supported SCIM-based provisioning to SaaS applications and API-driven inbound provisioning from HR systems, and now extends this support by introducing SCIM 2.0 APIs that allow external SCIM-compatible identity sources to provision users and groups directly into Microsoft Entra. In this model, Microsoft Entra acts as a SCIM service provider, enabling external clients such as orchestration tools or custom automation frameworks to manage users and groups using standard SCIM operations, which is particularly useful for organizations that already use SCIM-based automation frameworks or identity governance platforms.
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What You Can Do
Microsoft Entra SCIM 2.0 APIs enable identity teams, developers, and partners to manage user and group lifecycle operations using a standards-based approach that aligns with existing SCIM tools. These APIs simplify provisioning, updates, and integrations by allowing organizations to reuse established SCIM patterns across systems.
| What You Can Do with These APIs |
|---|
| Provision and deprovision users in Microsoft Entra from HR systems, SaaS platforms, or custom applications. |
| Update user attributes using the SCIM schema and supported extensions. |
| Manage Microsoft Entra ID security groups and Microsoft 365 groups, including membership. |
| Integrate with existing SCIM clients and automation frameworks, reusing established provisioning patterns. |
| Discover supported schemas and capabilities through standard SCIM endpoints. |
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Author
Anoop C Nair is a Workplace Technology solution architect with 25+ years of experience. Microsoft Certified Trainer. Microsoft MVP from 2015 onwards for consecutive 11+ years! He is a blogger, Speaker, and Founder of HTMD Community and HTMD Conference. His main focus is on Device Management technologies like Intune, Windows, and Cloud PC. He writes about technologies like Intune, SCCM, Windows, Cloud PC, Entra, and Microsoft Security.