Microsoft Graph API - Open Type Extension

In this blog, we will be learning about Microsoft Graph Extensibility - Open Type Extension.

What are Microsoft Graph Extensions?

Microsoft Graph provides a single API endpoint to access rich people-centric data and insights through resources such as user and message. You can also extend Microsoft Graph by adding custom properties to resource instances without requiring an external data store.

Microsoft Graph offers four types of extensions for adding custom data.

• Extension attributes
• Directory (Microsoft Entra ID) extensions
• Schema extensions
• Open extensions

Open Extensions

Here we will be discussing Open extensions.

• It allows us to add untyped properties to resources in Graph.
• Each extension has a key/value property.
• The name of the extensions should include a reverse domain name system (DNS) format that is dependent on our own domain; for example, the DNS name com.mydomain.UserInfo
• Can be added, updated, and deleted.

⊛ Note

Do not use extensions to store sensitive personally identifiable information, such as account credentials, government identification numbers, cardholder data, financial account data, healthcare information, or sensitive background information.

The following resources support open extension:

Resource	Status	Permission
Administrative unit	Preview Only	Directory.AccessAsUser.All
Calendar event	GA	Calendars.ReadWrite
Group calendar event	GA	Group.ReadWrite.All
Group conversation thread post	GA	Group.ReadWrite.All
Device	GA	Device.ReadWrite.All
Group	GA	Group.ReadWrite.All
Message	GA	Mail.ReadWrite
Organization	GA	Directory.AccessAsUser.All
Personal contact	GA	Contacts.ReadWrite
User	GA	Directory.AccessAsUser.All

We will be working around User resource in the Graph

Open Microsoft Graph Explorer - aka.ms/ge

The first thing is to provide permissions (refer to the above table) to use the Microsoft Graph API endpoint.

Get an Extension

Enter the below table details and press the 'Run query' button. We will get OK-200 status and blank/empty array as we currently don't have any extensions available. (we'll get extensions again further in the blog).

Verb	GET
URL	https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0/me? $select=id,displayName,mail,mobilePhone&$expand=extensions

Create an Extension

Enter the below table details and press the 'Run query' button. The new open extension will be created, and we will get Created-201 status.

Verb	POST
URL	https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0/me/extensions
Body	{ "@odata.type": "microsoft.graph.openTypeExtension", "extensionName": "com.vikasbansal.userSettings", "costCenter": "Engineering-007", "myFavouriteApps": [ { "name": "SSP", "description": "Self Service Portal", "Url": "https://aks.ms/sspr", "iconName": "EmployeeSelfService" }, { "name": "Open AI", "description": "Open Artificial Intelligence", "Url": "https://openai.com", "iconName": "GiftboxOpen" }, { "name": "My IT Support", "description": "Access IT updated and support materials", "Url": "https://www.myitsupport.com", "iconName": "AnalyticsView" }, { "name": "Policies Hub", "description": "Get latest updates on company policies", "Url": "https://www.policyhub.com", "iconName": "EntitlementPolicy" }, { "name": "Office 365", "description": "My Office 365", "Url": "https://office.com", "iconName": "OfficeLogo" } ] }

Update an Extension

Enter the below table details and press the 'Run query' button. The open extension value will be updated, and we will get a No Content-204 status.
{Extension-Id} is the name of the extension previously created.

Verb	PATCH
URL	https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0/me/extensions/{extension-id} https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0/me/extensions/com.vikasbansal.userSettings
Body	{ "@odata.type": "microsoft.graph.openTypeExtension", "extensionName": "com.vikasbansal.userSettings", "costCenter": "Engineering-005", "myFavouriteApps": [ { "name": "ESP", "description": "Employee Service Portal", "Url": "https://aks.ms/sspr", "iconName": "EmployeeSelfService" }, { "name": "Open AI", "description": "Open Artificial Intelligence", "Url": "https://openai.com", "iconName": "GiftboxOpen" }, { "name": "My IT Support", "description": "Access IT updated and support materials", "Url": "https://www.myitsupport.com", "iconName": "AnalyticsView" }, { "name": "Policies Hub", "description": "Get latest updates on company policies", "Url": "https://www.policyhub.com", "iconName": "EntitlementPolicy" }, { "name": "Office 365", "description": "My Office 365", "Url": "https://office.com", "iconName": "OfficeLogo" } ] }

Again, enter the Get extension table details and press the 'Run query' button. We will get OK-200 status, and the extensions array will contain available extension details against the user resource in Graph.

Delete an Extension

Enter the below table details and press the 'Run query' button. The open extension will be deleted, and we will get a No Content-204 status.
{Extension-Id} is the name of the extension previously created or updated.

Open Extension once deleted, cannot be restored but can be created again with the same name.

Verb	DELETE
URL	https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0/me/extensions/{extension-id} https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0/me/extensions/com.vikasbansal.userSettings

Open Extensions: Limitations and Useful Information

• Resources cannot be filtered based on open extensions.
• Each open extension can have up to 2 KB of data (including the extension definition).
• An application can add up to two open extensions per resource instance.
• There is no transaction context while working on extensions.

I hope this will help all of you! 🧲
Feel free to provide feedback.

🚀 "Happy Coding" 🚀