Microsoft will phase out the existing Exchange connector for Power Query in Excel. Starting in April 2027, users will need to switch to new email and calendar connectors. Existing Excel files will not update automatically.
The current Microsoft Exchange connector lets users retrieve data from Exchange Online directly in Excel. Microsoft is replacing it with two separate Power Query connectors: Exchange Mail and Exchange Calendar. The new connectors will be available for Microsoft 365 Apps and Office 2024.
For organizations, the most significant change affects existing workbooks. Connections that use the old connector will not be automatically converted. Users or administrators must therefore modify these files and reconnect them using one of the new connectors.
Identify dependencies first
As a result, organizations must first determine which users and workbooks currently depend on the Exchange connector. Excel files that have been in use for a long time, in particular, may contain connections that retrieve Exchange data without much attention.
Microsoft will begin validating the new Exchange Mail and Calendar connectors with select customers in August. It is not yet clear when the connectors will become more widely available, according to The Register. For now, Microsoft is asking administrators to identify users who use Exchange-linked workbooks and may wish to participate in the validation process.
It is also unclear what the next steps will be for Contacts and Tasks. Microsoft says it will release separate guidelines for these later. The existing Exchange connector will be phased out in April 2027.
Office 2021 requires an upgrade
The transition may also affect organizations still using Office 2021 or older versions. The new connectors will not be available for those versions. Anyone who wants to continue using Exchange data via Power Query will need Microsoft 365 Apps or Office 2024.
This change is related to the discontinuation of Exchange Web Services (EWS) in Exchange Online. Microsoft will begin the final phase of enforcing this phase-out in October 2026. The Excel connector is one of the dependencies that will also be discontinued as a result.
This means organizations have a few more months to assess their use of the connector and test the transition. Workbooks that are not updated will no longer be able to retrieve their Exchange data in the current way starting in April 2027.