Azure AD Becomes Microsoft Entra ID (July 2023): What Actually Changed
Retrospective: this article looks back at events from July 2023, written in 2026 with the benefit of hindsight.
On July 11, 2023, Microsoft announced that Azure Active Directory would be renamed Microsoft Entra ID. The change rolled out across portals, documentation and licensing over the following months.
What changed
- Azure AD → Microsoft Entra ID.
- Azure AD Premium P1/P2 → Microsoft Entra ID P1/P2.
- Azure AD External Identities → Microsoft Entra External ID.
- Admin experiences consolidated in the Microsoft Entra admin center.
What didn't change
- Capabilities, prices and licensing terms stayed the same at the time of the rename.
- Sign-in URLs, APIs, PowerShell modules and endpoints continued to work.
- Existing configurations were unaffected.
Microsoft emphasized that customers didn't need to take action.
Why Microsoft did it
The rename aligned the product with the Entra family introduced in 2022 and separated identity from the "Azure" brand, which many associated only with infrastructure. Customers using Microsoft 365 without Azure subscriptions often didn't realize they used Azure AD.
The practical effect
Confusion. Documentation, training, contracts, internal runbooks and job descriptions referenced Azure AD for years. Some technical names (such as AzureAD PowerShell modules, which Microsoft was retiring anyway in favor of Microsoft Graph PowerShell) and Microsoft Graph endpoints retained older naming.
In hindsight
The rename itself didn't change security. But it coincided with Microsoft's broader identity push — retiring legacy PowerShell modules, enforcing MFA for admin portals and introducing new features under the Entra name. It was a good moment for organizations to review documentation and scripts.
- How to Update Documentation, Scripts and Policies After the Entra ID Rename How-To & Hardening
- Entra ID Configuration Health Checklist How-To & Hardening
- CIO Brief: Renames Don't Change Risk — But Licensing Might CIO Briefings