Microsoft has recently announced plans to retire the legacy Exchange Web Services (EWS) for Exchange Online / Office365, setting a deadline of October 2026. In order to maintain seamless email processing integration, it is essential that all DocuWare customers using EWS in Connect to Mail / General Email configurations transition to the modern Microsoft Graph API.
This article will guide you through the migration process and outline what you need to know for a smooth transition.
What’s happening?
EWS will be disabled for Exchange Online after October 2026. Integrations relying on EWS — including those in DocuWare’s Connect to Mail / General Email configurations — will be impacted. Microsoft recommends migrating as soon as possible. During the grace period, EWS and Graph API can co-exist, but EWS-based setups will stop working after the cutoff date.For more details, please check Microsoft’s announcement “Retirement of Exchange Web Services in Exchange Online.”
What does this mean for your customers?
If a DocuWare customer is using Connect to Mail / General Email configurations to automatically archive emails from certain email folders, they will need to switch their current EWS receiving email services to the Microsoft Graph API to avoid interruptions and loss of data. The upgrade ensures that their workflows continue to function and that they remain compliant with Microsoft’s latest security standards. / General Email
How to migrate?
If you are actively using Connect to Mail / General Email configurations, you should review which of those configurations use the EWS integration and switch to the new email gateway.
As a first step, you need to set up the Graph API. For this, you register a new application in Entra/Azure AD and assign the appropriate Graph API permissions for mail access. Our step-by-step guide—available in DocuWare knowledge center—will guide you through the convenient setup process.
For the next step, you have two options:
- either update your existing EWS configurations directly in the receiving mail services to use the Graph API gateway, or,
- create brand new mail service configurations using the Graph API.
After configuring the mail service with the Graph API gateway, simply reconnect it to the relevant Connect to Mail configurations that previously used EWS. For optimal security and clarity, we recommend disabling or deleting your old EWS connections once the transition is complete.
Key FAQs
Do I need to migrate now?
EWS will be disabled for Exchange Online after October 2026. You should start planning your migration early to avoid disruption.
Do I need to remove old EWS permissions?
We recommend cleaning up unnecessary permissions, but both may coexist during the grace period.
Can I edit existing EWS configurations?
Yes, editing is possible, but we recommend creating new Graph API configurations for best results.
Does this affect on-premises Exchange deployments?
No; on-premises EWS support is unchanged.
Do I need additional configuration in DocuWare after Graph setup?
No further steps are needed in DocuWare once the Graph API app and permissions are set.
