IT Error Decoder
Microsoft Graph PowerShell

How to Fix Get-MgGroup invalid object identifier

Last reviewed

Error message

Get-MgGroup : Invalid object identifier '<value>'.

Object identifiers in Microsoft Graph are always GUIDs. Display names look more readable but won't work with -GroupId.

What this error means

Get-MgGroup expected a GUID for -GroupId but got something that doesn't parse as a GUID.

Why this happens

Most often: passing a display name or mail nickname where Get-MgGroup wants the directory object ID, or a stray space/quote/newline copied with the value.

Quick fix (for end users)

  • Look up the group by name first, then pass its Id to Get-MgGroup.
  • Trim the value if you copied it from a script or CSV.

Admin / engineer fix

  • Resolve the group ID via display name or mail nickname.

    command
    $g = Get-MgGroup -Filter "displayName eq 'All Staff'"
Get-MgGroup -GroupId $g.Id

  • Validate the value is a GUID before using it.

    command
    [guid]::Parse($id) | Out-Null

Step-by-step fix

  1. Find the group by display name to get its Id.

    command
    Get-MgGroup -Filter "displayName eq 'My Group'"

  2. Use that Id with Get-MgGroup.

    command
    Get-MgGroup -GroupId <returned-id>

Affected products

Microsoft.Graph PowerShell SDK

Common variations of this error

People also see these phrasings of the same problem:

  • Invalid object identifier on Get-MgGroup
  • Get-MgGroup : '<id>' is not a valid GUID

Still broken? Try these

  • Inspect the value with Format-List to see hidden whitespace or BOM bytes.
  • If reading from CSV, re-import with -Encoding UTF8.
  • Confirm the group still exists and isn't soft-deleted.

Related errors

Related searches

  • get-mggroup by name
  • microsoft graph group filter displayname

Frequently asked questions

Can I use the group's display name with -GroupId?

No. -GroupId only accepts a GUID. Use -Filter "displayName eq '...'" to look up by name.

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