Graph API /me/messages/{id} returns 404 for specific users (works for others)

Question

Graph API /me/messages/{id} returns 404 for specific users (works for others)

Rocktim Rajkumar 0

I am reaching out regarding an issue we're experiencing with the Microsoft Graph API for certain users.

We are able to successfully call the following endpoint to retrieve messages:

GET https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0/me/messages

However, when we attempt to retrieve a specific message by its ID using:

GET https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0/me/messages/{id}

we receive a 404 Not Found response for some users.

We are generating the message ID using the Office.js API as shown below:

if (Office.context.mailbox.diagnostics.hostName === 'OutlookIOS') {
  // itemId is already REST-formatted.
  return Office.context.mailbox.item.itemId;
} else {
  return Office.context.mailbox.convertToRestId(
    Office.context.mailbox.item.itemId,
    Office.MailboxEnums.RestVersion.v2_0
  );
}

We are also using the following endpoint to generate the Microsoft Graph access token:

https://login.microsoftonline.com/common

This issue only affects certain users. Some may be hosted on Exchange Online, while others could be using on-premise or hybrid Exchange configurations.

We would like to understand:

Why would a message ID generated as shown above result in a 404 when used with /me/messages/{id}?

Could this be related to hybrid environments or unsupported mailbox types (e.g., on-prem Exchange)?

Are there any known issues or limitations when using Graph or way the item id is generated

Please advise on how to properly determine if a user is eligible for Graph-based message access and how we can handle this scenario reliably.

Thank you for your support.

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Jack-Bu 2,610 Microsoft External Staff Moderator

Hello Rocktim Rajkumar,

Thank you for reaching out to the Microsoft Q&A Community. I understand you're experiencing an issue where the Graph API endpoint /me/messages/{id} is returning a 404 error for certain users, while working correctly for others. I am happy to assist you with that.

The issue you're encountering with the Graph API returning 404 for /me/messages/{id} on specific users is likely due to their mailboxes being hosted on-premises in a hybrid Exchange setup, where Graph API access is not supported (deprecated since July 2023). The message ID generation via Office.js is correct for Exchange Online, but Graph can't access on-prem mailboxes, resulting in the error.

To determine eligibility and handle reliably:

Check Office.context.mailbox.restUrl in your code—if defined, the mailbox supports Graph/REST; otherwise, fall back to EWS.
Example code for detection:

if (Office.context.mailbox.restUrl) {
  // Use Graph with converted REST ID
} else {
  // Fallback to EWS with original itemId and makeEwsRequestAsync
}

Long-term: Migrate affected mailboxes to Exchange Online for full Graph support.

For more details, see Microsoft docs on Graph limitations for hybrid environments. If this doesn't resolve it, share the full error response body. I’d be happy to assist further.

If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".

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Jack-Bu 2,610 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-08-06T09:03:01.88+00:00
Dear Rocktim Rajkumar,

Thank you for sharing the details with us, in case the endpoint /me/messages/{id} fail it could be due to different reason. To better assist you with the issue you're encountering with the /me/messages/{id} endpoint returning a 404 Not Found error, I need more specific information from you.

1. Inspect the Full 404 Error Response

When the API returns a 404 error, it means the requested message couldn’t be found, but the response might include additional clues about why. The full error response often contains a detailed error code or message that can reveal whether the message is missing, inaccessible due to permissions, or affected by another issue.

Use a tool like Graph Explorer or Postman to send the GET /me/messages/{id} request.

Alternatively, check your application’s logs if you’re making the request programmatically—ensure the logs capture the entire HTTP response, not just the 404-status code.

What to Look For:

Look at the response body for specific details. Examples might include:

"code": "ErrorItemNotFound" – Indicates the message doesn’t exist or is no longer available.

"code": "ErrorAccessDenied" – Suggests a permissions issue preventing access to the message.

2. Verify the Message Still Exists

The 404 error could occur if the message was deleted, moved, or archived after you retrieved its ID. If the message no longer exists at the time of the request, that could explain the 404 error. Timing or mailbox changes might be factors.

Right after fetching the message list with GET /me/messages, make another call to the same endpoint and see if the message ID is still listed in the response.

Alternatively, try searching for the message using other properties, like its subject or sender. For example:

GET https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0/me/messages?$filter=subject eq 'Your Subject Here'

If the message ID isn’t in the list or can’t be found via search, it might have been removed or relocated.

**To help narrow down the issue further, please also consider:

Message ID Handling: Double-check that the message ID (e.g., from Office.context.mailbox.convertToRestId) is correctly URL-encoded before using it in the request. You can encode it with encodeURIComponent(id) in your code if needed.

With this information, I’ll be able to offer more targeted guidance to resolve the issue. Let me know what you find!
Jack-Bu 2,610 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-08-08T15:00:00.38+00:00

Hello Rocktim Rajkumar,

It’s been a while since we last heard from you, and I just wanted to check in.

If you’ve encountered any new developments or updates, please feel free to share them, I'd be more than happy to continue assisting you so we can work through this together.

Looking forward to your response!
Rocktim Rajkumar 0 Reputation points

2025-08-08T15:49:57.2233333+00:00
Hi Jack,

Thank you for the detailed guidance.

I followed your suggestions and captured the full response using Postman. Here's what I received when calling the /me/messages/{id} endpoint:

{ "error": { "code": "ErrorItemNotFound", "message": "The specified object was not found in the store., The process failed to get the correct properties." } }

To clarify:
The message ID is generated using Office.context.mailbox.convertToRestId(itemId, Office.MailboxEnums.RestVersion.v2_0).
Rocktim Rajkumar 0 Reputation points

2025-08-08T15:51:02.49+00:00

For more context: these affected users are using Google Workspace accounts configured inside Outlook (via IMAP connector), though the mailbox appears to be Exchange Online-backed based on the restUrl.

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Graph API /me/messages/{id} returns 404 for specific users (works for others)

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