Set up client policies for your organization

• Applies to:

  Skype for Business

Important

Skype for Business Online operated by 21Vianet in China will be retired on October 1, 2023. If you haven't upgraded your Skype for Business Online users yet, they will be automatically scheduled for an assisted upgrade. If you want to upgrade your organization to Teams yourself, we strongly recommend that you begin planning your upgrade path today. Remember that a successful upgrade aligns technical and user readiness, so be sure to leverage our upgrade guidance as you navigate your journey to Teams.

Skype for Business Online, excluding the service operated by 21Vianet in China, was retired on July 31, 2021.

Client policies help determine the features of Skype for Business Online that are made available to users; for example, you might give some users the right to transfer files while denying this right to other users.

Client policy settings can be configured at the time a policy is created, or you can use the Set-CsClientPolicy cmdlet to modify the settings of an existing policy.

Set your client policies

Note

For all of the client policy settings in Skype for Business Online, you must use Windows PowerShell and you can't use the Skype for Business admin center.

Start Windows PowerShell

Note

Skype for Business Online Connector is currently part of the latest Teams PowerShell module. If you're using the latest Teams PowerShell public release, you don't need to install the Skype for Business Online Connector.

1. Install the Teams PowerShell module.

2. Open a Windows PowerShell command prompt and run the following commands:

   # When using Teams PowerShell Module
   
   Import-Module MicrosoftTeams
   $credential = Get-Credential
   Connect-MicrosoftTeams -Credential $credential
   

   If you want more information about starting Windows PowerShell, see Connect to all Microsoft 365 or Office 365 services in a single Windows PowerShell window or Set up your computer for Windows PowerShell.

Disable emoticons and presence notifications and prevent saving of IMs

• To create a new policy for these settings, run:

  New-CsClientPolicy -Identity ClientPolicy -DisableEmoticons $true -DisablePresenceNote -$true -DisableSavingIM $true
  

  See more on the New-CsClientPolicy cmdlet.

• To grant the new policy you created to all of the users in your organization, run:

  Grant-CsClientPolicy -identity "amos.marble@contoso.com" -PolicyName ClientPolicy
  

  See more on the Grant-CsClientPolicy cmdlet.

If you have already created a policy, you can use the Set-CsClientPolicy cmdlet to make changes to the existing policy, and then use the Grant-CsClientPolicy cmdlet to apply the settings to your users.

Enable URLs or hyperlinks to be clickable in IMs

• To create a new policy for these settings, run:

  New-CsClientPolicy -Identity URLClientPolicy -EnableURL $true
  

  See more on the New-CsClientPolicy cmdlet.

• To grant the new policy you created to all of the users in your organization, run:

  Grant-CsClientPolicy -identity "amos.marble@contoso.com" -PolicyName URLClientPolicy
  

  See more on the Grant-CsClientPolicy cmdlet.

If you have already created a policy, you can use the Set-CsClientPolicy cmdlet to make changes to the existing policy, and then use the Grant-CsClientPolicy cmdlet to apply the settings to your users.

Prevent showing recent contacts

• To create a new policy for these settings, run:

  New-CsClientPolicy -Identity ContactsClientPolicy -ShowRecentContacts $false 
  

  See more on the New-CsClientPolicy cmdlet.

• To grant the new policy you created to Amos Marble, run:

  Grant-CsClientPolicy -identity "amos.marble@contoso.com" -PolicyName ContactsClientPolicy
  

  See more on the Grant-CsClientPolicy cmdlet.

  If you have already created a policy, you can use the Set-CsClientPolicy cmdlet to make changes to the existing policy, and then use the Grant-CsClientPolicy cmdlet to apply the settings to your users.

Want to know more about Windows PowerShell?

• Windows PowerShell is all about managing users and what users are allowed or not allowed to do. With Windows PowerShell, you can manage Microsoft 365 or Office 365 and Skype for Business Online using a single point of administration that can simplify your daily work, when you have multiple tasks to do. To get started with Windows PowerShell, see these topics:

  • An introduction to Windows PowerShell and Skype for Business Online

  • Six Reasons Why You Might Want to Use Windows PowerShell to Manage Microsoft 365 or Office 365

• Windows PowerShell has many advantages in speed, simplicity, and productivity over only using the Microsoft 365 admin center such as when you are making setting changes for many users at one time. Learn about these advantages in the following topics:

  • Best ways to manage Microsoft 365 or Office 365 with Windows PowerShell

  • Using Windows PowerShell to manage Skype for Business Online

  • Using Windows PowerShell to do common Skype for Business Online management tasks

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