Attention: SharePoint Remote Event Receivers Retirement - what you need to know and how to migrate
Microsoft has announced the retirement of Remote Event Receivers (RERs) in SharePoint Online. Organizations that still rely on this legacy extensibility model must begin planning their migration immediately to avoid service interruptions.
The retirement is closely related to the modernization of SharePoint authentication and the retirement of Azure Access Control Services (Azure ACS). While Microsoft introduced a temporary registration model based on Microsoft Entra applications, this should only be viewed as an interim solution—not a long-term replacement.
Retirement Timeline
- November 1, 2024 – Azure ACS no longer works for newly created Microsoft 365 tenants.
- April 2, 2026 – Remote Event Receivers registered using Azure ACS stop functioning correctly because Azure ACS is fully retired.
- July 1, 2027 – ALL Remote Event Receivers stop working, including those registered using Microsoft Entra applications.
Remote Event Receivers registered via a Microsoft Entra application are only a temporary migration bridge.
After July 1, 2027, all remaining Remote Event Receivers, including those registered using a Microsoft Entra application, stop working.
No Remote Event Receiver will fire events after this date.
Understanding Azure ACS vs Microsoft Entra Registered Remote Event Receivers
Historically, Remote Event Receivers relied on Azure Access Control Services (Azure ACS) for authentication. Azure ACS was Microsoft's legacy authentication platform for SharePoint Add-ins and provider-hosted applications.
As Microsoft modernized Microsoft 365 authentication around Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure Active Directory), Azure ACS reached end-of-life. Since many customers still depended on Remote Event Receivers, Microsoft introduced an alternative registration model using Microsoft Entra applications.
Azure ACS Registered Remote Event Receivers
- Depend on Azure ACS authentication
- Typically used by SharePoint Add-ins
- No longer supported after Azure ACS retirement
- Stopped functioning correctly on April 2, 2026
- Do not work for tenants created after November 1, 2024
Microsoft Entra Registered Remote Event Receivers
- Registered using a Microsoft Entra application
- Use modern authentication
- Require the
Sites.Selectedapplication permission - Continue working until July 1, 2027
- Work in new Microsoft 365 tenants
- Designed only as an interim migration solution
Why Microsoft Is Retiring Remote Event Receivers
Remote Event Receivers belong to the SharePoint Add-in model, which has been replaced by more modern cloud-native extensibility technologies. Microsoft's long-term strategy focuses on:
- Microsoft Entra authentication
- SharePoint Framework (SPFx)
- Microsoft Graph
- SharePoint Webhooks
- Power Platform
Maintaining legacy event infrastructure that depends on synchronous processing and outdated authentication no longer aligns with Microsoft's cloud architecture.
The Recommended Alternative: SharePoint Webhooks
Microsoft recommends replacing Remote Event Receivers with SharePoint Webhooks.
Unlike Remote Event Receivers, SharePoint Webhooks are asynchronous notification mechanisms. Rather than executing custom code inside the SharePoint request pipeline, SharePoint sends an HTTP notification whenever subscribed content changes.
Your application then retrieves the changed items using Microsoft Graph or SharePoint REST APIs and performs the required business logic.
Typical Webhook Flow
- User creates or updates an item.
- SharePoint sends a webhook notification.
- Your endpoint receives the notification.
- Your application retrieves the changed item.
- Your application performs processing.
Although webhooks cannot block or cancel user operations like synchronous Remote Event Receivers could, they provide a scalable and cloud-native architecture that aligns with modern Microsoft 365 development.
Remote Event Receivers vs SharePoint Webhooks
| Feature | Remote Event Receivers | SharePoint Webhooks |
|---|---|---|
| Technology Status | Retired | Current recommendation |
| Support after July 1, 2027 | No | Yes |
| Authentication | Azure ACS or Microsoft Entra | Microsoft Entra |
| Synchronous execution | Supported | No |
| Asynchronous execution | Supported | Yes |
| Can cancel SharePoint operations | Yes (synchronous events) | No |
| Cloud-native | No | Yes |
| Works with new Microsoft 365 architecture | No | Yes |
| Recommended for new development | No | Yes |
| Long-term Microsoft investment | No | Yes |
Migration Strategy
Organizations should avoid postponing migration until 2027. Replacing Remote Event Receivers often requires redesigning application logic because synchronous processing is no longer available.
Suggested Migration Plan
| Phase | Activities | Recommended Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Assessment | Inventory all Remote Event Receivers, identify business processes and dependencies. | Month 1 |
| 2. Classification | Identify synchronous and asynchronous receivers, prioritize business-critical workloads. | Month 1–2 |
| 3. Interim Mitigation | If necessary, migrate Azure ACS registrations to Microsoft Entra registrations to gain additional time. | Month 2 |
| 4. Solution Design | Design webhook architecture, authentication, retry logic and monitoring. | Month 2–3 |
| 5. Development | Implement SharePoint Webhooks and modern authentication. | Month 3–6 |
| 6. Testing | Functional testing, performance testing, resilience testing and security validation. | Month 6–7 |
| 7. Production Rollout | Deploy webhook-based solutions and retire Remote Event Receivers. | Month 8 |
| 8. Final Validation | Ensure no Remote Event Receivers remain before July 1, 2027. | Well before July 2027 |
Recommendations
- Inventory every Remote Event Receiver in your tenant.
- Do not build new solutions based on Remote Event Receivers.
- Only use Microsoft Entra-registered Remote Event Receivers as a temporary bridge if immediate migration is not feasible.
- Redesign synchronous business processes because webhooks cannot cancel SharePoint operations.
- Adopt Microsoft Entra authentication and SharePoint Webhooks for all new development.
Useful Documentation and Resources
- Microsoft 365 Developer Blog – Remote Event Receivers are retiring (June 2026)
https://devblogs.microsoft.com/microsoft365dev/remote-event-receivers-are-retiring-move-to-sharepoint-webhooks-before-july-1-2027 - Register Remote Event Receivers without Azure ACS
https://learn.microsoft.com/sharepoint/dev/sp-add-ins-modernize/use-remote-event-receivers-without-azure-acs-dependency - Azure ACS Retirement Guidance
https://learn.microsoft.com/sharepoint/dev/sp-add-ins/retirement-announcement-for-azure-acs - SharePoint Add-ins and Azure ACS Retirement FAQ
https://learn.microsoft.com/sharepoint/dev/sp-add-ins/add-ins-and-azure-acs-retirements-faq - Remote Event Receivers Retirement Update (Microsoft Tech Community)
https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/spblog/remote-event-receivers-retirement-update-in-sharepoint-online/4068938 - Transform Remote Event Receivers to SharePoint Webhooks
https://learn.microsoft.com/sharepoint/dev/sp-add-ins-modernize/transform-event-receivers-to-webhooks - SharePoint Webhooks Documentation
https://learn.microsoft.com/sharepoint/dev/apis/webhooks/overview-sharepoint-webhooks - Microsoft Graph Change Notifications
https://learn.microsoft.com/graph/change-notifications-overview
Conclusion
The retirement of Remote Event Receivers marks another significant milestone in Microsoft's modernization of SharePoint Online. Organizations that still depend on Remote Event Receivers should immediately begin planning their migration strategy.
Although Microsoft Entra-registered Remote Event Receivers provide additional time compared to Azure ACS-based implementations, they are only a temporary bridge. On July 1, 2027, every Remote Event Receiver in SharePoint Online will stop working permanently.
Migrating to SharePoint Webhooks—and where appropriate, Microsoft Graph change notifications—ensures that custom solutions remain fully supported, secure, and aligned with Microsoft's long-term platform direction.
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