Choose your Microsoft 365 setup
Set up the Microsoft 365 identity app before connecting SharePoint and OneDrive. Choose the instructions that match the setup flow in your Admin console.
- Use the new setup instructions if the flow shows Set up suite and Set up connectors.
- Use the previous setup instructions if the flow shows Set up instances, or if you configure the connector on a Setup tab.
How the suite works
Register a Microsoft Entra app for identity crawling on the Microsoft 365 parent connector. SharePoint and OneDrive each use their own app's client ID and certificate credentials, entered on the corresponding child connector. Both inherit the parent's directory tenant ID.
These indexing setup instructions use certificate-based, app-only authentication to reach Microsoft Graph and the SharePoint APIs for file and site indexing.
The setup interface does not determine whether app credentials are separate or inherited. If a connector's setup shows inherited credentials instead of editable fields, keep the existing shared app and manage its credentials on Microsoft 365. You don't need to recreate working connections, replace app registrations, or reconnect users because of these instructions.
Microsoft 365 setup comparison: New versus previous
Set up the identity app first, then configure the content connectors you need.
| New setup | Previous setup | |
|---|---|---|
| Setup cues | Set up suite and Set up connectors steps | Set up instances step or Setup tab |
| What you prepare in Microsoft | Register the identity app, add identity permissions, grant admin consent, and generate a certificate | The same, described in full configuration detail |
| What you configure in Glean | Enter the identity app's client ID, directory tenant ID, certificate, and private key, select your tenant size, and save the suite | The same identity app credentials and tenant size |
| Certificate authentication | Guided, with the detailed certificate steps linked from the reference | Full step-by-step, including generating the certificate and private key |
| Child connectors | Set up SharePoint, OneDrive, and Outlook afterward. Each has its own app credentials and inherits the tenant ID | Set up SharePoint and OneDrive afterward with their own app credentials and the inherited tenant ID. Outlook is configured separately |
| Required role | Microsoft 365 Global Administrator | Microsoft 365 Global Administrator |
| Where to start | Set up Microsoft 365 | Set up Microsoft 365 |
See also
- Microsoft 365 overview explains how the suite works and which child connectors it covers.
- Set up Microsoft 365 is the new guided suite setup.
- Set up Microsoft 365 is the full configuration reference.