Microsoft Exchange SMTP OAuth Configuration

Objective

8x8 Contact Center has expanded its support for modern authentication (OAuth 2.0) by adding OAuth-based authentication for outbound SMTP email. OAuth 2.0 replaces Basic Authentication, which Microsoft has deprecated. Please see Microsoft’s announcement for details.

Important
This change will not go into effect until February 16, 2026.
Contact Center Configuration Manager will not display the new features required for this change in Security > SMTP Servers until February 16, 2026.

While inbound Microsoft 365 email channels have supported OAuth 2.0 for some time, outbound email previously relied on Basic Authentication. This enhancement ensures that OAuth 2.0 is now also supported for outbound SMTP, fully compliant with Microsoft’s security standards and aligning with Microsoft’s deprecation timeline.

This article explains how administrators can configure OAuth 2.0 specifically for SMTP Server (outbound) settings in 8x8 Configuration Manager.

Applies To

8x8 Contact Center
8x8 Configuration Manager
Contact Center Email Interactions
SMTP Server Settings
Microsoft 365 OAuth 2.0 Authentication

Procedure

Important: The Microsoft 365 login & consent portion of the Connect step below must be completed by a Microsoft Global Administrator.

In Configuration Manager, navigate to Security > SMTP Servers.
Select an existing SMTP Server entry or click Add SMTP Server.
Enter a Name for the new SMTP configuration.
- (Optional) Click the Default checkbox to enable this configuration as Default for outbound email.
In the Authentication Type dropdown, select Microsoft Exchange.
Click Connect, and complete the Microsoft 365 login and consent. The Account field will be populated automatically when this step succeeds.
Click Test to confirm the token and permissions are valid.
Click Save to save your changes.