What is an Active Directory Contact?
An Active Directory Contact is a type of object in Microsoft Active Directory (AD) that represents a non-domain user—typically an external person who does not have a user account or logon access to the domain. These contacts are used primarily for email communication and address book visibility, especially in environments that integrate with Microsoft Exchange Server.
Key Characteristics
| Attribute | Description |
|---|---|
| Name | The full name of the external individual. |
| Email Address | Typically a foreign (external) email address, not hosted on the local domain. |
| Job Title | The person’s role or position. |
| Phone Number | Optional contact information. |
| Organization | Department or company the contact works for. |
| Address | Mailing or physical address details. |
Primary Uses-
- Exchange Global Address List (GAL)
AD contacts appear in the GAL, so internal users can easily find and email external people. - Mail Routing
Exchange can route emails to these external addresses as if they were internal users. - Hybrid Environments
In Office 365 or hybrid Exchange environments, AD contacts are often used to represent cloud users or partners. - Distribution Groups
Contacts can be added to mail-enabled distribution groups to include external users in group communications.
What They Are Not
- They cannot log into the domain or access domain resources.
- They are not user accounts (no username/password or security identifiers (SIDs).
- They are purely informational and mail-related objects.