Azure AD is becoming Microsoft Entra ID
Posted: (EET/GMT+2)
Microsoft has announced that Azure Active Directory (AAD) is being renamed to Microsoft Entra ID. The developer-focused announcement is here.
The important practical point for developers is that this is mostly a naming change, not a new identity platform.
Existing applications using the Microsoft identity platform, MSAL, Azure AD B2C, app registrations, tokens, and common authentication flows do not need code changes only because of the rename.
For example, normal ASP.NET Core authentication setup still looks familiar:
builder.Services
.AddAuthentication(OpenIdConnectDefaults.AuthenticationScheme)
.AddMicrosoftIdentityWebApp(builder.Configuration.GetSection("AzureAd"));
And the configuration section may still be named AzureAd in many existing applications:
{
"AzureAd": {
"Instance": "https://login.microsoftonline.com/",
"TenantId": "common",
"ClientId": "00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000"
}
}
Remember not to rename configuration keys in existing applications just because the product name changed. Rename only when it is useful and tested.
What will change over time is documentation, portal text, training material, screenshots, and service names shown to administrators.
Good places to check in your own documentation:
- onboarding guides
- runbooks
- architecture diagrams
- security documentation
- deployment instructions.
When writing new documentation, mention both names for a while:
Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure Active Directory)
This helps developers and administrators connect old application configuration with the new product name.
For .NET developers, the main takeaway is calm: authentication concepts stay the same, but the Microsoft cloud identity naming is changing.