generated: '2026-06-20'
method: searched
source: >-
  https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/graph/query-parameters and Microsoft Graph
  best-practices docs; DERIVE-corroborated from openapi/*.yml.
description: >-
  Cross-cutting request/response semantics that apply across the Microsoft
  Graph Exchange APIs (Mail, Calendar, Contacts, People, Import/Export). The
  Exchange Online Admin API and EWS follow different (POST-cmdlet / SOAP)
  conventions noted below.
base_urls:
  graph: https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0
  graph_beta: https://graph.microsoft.com/beta
  admin_api: https://outlook.office365.com/adminapi/v2.0
api_style: REST over HTTPS, JSON, OData 4.0 (Graph); POST-only cmdlet JSON (Admin API); SOAP (EWS/Autodiscover)
authentication:
  scheme: OAuth 2.0 Bearer (Microsoft identity platform)
  flows: [authorizationCode, clientCredentials]
  detail: authentication/microsoft-exchange-authentication.yml
  scopes: scopes/microsoft-exchange-scopes.yml
  docs: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/graph/auth/
idempotency:
  supported: false
  mechanism: none
  note: >-
    Graph does not expose a client idempotency-key header; safety comes from
    resource semantics (PATCH/PUT are idempotent, POST creates are not).
pagination:
  style: server-driven (OData)
  request_params:
    $top: page size hint
    $skip: offset (where supported)
    $skiptoken: opaque continuation token (server-issued)
  response_fields:
    "@odata.nextLink": absolute URL to the next page (follow verbatim)
    "@odata.count": total count when $count=true
    "value": array of results
  delta:
    supported: true
    fields: ["@odata.deltaLink", "@odata.nextLink"]
    note: Delta queries (e.g. /messages/delta) return a deltaLink for incremental sync.
  docs: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/graph/paging
field_selection:
  select: $select — return only named properties
  expand: $expand — inline related resources (e.g. attachments)
  filter: $filter
  orderby: $orderby
  search: $search
  docs: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/graph/query-parameters
consistency:
  header: ConsistencyLevel
  value: eventual
  note: Required with advanced query capabilities ($search, $count, certain $filter/$orderby).
request_tracing:
  request_id_header: request-id
  client_request_id_header: client-request-id
  note: request-id and client-request-id appear on responses and in error.innerError for support lookup.
versioning:
  scheme: named-version-path (v1.0 | beta)
  detail: lifecycle/microsoft-exchange-lifecycle.yml
error_envelope:
  media_type: application/json
  shape: '{ "error": { "code", "message", "innerError" } }'
  detail: errors/microsoft-exchange-problem-types.yml
rate_limiting:
  signaling: HTTP 429 with Retry-After header
  model: per-app / per-mailbox throttling and service protection limits
  detail: rate-limits/microsoft-exchange-rate-limits.yml
  docs: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/graph/throttling
batching:
  supported: true
  endpoint: POST https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0/$batch
  note: Combine up to 20 requests in a single JSON batch.
change_notifications:
  supported: true
  mechanism: subscriptions (webhooks) via /subscriptions resource
  docs: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/graph/change-notifications-overview