Main Tools

Main Tools You Should Know

Tool	Purpose	Best For
Graph Explorer	Web-based testing tool	Quick testing without setup.
Postman	API client for testing and automating APIs	More advanced manual testing.
PowerShell	Scripting with Graph	Admin automation.
Microsoft Graph SDKs	Code libraries for different languages	Building real applications (Python, C#, PowerShell, etc.).

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1. Graph Explorer

Graph Explorer is the quickest way to test Graph API without writing any code.

How to Use:

1. Go to 👉 https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/graph/graph-explorer

2. Click Sign In.

3. Run a query like:

   GET https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0/me

Features:

• Pre-built sample queries.

• Shows API response instantly.

• Automatically handles authentication.

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2. Postman

Postman is a popular tool for working with APIs. It gives you more control over headers, body data, and authentication.

Setting Up Postman for Graph:

1. Download and Install Postman → https://www.postman.com/downloads/

2. Create a New Request:

   • Method: GET

   • URL: https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0/me

   • Headers:

     Authorization: Bearer {access_token}

Bonus:

• Microsoft provides a Microsoft Graph Postman Collection to help you get started faster!

  • Microsoft Graph Postman Collection

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3. PowerShell

You can also interact with Graph API using PowerShell, which is great for scripting automation.

There now one major module:

Module	Description
Microsoft.Graph	New official Graph SDK for PowerShell (recommended).

Install the Microsoft Graph PowerShell Module:

Install-Module Microsoft.Graph -Scope CurrentUser

Example: Connect and Query

Connect-MgGraph -Scopes "User.Read.All"
Get-MgUser 

Tip: The first time you run it; it will open a login window for permissions!

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4. Microsoft Graph SDKs

If you're building applications or automated scripts, using an SDK saves you a ton of work.

Language	SDK
C#	Microsoft.Graph NuGet Package
Python	msgraph-core and azure-identity packages
JavaScript/Node.js	@microsoft/microsoft-graph-client

Example: Python SDK

Install the libraries:

pip install msgraph-core azure-identity

Example code:

from azure.identity import ClientSecretCredential
from msgraph_core import GraphClient

tenant_id = 'your-tenant-id'
client_id = 'your-client-id'
client_secret = 'your-client-secret'

credential = ClientSecretCredential(tenant_id, client_id, client_secret)
client = GraphClient(credential)

response = client.get('/me')
print(response.json())

Summary

• Graph Explorer is the easiest place to get started quickly.

• Postman gives you complete control for testing APIs.

• PowerShell lets you automate admin tasks with scripts.

• SDKs make it easy to integrate Microsoft Graph into real apps.