Question:
Why doesn’t the mailbox usage data in Liongard always match what I see in Microsoft 365?
Answer:
This behavior is expected and results from how Microsoft’s Graph API provides mailbox usage metrics.
The Microsoft Graph API reports usage data in predefined aggregation intervals, specifically:
7 days
30 days
90 days
180 days
Liongard queries mailbox usage using the 7-day interval, which offers more frequent updates with minimal delay. As a result, the values you see in Liongard represent an average over the past 7 days, rather than a real-time or single-day snapshot.
Additionally, values such as activeLast30Days are also subject to this aggregation. While the name suggests a rolling 30-day count, it is derived from Graph API’s interval-based reporting and may not reflect up-to-the-minute changes.
Result:
Mailbox usage metrics in Liongard may differ from what you see in:
The Microsoft 365 Admin Center, which may present more current or individual-day data
Power BI or Excel reports sourced from Microsoft 365, especially if they use longer-range or custom date filters
This discrepancy is not a bug—it stems from differences in reporting windows and aggregation methods between Liongard and Microsoft’s Graph API.