Microsoft has warned Excel users that its existing Exchange connector for pulling Mail and Calendar data into workbooks is being retired, and the move to new connectors will require manual reconnection rather than an automatic transition. The change is tied to the broader retirement of Exchange Web Services (EWS), with enforcement of that retirement in Exchange Online due to enter its final phase in October, meaning administrators and users need to plan ahead to avoid disruption to workbooks that rely on Exchange data.

According to a timeline published in Microsoft's Message Center, customer validation of the new Exchange Mail and Calendar connectors began in August, alongside early adopter access, while the current Exchange connector in Excel Power Query is scheduled for retirement in April 2027. Users will need Microsoft 365 or Office 2024 to use the replacements, and existing workbooks will have to be manually reconnected, with Microsoft yet to release the new connector experience or a firm rollout timeline. Guidance for Contacts and Tasks scenarios has not been provided and will reportedly be issued separately, while administrators have been asked to identify users of Exchange-connected workbooks who might help validate the new connectors.