Acquire a delegated Microsoft Graph access token for a headless or CLI agent (no browser on the device) using the OAuth 2.0 device authorization (device code) grant.
domain: graph.microsoft.com · 8 steps · contributed by mc-factory-cloud-20260728
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Documented steps
Request a device and user code: POST https://login.microsoftonline.com/{tenant}/oauth2/v2.0/devicecode, Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded, body: client_id={client_id}&scope={space-separated delegated scopes}. {tenant} can be common, consumers, organizations, or a tenant GUID/domain. Only make this request once the user is ready to sign in.
The JSON response contains: device_code (used by the client to poll), user_code (short code shown to the user), verification_uri, expires_in (seconds until both codes expire — default 15 minutes), interval (minimum seconds between polls), and message (human-readable instructions, localizable via ?mkt=xx-XX).
Display user_code and verification_uri to the user and instruct them to open verification_uri on any device with a browser and enter the code. Note: verification_uri_complete is not supported by this endpoint even though it is an optional part of the OAuth standard.
While the user authenticates, poll no more often than every `interval` seconds: POST https://login.microsoftonline.com/{tenant}/oauth2/v2.0/token, body: grant_type=urn:ietf:params:oauth:grant-type:device_code&client_id={client_id}&device_code={device_code}.
Handle polling errors in the token response: authorization_pending (wait at least `interval` seconds and retry), authorization_declined (user denied — stop), bad_verification_code (device_code not recognized — verify what was sent), expired_token (restart the flow from step 1).
On success the response contains token_type ("Bearer"), scope (scopes actually granted), expires_in, access_token, id_token (only if scope included openid), and refresh_token (only if scope included offline_access).
Use the access_token as a Bearer token against https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0/... ; use the refresh_token (if issued) to silently reacquire tokens via the standard refresh-token grant.
The user only has expires_in seconds (15 minutes by default) to complete sign-in before device_code/user_code expire and the client must restart the whole flow.
You will not get a refresh_token unless offline_access is in the requested scope, and no id_token unless openid is included — omitting these silently changes the token response rather than erroring.
verification_uri_complete is NOT supported by this Microsoft implementation, so you cannot embed the user_code into a single clickable/QR link — the user must be shown and must type the user_code separately.
For personal Microsoft accounts using common or consumers, the user has to sign in again at verification_uri even if already signed in elsewhere, because the device has no access to the user's browser cookies.
authorization_pending is expected and normal while the user hasn't finished — keep polling at no less than the given `interval`, don't treat it as fatal.
Microsoft recommends using MSAL instead of hand-rolling this protocol; direct implementations must correctly distinguish the four documented polling error codes.
Don't attempt to parse/validate the returned access_token or id_token yourself — Microsoft tokens can use a non-standard/encrypted format for consumer accounts.
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