Microsoft 365 Administrator

Contact the person who purchased or originally set up the Microsoft 365 for business subscription, because that person receives administrator permissions by default and can assign administrator roles to others.^1^

Identify the administrator

Use the path that matches the organization:

• Small business: Ask the owner, co-owner, bookkeeper, or external IT consultant. Check who receives the Microsoft 365 invoices or subscription-renewal emails.
• Large organization: Contact the internal help desk or IT support team.
• School or university: Contact the institution’s technical support team.
• If someone provided the account: Ask the person who issued the Microsoft 365 username and temporary password.

Microsoft does not retain administrator contact details in a directory that ordinary users can query, so it cannot simply disclose the administrator’s name or contact information.^2^

The subscription purchaser and a normal licensed user are different:

• The purchaser receives admin permissions by default.
• Other users do not automatically become administrators merely because they have a Microsoft 365 license.
• An existing administrator must assign admin permissions to additional users.^1^

Check whether your account is already an administrator

1. Sign in to the Microsoft 365 admin center using the organization account.
2. If the admin center opens, review Users and Roles to identify users holding administrative roles.
3. If you receive “You don't have permission to access this page or perform this action,” that account is not an administrator.^1^

If the Admin app does not appear in the Microsoft 365 app launcher, that also indicates the signed-in account lacks permission to access the admin center.

If the administrator manages several organizations

If a known administrator cannot find the account, identify the correct organization first:

1. Sign in to the Microsoft My Account page.
2. Open Organizations and note the organization name.
3. Sign in to the Microsoft Entra admin center and note the tenant name and tenant ID, if accessible.
4. Give those details to the administrator so they can switch to the matching tenant and search for the account there.^3^

If no administrator can be located

• If the subscription was purchased through a Microsoft partner or reseller, contact that provider. Microsoft’s business-support guidance directs customers whose subscriptions were all purchased through a partner to obtain support from that partner.^4^
• If an administrator account is found and can sign in, use Admin center → Help & support → Contact Support to open a service request.
• If no administrator can sign in, use Microsoft’s general support page or current regional customer-service number. Be prepared to establish ownership of the organization or subscription. Ordinary users cannot assign themselves an administrator role.

References

1. Overview of the Microsoft 365 admin center
2. Find the administrator for your work or school account | Microsoft Support
3. What do I do when my administrator can no longer locate my account? - Microsoft Q&A
4. Get support for Microsoft 365 for business