Fix/Update Microsoft Sentinel Account Entity Naming to avoid inconsistent account identification in incidents and alerts

Message Center ID: MC1183015
Microsoft Defender XDR
preventOrFixIssue
Admin impact
July 1, 2026
February 2026 July 2026

Summary

By July 1, 2026, update Microsoft Sentinel analytic rules, automations, workbooks, and queries to use the new account entity naming precedence: UPN prefix → name → display name. Failure to update may cause issues in incidents, alerts, dashboards, and playbooks referencing account names.

Details

Updated November 19, 2025: We have updated the timing of this change below. Thank you for your patience.

On July 1, 2026, you may encounter issues if you haven't updated your analytic rules, automation rules/playbooks, workbooks, hunting queries, or custom integrations to be precedence-aware for account entity naming. We've standardized the account entity naming logic in Microsoft Sentinel incidents and alerts, where the account entity naming priority is: UPN prefix → name → display name. Please update your queries and automations to use the new precedence pattern.

You are receiving this message because our reporting indicates your organization may be using Microsoft Sentinel incidents, alerts (AlertV3), or related automation.

[When this will happen:]

July 1, 2026 (previously February 13, 2026)

[How this will affect your organization:]

If you don't fix this problem, these queries, automations, dashboards, and reports that reference account names may be affected:

  • Analytics (KQL) that filter by, join on, or normalize account names
  • Automation rules & playbooks (e.g., Logic Apps) that map Account.Name or compare it to other identity fields
  • Workbooks & dashboards that show account name or aggregate by that value
  • Hunting queries that coalesce or parse account identity fields
  • Any users or systems relying on display name as the account identifier

[What you need to do to prepare:]

To fix this problem you need to update your KQL queries and automation logic to use the new precedence-aware pattern for account entity naming. Specifically, use a coalesce pattern (e.g., coalesce(Name, DisplayName)) wherever you reference the account name, and validate your workbooks, dashboards, and playbooks against the new logic. Test changes in a nonproduction workspace before rollout.

Change History

November 19, 2025 at 8:31 PM Updated
Summary
Previous
Microsoft Sentinel will standardize account entity naming by precedence: UPN prefix → name → display name, effective February 13, 2026. Update your analytic rules, automation, workbooks, and queries to use this new pattern (e.g., coalesce(Name, DisplayName)) to avoid issues in incidents and alerts.
New
By July 1, 2026, update Microsoft Sentinel analytic rules, automations, workbooks, and queries to use the new account entity naming precedence: UPN prefix → name → display name. Failure to update may cause issues in incidents, alerts, dashboards, and playbooks referencing account names.
Last Updated Date
Previous
2025-11-13T16:48:01.257Z
New
2025-11-19T19:18:28.307Z
Body Content
Previous

Updated November 13, 2025: We have updated the timing of this change below. Thank you for your patience.

On February 13, 2026, you may encounter issues if you haven't updated your analytic rules, automation rules/playbooks, workbooks, hunting queries, or custom integrations to be precedence-aware for account entity naming. We've standardized the account entity naming logic in Microsoft Sentinel incidents and alerts, where the account entity naming priority is: UPN prefix → name → display name. Please update your queries and automations to use the new precedence pattern.

You are receiving this message because our reporting indicates your organization may be using Microsoft Sentinel incidents, alerts (AlertV3), or related automation.

[When this will happen:]

February 13, 2026 (previously December 13, 2025)

[How this will affect your organization:]

If you don't fix this problem, these queries, automations, dashboards, and reports that reference account names may be affected:

  • Analytics (KQL) that filter by, join on, or normalize account names
  • Automation rules & playbooks (e.g., Logic Apps) that map Account.Name or compare it to other identity fields
  • Workbooks & dashboards that show account name or aggregate by that value
  • Hunting queries that coalesce or parse account identity fields
  • Any users or systems relying on display name as the account identifier

[What you need to do to prepare:]

To fix this problem you need to update your KQL queries and automation logic to use the new precedence-aware pattern for account entity naming. Specifically, use a coalesce pattern (e.g., coalesce(Name, DisplayName)) wherever you reference the account name, and validate your workbooks, dashboards, and playbooks against the new logic. Test changes in a nonproduction workspace before rollout.

New

Updated November 19, 2025: We have updated the timing of this change below. Thank you for your patience.

On July 1, 2026, you may encounter issues if you haven't updated your analytic rules, automation rules/playbooks, workbooks, hunting queries, or custom integrations to be precedence-aware for account entity naming. We've standardized the account entity naming logic in Microsoft Sentinel incidents and alerts, where the account entity naming priority is: UPN prefix → name → display name. Please update your queries and automations to use the new precedence pattern.

You are receiving this message because our reporting indicates your organization may be using Microsoft Sentinel incidents, alerts (AlertV3), or related automation.

[When this will happen:]

July 1, 2026 (previously February 13, 2026)

[How this will affect your organization:]

If you don't fix this problem, these queries, automations, dashboards, and reports that reference account names may be affected:

  • Analytics (KQL) that filter by, join on, or normalize account names
  • Automation rules & playbooks (e.g., Logic Apps) that map Account.Name or compare it to other identity fields
  • Workbooks & dashboards that show account name or aggregate by that value
  • Hunting queries that coalesce or parse account identity fields
  • Any users or systems relying on display name as the account identifier

[What you need to do to prepare:]

To fix this problem you need to update your KQL queries and automation logic to use the new precedence-aware pattern for account entity naming. Specifically, use a coalesce pattern (e.g., coalesce(Name, DisplayName)) wherever you reference the account name, and validate your workbooks, dashboards, and playbooks against the new logic. Test changes in a nonproduction workspace before rollout.

November 13, 2025 at 6:30 PM Updated
Summary
Previous
By December 13, 2025, update Microsoft Sentinel analytic rules, automation, workbooks, and queries to use the new account entity naming precedence: UPN prefix → name → display name. Use coalesce patterns to avoid issues in incidents, alerts, dashboards, and playbooks relying on account names. Test changes before rollout.
New
Microsoft Sentinel will standardize account entity naming by precedence: UPN prefix → name → display name, effective February 13, 2026. Update your analytic rules, automation, workbooks, and queries to use this new pattern (e.g., coalesce(Name, DisplayName)) to avoid issues in incidents and alerts.
Last Updated Date
Previous
2025-11-05T00:24:26.907Z
New
2025-11-13T16:48:01.257Z
Tags
Previous
Admin impact
New
Updated message,Admin impact
Body Content
Previous

On December 13, 2025, you may encounter issues if you haven't updated your analytic rules, automation rules/playbooks, workbooks, hunting queries, or custom integrations to be precedence-aware for account entity naming. We've standardized the account entity naming logic in Microsoft Sentinel incidents and alerts, where the account entity naming priority is: UPN prefix → name → display name. Please update your queries and automations to use the new precedence pattern.

You are receiving this message because our reporting indicates your organization may be using Microsoft Sentinel incidents, alerts (AlertV3), or related automation.

[When this will happen:]

December 13, 2025

[How this will affect your organization:]

If you don't fix this problem, these queries, automations, dashboards, and reports that reference account names may be affected:

  • Analytics (KQL) that filter by, join on, or normalize account names
  • Automation rules & playbooks (e.g., Logic Apps) that map Account.Name or compare it to other identity fields
  • Workbooks & dashboards that show account name or aggregate by that value
  • Hunting queries that coalesce or parse account identity fields
  • Any users or systems relying on display name as the account identifier

[What you need to do to prepare:]

To fix this problem you need to update your KQL queries and automation logic to use the new precedence-aware pattern for account entity naming. Specifically, use a coalesce pattern (e.g., coalesce(Name, DisplayName)) wherever you reference the account name, and validate your workbooks, dashboards, and playbooks against the new logic. Test changes in a nonproduction workspace before rollout.

New

Updated November 13, 2025: We have updated the timing of this change below. Thank you for your patience.

On February 13, 2026, you may encounter issues if you haven't updated your analytic rules, automation rules/playbooks, workbooks, hunting queries, or custom integrations to be precedence-aware for account entity naming. We've standardized the account entity naming logic in Microsoft Sentinel incidents and alerts, where the account entity naming priority is: UPN prefix → name → display name. Please update your queries and automations to use the new precedence pattern.

You are receiving this message because our reporting indicates your organization may be using Microsoft Sentinel incidents, alerts (AlertV3), or related automation.

[When this will happen:]

February 13, 2026 (previously December 13, 2025)

[How this will affect your organization:]

If you don't fix this problem, these queries, automations, dashboards, and reports that reference account names may be affected:

  • Analytics (KQL) that filter by, join on, or normalize account names
  • Automation rules & playbooks (e.g., Logic Apps) that map Account.Name or compare it to other identity fields
  • Workbooks & dashboards that show account name or aggregate by that value
  • Hunting queries that coalesce or parse account identity fields
  • Any users or systems relying on display name as the account identifier

[What you need to do to prepare:]

To fix this problem you need to update your KQL queries and automation logic to use the new precedence-aware pattern for account entity naming. Specifically, use a coalesce pattern (e.g., coalesce(Name, DisplayName)) wherever you reference the account name, and validate your workbooks, dashboards, and playbooks against the new logic. Test changes in a nonproduction workspace before rollout.

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