SOLVED: How To Perform A Message Trace In Office365 Exchange Online

There are two easy ways to trace an email in the Office 365 GUI.  One is in the Exchange Admin Center and the other is in Security and Compliance:

Trace A Message Using The Exchange Admin Center:

1. Log into https://portal.office.com
2. Scroll to the bottom and expand ADMIN CENTERS
3. Click on EXCHANGE
4. Click on MAIL FLOW from the menu on the left
5. Click MESSAGE TRACE from the top menu bar
6. Enter in a users email address in the RECIPIENT field
7. Click SEARCH
8. In the MESSAGE TRACE RESULTS window click on the email in question
9. In the MESSAGE EVENTS pane, find the most current entry and expand it

Trace A Message Using The Security and Compliance Center

1. Log into https://portal.office.com
2. Scroll to the bottom and expand ADMIN CENTERS
3. Click on MAIL FLOW then MESSAGE TRACE from the menu on the left
4. Enter a users email in the TO THESE PEOPLE field
5. Click SEARCH
6. In the MESSAGE TRACE SEARCH RESULTS window click on the email in question
7. In the MESSAGE TRACE RESULTS window click on the email in question
8. In the MESSAGE EVENTS pane, find the most current entry and expand it

If you do not see the email you are looking for then it did not get to Microsoft’s Office 365 servers and you need to go back to the sender to find out what happened at their end.