This chapter covers Yammer and Microsoft Viva Engage, two related but distinct social and community platforms within Microsoft 365. For the MS-900 exam, approximately 5–10% of questions in Domain 2.1 (M365 Productivity) may touch on these tools, focusing on their differences, integration with Microsoft Viva, and licensing requirements. Understanding when to use Yammer vs. Viva Engage, and how they fit into the broader Viva suite, is critical for answering scenario-based questions.
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Imagine a large corporate campus with a central town square (Yammer). Any employee can walk up to the square, post a note on a public bulletin board, and anyone else passing by can read it, comment, or pin their own note. There are no assigned seats; conversations are chronological and anyone can join. The town square has no host—it's self-organizing. Now, the company builds a new Community Hall (Viva Engage) adjacent to the square. The hall has designated rooms for different departments (e.g., Engineering, HR), each with a moderator who can set topics, schedule events, and control who speaks. The hall also has a digital directory that shows each employee's expertise and recent contributions. While the square is open to all, the hall's rooms are sometimes private, requiring an invitation. The hall's moderator can highlight important announcements, pin them to the top, and even send a notification to all members. The town square still exists, but the Community Hall provides structure, governance, and analytics—like knowing which room had the most productive discussions this quarter. In Microsoft 365, Yammer is the legacy town square (open, chronological, no moderation), while Viva Engage is the curated Community Hall (structured, moderated, integrated with Viva suite). Both share the same underlying network, but Viva Engage adds layers of engagement and management.
What Are Yammer and Viva Engage?
Yammer is Microsoft's enterprise social networking platform, launched in 2008 and acquired by Microsoft in 2012. It provides a private social network for organizations, enabling employees to communicate across departments via posts, comments, likes, and file sharing. Yammer is organized into groups (public or private) and features a main feed (the "All Company" feed) that shows posts from all groups the user follows.
Microsoft Viva Engage is a newer application built on top of Yammer's infrastructure, introduced in 2022 as part of the Microsoft Viva employee experience platform. Viva Engage adds structured communities, storytelling (campaigns, announcements), leadership engagement tools, and analytics. It is designed to foster community-driven communication with moderation and governance capabilities.
Key distinction: Yammer is the underlying social network; Viva Engage is the front-end experience that overlays Yammer with community management features. Both share the same data store and groups, but Viva Engage provides a more curated, campaign-oriented interface.
How They Work Internally
Both Yammer and Viva Engage operate on a single tenant-wide Yammer network. When a user posts in a Viva Engage community, the message is stored in the same message store as Yammer. The difference lies in the user interface and feature set.
Yammer Classic: The original web and mobile apps. Users see a chronological feed of posts from all their groups. Features include polls, praise, file uploads, and @mentions. Groups can be public (anyone can join) or private (by invitation). The All Company feed is a special group that includes all users.
Viva Engage: A modern experience that organizes content into "communities" (which correspond to Yammer groups but with additional metadata). Communities can have designated owners, moderators, and pinned announcements. Viva Engage supports "storylines" (curated posts from leaders), "campaigns" (multi-post initiatives), and "Ask Me Anything" events. It also integrates with Viva Connections, Viva Topics, and Viva Insights.
Key Components, Values, and Defaults
Yammer Network: One per Microsoft 365 tenant. Created automatically when the first Yammer license is assigned or when Azure AD Connect syncs a verified domain.
Groups: Maximum 10,000 groups per network. Each group has a unique ID. Default group type: public (for new groups created via Viva Engage, default is private in some cases).
All Company Group: Automatically created; includes all users. Cannot be deleted. Posts here are visible to everyone in the organization.
File Storage: Files attached to Yammer posts are stored in SharePoint (since 2019 migration). Previously stored in Yammer's own storage. Now, each Yammer group has a connected SharePoint site (if group is Microsoft 365-connected).
Retention: Yammer messages are subject to Microsoft 365 retention policies. Default retention for deleted messages: 30 days in the recycle bin.
Licensing: Yammer is included in Microsoft 365 Enterprise E1, E3, E5, and Business Basic, Standard, Premium. Viva Engage requires a Viva suite license (Viva Employee Communications and Communities) or a Viva Engage license (standalone). Without Viva license, users see only Yammer classic.
Configuration and Verification
Enable/Disable Yammer: Via Microsoft 365 admin center > Settings > Org settings > Yammer. Toggle "Allow users to use Yammer."
Configure External Access: By default, external users can be invited. Can be disabled via Yammer admin center > Network Admin > Security Settings.
Integration with Azure AD: Yammer uses Azure AD for identity. Users must have a valid license to access.
Verify Network Status: Use the Yammer admin center (admin.yammer.com) to check network health, usage reports, and data export.
Command for PowerShell:
Connect-MsolService
Get-MsolCompanyInformation | Select DisplayName, ObjectIdThis shows the tenant's Yammer network ID.
Interaction with Related Technologies
Microsoft Teams: Yammer can be added as a tab in Teams. Viva Engage app is available in Teams. Posts in a Yammer group can be surfaced in Teams via connector.
SharePoint: Yammer groups connected to Microsoft 365 groups have a SharePoint site. Files are stored there. Yammer web parts can be embedded in SharePoint pages.
Viva Connections: Viva Engage communities can be featured in the Viva Connections dashboard.
Viva Topics: Yammer conversations can be tagged with topics (if Viva Topics is licensed) and appear in topic pages.
Exchange Online: Yammer does not use Exchange for email; it sends notification emails via Exchange if configured.
Step-by-Step: How a Post Travels Through Yammer/Viva Engage
User Creates Post: In Viva Engage, user selects a community, types a message, optionally adds files, and clicks Post. The Viva Engage client (web or mobile) sends an HTTP POST request to the Yammer API endpoint.
Authentication: The request includes an OAuth 2.0 token obtained from Azure AD. Yammer validates the token and checks the user's license.
Message Ingestion: The Yammer service receives the message, assigns a unique message ID, and stores it in the Yammer message store (Azure SQL Database). The message is also indexed for search.
Group Resolution: The service checks the group ID from the request, verifies the user is a member (if private group), and updates the group's feed.
Notification Delivery: The service triggers notifications to group members via:
- Email (if configured) - Yammer app push notifications - Teams activity feed (if Yammer app is added) 6. File Attachment Handling: If files are attached, they are uploaded to the group's SharePoint document library via the SharePoint API. A link is stored in the message. 7. Feed Update: All clients polling the feed receive the new post via WebSocket or periodic polling (default polling interval: 30 seconds).
Real-World Scenarios
Scenario 1: Global Company Town Hall A multinational corporation uses Viva Engage for CEO town halls. The CEO posts a video announcement in the All Company community. Viva Engage allows the post to be pinned as an announcement, sends push notifications to all employees (if they have the Viva Engage app), and tracks views and reactions. The company uses Viva Insights to measure engagement (e.g., 80% of employees viewed within 24 hours). Without Viva Engage, the CEO would have to rely on Yammer's All Company feed, which lacks pinning and analytics.
Scenario 2: IT Support Community IT creates a private Viva Engage community for help desk. Employees post issues, and IT staff respond. The community uses storytelling features to highlight known issues. Yammer groups would work, but Viva Engage's moderation tools allow IT to delete inappropriate posts and assign experts. The community integrates with Viva Topics so that posts about "VPN" automatically link to the VPN knowledge article.
Scenario 3: Onboarding New Hires HR creates a campaign in Viva Engage for new hires. The campaign includes a series of posts over 30 days: welcome message, benefits overview, team introductions. Viva Engage tracks completion rates. Yammer alone cannot schedule posts or track campaign analytics.
Common Pitfalls: Misconfiguration of external sharing (e.g., leaving external access enabled for sensitive communities). Also, failing to migrate from Yammer classic to Viva Engage can lead to user confusion and underutilization. Performance considerations: large groups (over 10,000 members) may experience slower feed loading; Viva Engage recommends breaking into subgroups.
Exam Focus
MS-900 tests the following on Yammer and Viva Engage:
- Objective 2.1: Describe productivity solutions in Microsoft 365. Specifically, "Describe Yammer" and "Describe Viva Engage." - Common Wrong Answers: 1. "Yammer and Viva Engage are the same product." Reality: Viva Engage is a premium layer on top of Yammer. 2. "Viva Engage requires a separate Yammer license." Reality: Yammer is included in most M365 plans; Viva Engage requires a Viva license. 3. "Yammer is being replaced by Viva Engage." Reality: Yammer still exists as the underlying network; Viva Engage is the new front-end. 4. "Viva Engage is only for executives." Reality: It's for all employees, but has leadership-specific features. - Specific Values: Know that Yammer is included in E1/E3/E5/Business plans. Viva Engage requires Viva Employee Communications and Communities license. - Edge Cases: The exam may ask what happens when a user without a Viva license accesses a Viva Engage community. Answer: They see the Yammer classic interface. - Elimination Strategy: If a question mentions "structured communities," "campaigns," or "analytics," choose Viva Engage. If it mentions "social network," "feed," or "groups," choose Yammer.
Misconceptions
- Myth: Viva Engage is a separate product from Yammer. Reality: Viva Engage is built on the Yammer platform; they share the same data and groups. - Myth: Yammer will be deprecated. Reality: Microsoft has not announced deprecation; Yammer remains the backend. - Myth: Viva Engage requires a Microsoft 365 E5 license. Reality: Viva Engage requires a Viva suite license, which can be added to any M365 plan. - Myth: Yammer does not support external users. Reality: Yammer supports external users via guest access. - Myth: Viva Engage communities are separate from Yammer groups. Reality: Each Viva Engage community corresponds to a Yammer group.
Comparisons
| Yammer | Viva Engage | |--------|-------------| | Classic interface | Modern interface | | Chronological feed | Curated community experience | | No built-in analytics | Engagement analytics and insights | | Basic moderation | Advanced moderation and governance | | No campaign support | Campaigns and storytelling | | Included in M365 basic plans | Requires additional Viva license |
Key Takeaways
Yammer is the enterprise social network; Viva Engage is the community and engagement platform built on Yammer.
Viva Engage requires a Viva license (e.g., Viva Employee Communications and Communities).
Yammer is included in Microsoft 365 E1/E3/E5 and Business plans.
Viva Engage adds communities, campaigns, announcements, and analytics.
Both share the same groups and data store.
The All Company group is a special Yammer group that includes all users.
External sharing can be controlled via Yammer admin center.
Yammer files are stored in SharePoint since 2019.
Viva Engage integrates with Viva Connections, Viva Topics, and Viva Insights.
The exam tests the distinction between Yammer and Viva Engage, licensing, and use cases.
FAQ
- Q: Can I use Viva Engage without Yammer? A: No. Viva Engage is built on Yammer. You must have a Yammer network in your tenant. Yammer is automatically enabled when you assign licenses. - Q: Do I need a separate license for Yammer? A: No. Yammer is included in most Microsoft 365 enterprise and business plans. However, Viva Engage requires an additional Viva license. - Q: How do I migrate from Yammer to Viva Engage? A: There is no migration needed; Viva Engage is a new interface. Users can access Yammer classic or Viva Engage. Admins can set Viva Engage as default. - Q: Can external users access Viva Engage? A: Yes, if external sharing is enabled in Yammer settings. External users see the Yammer classic interface unless they have a Viva license. - Q: What happens to existing Yammer groups when I enable Viva Engage? A: They become Viva Engage communities. No data loss occurs. - Q: Does Viva Engage work in Microsoft Teams? A: Yes, there is a Viva Engage app for Teams. Yammer can also be added as a tab. - Q: Can I schedule posts in Viva Engage? A: Yes, Viva Engage supports scheduled posts as part of campaigns.
Quiz
- Q: Which of the following is a feature of Viva Engage that is NOT available in Yammer? A: Campaigns and storytelling. Yammer only supports chronological posts. - Q: A user without a Viva license clicks on a Viva Engage community link. What do they see? A: They see the Yammer classic interface for that group. - Q: True or False: Viva Engage requires a separate Yammer license. A: False. Yammer is included in M365; Viva Engage requires a Viva license. - Q: Which Microsoft Viva module integrates with Viva Engage to provide topic-related conversations? A: Viva Topics. - Q: An organization wants to create a private community for HR discussions with moderation and analytics. Which tool should they use? A: Viva Engage, because it provides moderation and analytics.
Meta
meta_title: Yammer vs Viva Engage: MS-900 Study Guide
meta_description: Learn the differences between Yammer and Microsoft Viva Engage for MS-900. Covers licensing, features, and exam tips for Domain 2.1.
estimated_read_minutes: 25
User Creates Post in Viva Engage
The user navigates to a Viva Engage community (or uses the Viva Engage app in Teams) and composes a post. They may include text, images, files, polls, or @mentions. Upon clicking Post, the Viva Engage client constructs an HTTP POST request to the Yammer API endpoint (https://www.yammer.com/api/v1/messages.json). The request includes an OAuth 2.0 bearer token obtained from Azure AD, the group ID, message body, and any attachments. The client also sends metadata such as the client version and device type. If the post is scheduled, the client includes a publish timestamp.
Authentication and Authorization
The Yammer API receives the request and validates the OAuth token with Azure AD. It checks that the token is not expired (default token lifetime: 1 hour for access tokens, can be configured up to 24 hours). It also verifies that the user has a valid Yammer license (included in M365 E1/E3/E5/Business). For the specific group, it checks if the user is a member (if private group) or if the group allows posts from non-members (public groups allow any user). If the user lacks license or membership, the API returns a 403 Forbidden error.
Message Ingestion and Storage
Once authorized, the Yammer service processes the message. It assigns a unique 64-bit integer message ID, timestamps the post (UTC), and stores the message in the Yammer message store (Azure SQL Database). The message body is parsed for @mentions and hashtags, which are indexed. The service also updates the group's feed cache. If the post is a reply, it links to the parent message. The message is also sent to the search indexing service for near-real-time search (typically within 30 seconds).
File Attachment Handling
If the post includes file attachments, the Viva Engage client first uploads the files to the group's connected SharePoint document library via the SharePoint REST API. The library path is typically /sites/GroupName/Shared Documents. The upload is done using a separate HTTP request with the file binary in the body. SharePoint returns a file URL. The Yammer API then stores this URL in the message metadata. For images, a thumbnail is generated and stored in Azure Blob Storage. Files are subject to SharePoint retention and compliance policies.
Notification Delivery
After successful storage, the Yammer service triggers notification delivery. It queries the group's membership list and determines which members have notifications enabled. For each member, it sends: - Email notification (if enabled) via Exchange Online (SMTP). The email contains a link to the post. - Push notification to the Yammer mobile app (via Microsoft Push Notification Service) or to the Viva Engage app. - Teams activity feed notification if the user has the Yammer app pinned in Teams. - WebSocket notification to all currently connected clients (e.g., browser tabs) to update the feed in real time. Notifications are batched to avoid flooding; a user receives at most one notification per post per channel.
Feed Update and Client Rendering
Clients (web, mobile, Teams) receive the new post via their respective channels. The web client maintains a WebSocket connection to the Yammer service (or falls back to polling every 30 seconds). On receiving the new message, the client updates the feed UI, inserting the post at the top (or in chronological order). The client also renders any attachments, polls, or rich media. If the post is an announcement (pinned), it appears at the top of the community page. The client also updates the notification badge count. Analytics events (view, like, reply) are sent back to the service asynchronously.
Scenario 1: Multinational Retail Chain with Seasonal Campaigns A global retailer with 50,000 employees uses Viva Engage to coordinate seasonal sales campaigns. The marketing team creates a campaign in Viva Engage with a series of posts: pre-launch teaser, launch day announcement, daily tips, and a wrap-up. Each post can be scheduled and targeted to specific communities (e.g., North America, Europe). The campaign dashboard shows engagement metrics: views, likes, comments, and shares. The company uses Viva Insights to correlate campaign engagement with sales data. Without Viva Engage, the marketing team would have to manually post in Yammer groups, losing scheduling and analytics. The main challenge is ensuring all employees have the Viva Engage app installed and notifications enabled; the company uses a global rollout with mandatory training.
Scenario 2: Healthcare Provider with Compliance Requirements A hospital network uses Yammer (not Viva Engage) because of cost constraints. They have private groups for each department (e.g., Cardiology, ER). However, they need to retain all communications for compliance with HIPAA. They configure a Microsoft 365 retention policy to retain Yammer messages for 7 years. They also disable external sharing to prevent patient data leaks. The IT team monitors the Yammer admin center for data export requests. The limitation is that without Viva Engage, they cannot run campaigns or track engagement. They plan to upgrade to Viva Engage when budget allows, as the analytics would help measure staff engagement.
Scenario 3: Tech Company Fostering Innovation A software company with 10,000 employees uses Viva Engage to crowdsource ideas. They create a community called "Innovation Lab" where any employee can post ideas. The community uses storytelling to highlight top ideas each month. The CEO hosts quarterly "Ask Me Anything" events. The company integrates Viva Engage with Viva Topics so that ideas about specific products automatically link to product pages. The main performance consideration is the All Company feed: with 10,000 users, the feed can become noisy. They mitigate this by encouraging use of communities instead of All Company. Misconfiguration example: initially, they left the community as public, leading to spam; they later changed it to private with moderation enabled.
Common Issues:
Users not seeing Viva Engage because they lack the license. Solution: Assign Viva licenses via admin center.
External users unable to access communities. Solution: Enable external sharing in Yammer admin center.
Files not loading because SharePoint site is full. Solution: Increase SharePoint storage or clean up old files.
Notifications not arriving. Solution: Check user notification settings in Yammer profile.
Best Practices:
Use Viva Engage for structured, moderated communities; use Yammer classic for open, informal discussions.
Assign at least two community owners to avoid single point of failure.
Regularly review analytics to measure engagement and adjust strategy.
Integrate with Viva Connections to surface communities in the employee dashboard.
MS-900 Objective 2.1: Productivity Solutions The exam tests your ability to describe Yammer and Viva Engage, their licensing, and appropriate use cases. Specific objective codes: 2.1.1 (Describe Microsoft 365 productivity solutions) and 2.1.2 (Describe Microsoft Viva).
Common Wrong Answers and Why Candidates Choose Them 1. "Yammer and Viva Engage are the same product." Candidates see similar features and assume they are identical. Reality: Viva Engage is a premium layer with additional features. 2. "Viva Engage requires a Microsoft 365 E5 license." Candidates associate premium features with E5. Reality: Viva Engage requires a Viva suite license, which is add-on to any plan. 3. "Yammer is deprecated and replaced by Viva Engage." Candidates hear about Viva Engage and assume Yammer is gone. Reality: Yammer is still the backend. 4. "Viva Engage is only for executives." Candidates see leadership features and think it's exclusive. Reality: It's for all employees.
Specific Numbers and Terms That Appear on the Exam - Yammer is included in Microsoft 365 E1, E3, E5, Business Basic, Business Standard, Business Premium. - Viva Engage requires a Viva Employee Communications and Communities license (part of Viva suite). - The All Company group is a special Yammer group. - Yammer groups can be public or private. - Viva Engage features: communities, campaigns, announcements, analytics, storytelling.
Edge Cases and Exceptions - If a user without a Viva license clicks a Viva Engage link, they see the Yammer classic interface. - External users can access Yammer but not Viva Engage unless they have a Viva license. - Yammer files are stored in SharePoint (since 2019), not in Yammer's own storage. - Viva Engage communities correspond to Yammer groups; you cannot create a Viva Engage community without a Yammer group.
How to Eliminate Wrong Answers - If the question mentions "campaigns" or "analytics," the answer is Viva Engage. - If the question asks about "social network" or "feed," the answer is Yammer. - For licensing questions, remember: Yammer is included; Viva Engage is extra. - If the question says "requires additional license," it's likely Viva Engage. - If the question says "included with Microsoft 365," it's likely Yammer.
Yammer is the enterprise social network; Viva Engage is the community and engagement platform built on Yammer.
Viva Engage requires a Viva license (e.g., Viva Employee Communications and Communities).
Yammer is included in Microsoft 365 E1/E3/E5 and Business Basic/Standard/Premium.
Viva Engage adds communities, campaigns, announcements, and analytics.
Both share the same groups and data store; a Viva Engage community is a Yammer group.
The All Company group is a special Yammer group that includes all users.
External sharing can be controlled via Yammer admin center.
Yammer files are stored in SharePoint since 2019.
Viva Engage integrates with Viva Connections, Viva Topics, and Viva Insights.
The exam tests the distinction between Yammer and Viva Engage, licensing, and use cases.
These come up on the exam all the time. Here's how to tell them apart.
Yammer
Classic interface with chronological feed.
Included in Microsoft 365 E1/E3/E5 and Business plans.
Basic moderation (group owners can delete posts).
No built-in analytics or engagement insights.
Supports polls, praise, @mentions, file sharing.
Viva Engage
Modern interface with structured communities.
Requires additional Viva suite license.
Advanced moderation, content governance, and reporting.
Provides engagement analytics, campaign tracking, and insights.
Adds campaigns, announcements, storytelling, and Ask Me Anything events.
Mistake
Viva Engage is a separate product that replaces Yammer.
Correct
Viva Engage is built on top of Yammer. They share the same data store and groups. Yammer is not deprecated; it remains the underlying network.
Mistake
You need a Microsoft 365 E5 license to use Viva Engage.
Correct
Viva Engage requires a Viva suite license (e.g., Viva Employee Communications and Communities), which can be added to any Microsoft 365 plan, including E1, E3, and Business.
Mistake
Yammer does not support external users.
Correct
Yammer supports external users via guest access. External users can join groups and participate in conversations if external sharing is enabled.
Mistake
Viva Engage communities are separate from Yammer groups.
Correct
Each Viva Engage community corresponds to a Yammer group. Creating a community creates a group, and vice versa.
Mistake
Yammer files are stored in Yammer's own storage.
Correct
Since 2019, all files attached to Yammer messages are stored in the group's connected SharePoint document library.
Reveal each answer, then mark whether you got it right. Score 60%+ to unlock the next chapter.
No. Viva Engage is built on the Yammer platform. You must have a Yammer network in your tenant. Yammer is automatically enabled when you assign Yammer-included licenses. Without Yammer, Viva Engage cannot function.
No. Yammer is included in most Microsoft 365 enterprise and business plans (E1, E3, E5, Business Basic, Business Standard, Business Premium). However, Viva Engage requires an additional Viva suite license, such as Viva Employee Communications and Communities.
There is no migration needed. Viva Engage is a new interface that sits on top of Yammer. Users can choose to use either the classic Yammer interface or the new Viva Engage experience. Admins can set the default experience in the Yammer admin center.
Yes, if external sharing is enabled in Yammer settings. External users can access Yammer groups and conversations. However, they will see the Yammer classic interface unless they have a Viva license. Viva Engage premium features are not available to external users by default.
Existing Yammer groups automatically become Viva Engage communities. No data is lost. Group members, posts, and files remain intact. The group's settings (public/private) are preserved. Users can access the group via either interface.
Yes. There is a Viva Engage app for Microsoft Teams that allows users to interact with communities directly within Teams. Yammer can also be added as a tab in Teams channels. Both provide seamless integration with Teams.
Yes, Viva Engage supports scheduled posts as part of its campaign feature. You can create a campaign with multiple posts and schedule each post to be published at a specific date and time. Yammer classic does not support scheduling.
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