What to Do When You Encounter Error Code AADSTS50034 in Microsoft 365

Quick Tips

• Always verify your User Principal Name (UPN) before signing in, especially if your organization uses multiple domains.
• Confirm the correct tenant URL when accessing Microsoft 365 apps to avoid logging into the wrong directory.
• Ask your admin to check your account type and sync status if you recently changed roles, domains, or were newly added to the organization.

If you’re trying to sign into your Microsoft 365 account or access a connected application, and suddenly see an error message, you might be perplexed. One of the least common options is “AADSTS50034: The user account {Email} does not exist in the directory. To sign into this application, the account must be added to the directory.”

The error implies that the account doesn’t exist (the same one you’ve been using). More specifically, the Entra ID can’t locate the user directory where you’re trying to log in. The good news is that there is a way to solve error code AADSTS50034 Microsoft 365 apps might throw at you.

Fix 1: Verify Your Account Type (Member vs Guest) to Fix Error Code AADSTS50034 Microsoft 365

The most common cause of AADSTS50034 is that your account is set to “Guest” type instead of “Member” type in Microsoft Entra ID. Many applications (especially third-party tools and migration services) prohibit Guest accounts from authenticating. Even if you’re a full-time employee, your account might have been accidentally created or configured as a Guest instead of a Member.

You’ll need to go through the Microsoft Entra admin center.

Step 1. Open a web browser and navigate to https://entra.microsoft.com and sign in with an administrator account.

Step 2. In the left sidebar, click on “Identity” then on “Users” to view all users.

Step 3. Search for and click on the user account you’re trying to fix to open their profile.

Step 4. Look at the User type field. If it says Guest, there’s you’re the problem.

Step 5. Hit the Edit button at the top and change the User type from “Guest” to “Member.”

Step 6. Click “Save” to apply the change.

Step 7. Have the user sign out completely, close all browser windows, and sign in again.

Fix 2: Use the Correct Username Format for Microsoft 365 Error Code AADSTS50034

Microsoft Entra ID authenticates users by their User Principal Name (UPN), not their email address. While these often look similar, they’re not the same thing. If you’re trying to sign in using just an email address (like user@domain.com) when you should be using your UPN (like user@company.onmicrosoft.com), you’ll get the AADSTS50034 error.

Step 1. Open the Microsoft Entra admin center (https://entra.microsoft.com) as an administrator.

Step 2. Navigate to “Identity” > “Users” and find the affected account.

Step 3. Look at the User principal name field. This is your actual UPN and should be in the format username@domain.onmicrosoft.com or username@yourdomain.com.

Step 4. Sign in using this UPN instead of your email address. For example, use user@contoso.onmicrosoft.com instead of user@contoso.com.

Step 5. Test your access again.

Fix 3: Confirm You’re Accessing the Correct Tenant

If your company manages multiple Microsoft 365 tenants, you might be trying to sign into the wrong one. Each user is a completely separate directory. Your account exists in one tenant but not in another. If you’re attempting to access an application connected to a different tenant, you’ll get the AADSTS50034 error because your account literally doesn’t exist in that directory.

Step 1. Check with your IT department or administrator to confirm which tenant your account belongs to.

Step 2. Look at the URL of the application or portal you’re trying to access. It should indicate which tenant it connects to.

Step 3. Sign out completely, including from all browser tabs and applications.

Step 4. Clear your browser cookies and cache, or try signing in using a private/incognito window.

Step 5. Sign back in, making sure you’re using the correct account for the correct tenant.

Browser cache and cookies can sometimes cause you to be redirected to the wrong tenant. Clearing them often resolves the issue.

Fix 4: Sync Your On-Premises Account to the Cloud

If your organization uses hybrid Azure AD (connecting on-premises Active Directory with Microsoft Entra ID), your account must be synchronized between the two systems. If the sync failed or is incomplete, your account might exist in on-premises Active Directory but not in the cloud. This causes AADSTS50034 when trying to sign into cloud applications.

For this, you’ll need to contact your IT administrator. Only administrators with access to Azure AD Connect can perform a full sync.