Forum Discussion
Clarification on AADSignInEventsBeta vs. IdentityLogonEvents Logs
Hey everyone,
I’ve been reading up on the AADSignInEventsBeta table and got a bit confused. From what I understand, the AADSignInEventsBeta table is in beta and is only available for those with a Microsoft Entra ID P2 license. The idea is that the sign-in schema will eventually move over to the IdentityLogonEvents table.
What I’m unsure about is whether the data from the AADSignInEventsBeta table has already been migrated to the IdentityLogonEvents table, or if they’re still separate for now.
Can anyone clarify this for me?
Thanks in advance for your help!
1 Reply
Hi,
Great question. This causes confusion for many people because both tables can contain authentication-related signals, but they are not a direct 1:1 replacement at this stage.
Short answer
No, the data from AADSignInEventsBeta has not simply been “moved” entirely into IdentityLogonEvents as a full migration.
Today, these tables still serve different purposes and can coexist depending on licensing, data sources, and portal evolution.
How to think about each table
AADSignInEventsBeta
This table was introduced to expose Microsoft Entra ID (Azure AD) sign-in activity in Advanced Hunting.
Typical focus:
- Interactive sign-ins
• Non-interactive sign-ins
• Cloud authentication context
• Conditional Access related signals
• Entra ID sign-in telemetry
It has historically required the appropriate Entra ID licensing.
IdentityLogonEvents
This table is broader and focuses on identity authentication activity across multiple sources, not only Entra ID.
Typical focus:
- User logons
• Authentication activity
• Endpoint + identity correlation
• Hybrid identity scenarios
• Defender XDR normalized identity telemetry
Current reality
They are still separate tables with overlapping use cases.
Microsoft has been gradually normalizing schemas across Defender XDR tables, so some newer hunting scenarios may prefer IdentityLogonEvents, but AADSignInEventsBeta is still relevant in many environments.
My recommendation
Use:
AADSignInEventsBeta when you need:
- Detailed Entra sign-in context
• Cloud sign-in investigation
• Conditional Access visibility
• Legacy existing queries
IdentityLogonEvents when you need:
- Cross-domain hunting
• Identity + device correlation
• Unified authentication investigations
• Broader XDR detection logic
Practical approach
Run both and compare coverage in your tenant:
AADSignInEventsBeta | take 10 IdentityLogonEvents | take 10
You will usually notice schema differences and different event sources.
Important note
Because Microsoft continuously evolves hunting schemas, it is a good habit to monitor documentation updates and schema deprecation notices before redesigning detections.
Short conclusion
No full migration yet. They currently coexist, overlap in some areas, and are used for different investigation scenarios.
Hope this helps.
- Interactive sign-ins