Product Champions FAQ
1. What is the Microsoft Q&A Product Champions Program? The Microsoft Q&A Product Champions Program is a community program for people who enjoy sharing their technical knowledge and helping others. Product Champions contribute by answering questions on Microsoft Q&A, helping users solve real-world technical challenges across Microsoft products. As you contribute, you can progress through the program, earn recognition and rewards, access learning opportunities, and become more involved in the Microsoft Q&A community. Whether you’re new to Microsoft Q&A or already an active contributor, there’s a place for you in the program. 2. Who can join, and do I need to be an expert? Everyone is welcome to apply. You don’t need to be an MVP, hold a Microsoft Certification, or already be an established Microsoft Q&A contributor. You also don’t need to know everything about a Microsoft product. Start with the products and topics you know well and answer questions where you feel confident you can help. The program is open to people with different backgrounds and levels of experience who enjoy sharing their knowledge and helping others. 3. How do I get started? Getting started is simple. Complete the Product Champions enrollment form and review the Welcome Guide to learn how the program works and how to begin contributing on Microsoft Q&A. Once your application is accepted and you’re enrolled, you’ll receive an invitation to join the private Product Champions Microsoft Teams channel, where members can connect, participate in events and discussions, receive program updates, and access additional resources. 4. What am I expected to do as a Product Champion? The main way to participate is simple: answer questions and help users on Microsoft Q&A. There’s no fixed schedule or required number of hours. You can contribute at your own pace by finding questions related to topics you know and providing helpful, high-quality answers. Product Champions are also expected to follow Microsoft Q&A Community Guidelines and program standards when participating. 5. What products can I contribute to? You can answer questions across any of the program’s six product tracks based on your interests and expertise: Microsoft 365 Microsoft Teams Windows Surface Developer Technologies Security & Compliance You don’t have to choose just one. You’re welcome to contribute across multiple product areas. 6. How do I progress through the program? As you answer questions and continue contributing on Microsoft Q&A, you can progress through program levels and reach new recognition milestones. The program is self-paced, so you can build your contributions over time while working toward the next level. 7. What benefits and opportunities are available? Product Champions can access opportunities to learn, connect, grow, and be recognized for their contributions. Depending on eligibility and participation, these may include community recognition, learning and development resources, events, leadership opportunities, program rewards, Microsoft Certification vouchers, gift cards, MVP nomination support, and opportunities to participate in the Microsoft Q&A Volunteer Moderator Program. 8. Is Product Champions the same as Azure Champions? No. Product Champions and Azure Champions are sister programs with different areas of focus. Azure Champions focuses on Azure technologies and services, while the Microsoft Q&A Product Champions Program focuses on Microsoft 365, Microsoft Teams, Windows, Surface, Developer Technologies, and Security & Compliance. Both provide opportunities to share your expertise, help users, and become more involved in Microsoft technical communities. 9. Can I participate in both Product Champions and Azure Champions? Yes! You can participate in both programs if your interests and expertise span both areas. Each program has its own participation requirements, incentives, and rewards, so your eligibility for recognition and rewards is determined separately within each program. 10. Do my contributions on Microsoft Tech Community count toward the Product Champions Program? Product Champions activity and progression are based specifically on answers you provide on Microsoft Q&A, where users ask technical questions and seek solutions to real-world problems. Posts, replies, or other contributions on Microsoft Tech Community do not count toward your Product Champions program activity. Microsoft Tech Community complements the program as its public community hub for program news, updates, recognition, and other Product Champions content. Have a question we didn’t answer here? Reach out to the Product Champions team at productchampions@microsoft.com.MGDC for SharePoint FAQ: How to Run a PoC without Pulling Your Entire Tenant
Overview When getting started with SharePoint data in Microsoft Graph Data Connect (MGDC) for SharePoint, many teams want to validate scenarios - such as reporting or analytics before committing to a full production deployment. A common first instinct is to pull a complete dataset from a production tenant. While this delivers the most comprehensive view of SharePoint usage, it also: Requires broad administrative authorization Consumes the most Azure compute and storage resources Increases MGDC extraction and processing costs Adds complexity to early experimentation Fortunately, MGDC for SharePoint provides multiple ways to run low‑cost experiments or proof‑of‑concept (POC) deployments using partial or scoped datasets. This guide presents these options using a uniform comparison model, helping you choose the right approach based on: Cost Representativeness of production behavior Implementation effort Dataset completeness Supported datasets Option 1: Use a Dev or Test Tenant Description Use an existing development or test tenant (or create a new trial tenant) to enable MGDC and run initial experiments. Pros Smaller datasets reduce MGDC and Azure costs Easier to obtain administrative permissions Lower operational impact Cons May not reflect production‑scale usage patterns Some SharePoint features or integrations may be missing Requires simulated user activity to generate meaningful data Trial tenants are time‑limited Learn More Microsoft 365 Trial Options Azure Trial Options Option 2: Start with the SharePoint Sites Dataset Description The Sites dataset is typically the smallest MGDC dataset for SharePoint and provides tenant‑wide metadata for all site collections. Pros Lower cost compared to Files or Permissions datasets Provides organization‑wide coverage Minimal MGDC configuration beyond standard onboarding Small dataset can be handled directly by a variety of analysis tools Cons Does not include permission or file details Limited insight compared to full datasets Learn More How can I estimate my Azure bill? Updated! Gather a detailed dataset on SharePoint Sites Option 3: Sample a Limited Number of Rows Description Some MGDC SharePoint datasets support returning only a subset of rows in query results. This is supported across the top 5 SharePoint datasets in MGDC (Sites, Permissions, Groups, Files and File Actions). Pros Minimal and predictable extraction cost Enables rapid schema inspection Provides total dataset row count in request metadata Cons Rows are not returned in a predictable order Sample is not randomized. It is not reproducible and could be biased Results should not be used to draw tenant‑level conclusions Learn More How can I sample or estimate the number of objects in a dataset? Option 4: Filter by SiteId Description Because SharePoint data is partitioned by site collection, MGDC filtering allows you to extract data from a single site or a small group of representative sites. This supports Sites, Permissions, Groups, Files and File Actions datasets. Pros Enables realistic workload simulation Reduces total extraction volume Simplifies downstream reporting Cons May introduce sampling bias Not suitable for tenant‑wide reporting Learn More How can I filter rows on a dataset? Option 5: Filter by TemplateId Description Instead of selecting individual sites, filter by site template to isolate specific workloads. For example, you could filter for OneDrives or SharePoint Embedded. Pros Consistent dataset scope Useful for workload‑specific analysis Cons Limited dataset support (supported only for Sites, Files and File Actions) May not reflect cross‑workload usage patterns Learn More How can I filter rows on a dataset? Option 6: Use Delta State Datasets Description Delta datasets allow you to retrieve only changes since your last data transfer for supported SharePoint State datasets. Pros Enables recurring analytics with lower extraction costs Supports daily or weekly trend analysis Reduces data movement after initial ingestion Cons Requires an initial full dataset pull Adds complexity to downstream merge processing Learn More How can I use Delta State Datasets? How do I process Deltas? Summary MGDC for SharePoint provides multiple approaches to extract targeted subsets of tenant data, allowing teams to: Run proof‑of‑concept deployments Validate analytics pipelines Test governance or migration scenarios Estimate ongoing MGDC and Azure costs By selecting the right combination of dataset scope, filtering strategy, sampling method or delta tracking, you can balance cost, representativeness, and implementation effort before scaling to a full production deployment. For additional guidance on MGDC for SharePoint, visit SharePoint Data in MGDC.
