How to Exclude Objects from GALsync

There are two ways to exclude objects from being synchronized: mark them in the source directory so they are never exported, or filter them out on import at the target.

On the export side — mark the object

Add the value NOGALSYNC to any custom attribute on the object. It is not case sensitive. The next time the export policy runs, objects carrying that value are not exported.

Which attribute depends on where the object lives:

• On-premises Exchange — extensionAttribute1 through extensionAttribute15
• Exchange Online — customAttribute1 through customAttribute15

For an on-premises object, this cmdlet adds the value quickly:

Set-ADUser -Identity "Username" -Add @{extensionAttribute1="nogalsync"}

If the attribute you are targeting already holds a value, use -Replace instead of -Add — these attributes are single-valued, so adding to a populated one fails.

This works because GALsync ships a default export Object Filter rule matching extensionAttribute 1-15 contains nogalsync. The mark is not special-cased in the product; it is a filter rule you can see and adjust.

On the import side — filter the object out

To stop objects reaching the target even though they were exported, use the import policy's object filter:

Import policy node > Directory tab > Settings > Object Filter

Then select the property and the condition on which to filter.

Which approach to use

Mark on the export side when the object should not leave your directory at all — it is the cleaner choice, and it applies to every partner you export to.

Filter on the import side when you are receiving data you do not control, or when you want to exclude objects from one partner's data file without asking them to change anything.

Note that an export-side mark only takes effect on the next policy run, and it does not retract objects already sent to a partner. If the object has already been synchronized, the partner's next import determines what happens to their copy.