I want to do a little write-up about a fantastic product called QuillBot. As you know, I am dyslexic. I have spent years battling and growing. I have used different tools. QuillBot has really stood out. So, we will go over the tools and services it provides. Let’s dissect QuillBot, concentrating on the paraphrasing feature.
Paraphraser
Since QuillBot prides itself on making things unique, I had GPT write up a small blurb about its paraphraser. We will be using different options.
Original
QuillBot’s Paraphraser is an AI-powered writing optimization solution designed to transform existing text into clearer, more fluent, and more stylistically aligned language in seconds. Users can paste in text and have it rewritten while preserving core meaning, making it useful for refining tone, improving readability, strengthening vocabulary, and adapting content for academic, professional, or everyday communication. QuillBot positions the tool as flexible rather than one-size-fits-all, with free access to Standard and Fluency modes and additional rewrite styles available through Premium.
From a feature standpoint, the Paraphraser is built to support both light editing and deeper rewriting. QuillBot says free users can paraphrase up to 125 words at a time with no daily paraphrase limit, while Premium expands access to unlimited input, 10+ paraphrasing styles, and added controls such as the Synonym Slider, unlimited Custom modes, and Freeze Words for preserving specific terms during rewrites. In practice, that makes the tool feel less like a basic rewording app and more like a configurable AI text refinement engine.
At a broader level, QuillBot’s Paraphraser functions as part of a larger AI writing ecosystem that also includes grammar support, summarization, translation, and Word integration. That positioning makes it appealing for users who want a connected workflow where drafting, rewriting, polishing, and editing can happen inside the same platform. The overall value proposition is speed, adaptability, and polished output, especially for people who want their writing to sound more natural, concise, formal, or audience-ready without rebuilding every sentence from scratch.
Oh, So AI. So, we copy and pasted this into the paraphrasing tool. Here is what we got.
Humanize
QuillBot’s Paraphraser is an AI-powered tool that can quickly change existing material into English that is clearer, more fluent, and more in line with the style of the original. Users can paste in text and have it rewritten while keeping the main idea. This is helpful for changing the tone, making it easier to read, expanding vocabulary, and changing content for school, work, or everyday use. QuillBot says that the tool is adaptable and not a one-size-fits-all solution. Standard and Fluency modes are free, and Premium users can choose among more rewrite styles.
The Paraphraser has features that let you do both minor editing and extensive rewriting. QuillBot says that free users can paraphrase up to 125 words at a time and there is no daily limit on how many times they can do it. Premium users, on the other hand, can input as much text as they want, use more than 10 different paraphrasing styles, and get extra controls like the Synonym Slider, unlimited Custom modes, and Freeze Words, which keep certain words the same during rewrites. In real life, that makes the tool feel more like an AI text refining engine that you can change than a simple rewording software.
On a larger scale, QuillBot’s Paraphraser is just one aspect of a bigger AI writing ecosystem that also includes Word integration, grammatical assistance, summarization, and translation. This positioning makes it appealing to people who desire a connected workflow where they can draft, rewrite, polish, and edit all on the same platform. The main selling points are speed, flexibility, and polished output, especially for people who want their writing to appear more natural, concise, official, or suitable for an audience without having to rewrite every sentence from scratch.
Thoughts
This is an amazing tool. You can still tell it’s written by ai, and that’s helpful for us readers. You can take it to another level though. What would happen if we fed the humanized back into it over and over again? How long will it take for it to become all messed up?
Level 1
QuillBot’s Paraphraser is an AI-powered application that can instantly turn existing text into English that is clearer, flows better, and is more like the original. People can copy and paste text into the program, and it will rewrite it while maintaining the core idea. This is useful for changing the tone, making things easier to read, adding new words to your vocabulary, and adjusting content for school, work, or everyday use. QuillBot argues that the tool may be changed to match different needs and is not a one-size-fits-all solution. Standard and Fluency modes are free, while Premium customers can pick among additional rewrite styles.
You can use the Paraphraser to make small changes or rewrite a lot of text. QuillBot promises that free users can change the meaning of up to 125 words at a time and can do this as many times as they want each day. Premium users, on the other hand, can write as much as they like, use more than 10 different ways to rephrase, and gain extra options like the Synonym Slider, infinite Custom settings, and Freeze Words, which preserve some words the same when they are rewritten. In real life, that makes the tool feel more like an AI text refining engine that you can change than just a program that changes words.
QuillBot’s Paraphraser is simply one part of a greater AI writing ecosystem that also has Word integration, help with grammar, the ability to summarize, and the ability to translate. This placement makes it attractive to users who want a connected workflow where they can write, rewrite, polish, and edit all on the same platform. Speed, versatility, and polished output are the primary selling advantages, especially for people who want their writing to look more natural, concise, formal, or appropriate for an audience without having to rewrite every line from scratch.
Level 2 (28% Human)
QuillBot’s Paraphraser is an AI-powered program that can quickly change existing text into English that is easier to understand, flows better, and is more like the original. People can copy and paste text into the application, and it will rewrite it while keeping the basic idea. This is helpful for changing the tone, making things easier to read, learning new words, and changing content for school, work, or everyday use. QuillBot says that the tool may be customized to fit varied purposes and is not a one-size-fits-all solution. Standard and Fluency modes are free. Premium clients can choose from several rewriting styles.
You can use the Paraphraser to tweak a few words or rework a whole piece of writing. QuillBot says that free users can change the meaning of up to 125 words at a time and do this as many times as they wish each day. Premium users, on the other hand, can write as much as they like, use more than 10 different ways to rephrase, and get extra features like the Synonym Slider, endless Custom settings, and Freeze Words, which keep some words the same when they are redone. In real life, that makes the tool seem more like an AI text refining engine that you can change than just a program that modifies words.
QuillBot’s Paraphraser is just one part of a bigger AI writing system that also includes Word integration, grammatical guidance, the ability to summarize, and the capacity to translate. This location is appealing to customers who desire a connected workflow where they can write, rewrite, polish, and edit anything on the same platform. The main selling points are speed, flexibility, and polished output. This is especially true for writers who want their writing to look more natural, concise, formal, or acceptable for an audience without having to rewrite every word from start.
Level 5 (57% Human)
QuillBot’s Paraphraser is an AI-powered tool that can swiftly convert material that is already there into English that is simpler to read, flows better, and is more like the original. You can copy and paste text into the program, and it will change it while preserving the main idea. This is useful for changing the tone, making things simpler to read, learning new vocabulary, and adjusting things for school, work, or everyday use. According to QuillBot, the tool may be changed to match different needs and is not a one-size-fits-all solution. You don’t have to pay for the Standard and Fluency modes. There are a variety of different ways for premium clients to rewrite.
You can edit just a few words or the full thing using the Paraphraser. QuillBot says that anybody who use the service for free can change the meaning of up to 125 words at a time and do this as many times as they want each day. People who subscribe for the service, on the other hand, can write as much as they want, use more than 10 different ways to rephrase, and get extra tools like the Synonym Slider, infinite Custom settings, and Freeze phrases, which retain some words the same when they are rebuilt. In real life, that makes the tool seem more like an AI text refining engine that you can change than just a program that modifies words.
QuillBot’s Paraphraser is simply one part of a larger AI writing system that can aid you with grammar, summarizing, translating, and using Word. Customers like this area because it lets them write, rewrite, polish, and edit everything in one place. The primary selling elements are how fast, easy, and good the result is. This is especially true for writers who want their work to look more natural, short, formal, or appropriate for an audience but don’t want to have to start over and modify every word.
Level 7 (what?)
QuillBot’s AI Paraphraser swiftly rewrites English text to make it better, easier to read, and extremely comparable. Put text into the application. It might change the words but not the message. This will modify the tone, make things clearer, help you learn new words, and make everything better, whether you’re writing for school, job, or fun. QuillBot doesn’t think there is a “one size fits all” answer because the tool can be changed. The Standard and Fluency modes are free to use. There are various methods for premium customers to modify.
The Paraphraser can modify the complete text or just a few words. You can alter 125 words per day with QuillBot’s free version. Customers who pay can change terms in more than ten ways and use it as often as they want. The Synonym Slider, limitless Custom settings, and Freeze phrases are some of the other features. These tools keep some rebuilt words. The program changes words and makes writing better, like an AI.
QuillBot’s Paraphraser is an advanced AI writing tool that can spell, summarize, translate, and work with MS Word. Customers enjoy this part since it has everything they need to write, edit, and finish. Selling depends on how quickly, simply, and well it works. You can change the length, tone, or style of your work without having to rewrite it.QuillBot’s AI Paraphraser swiftly rewrites English text to make it better, easier to read, and extremely comparable. Put text into the application. It might change the words but not the message. This will modify the tone, make things clearer, help you learn new words, and make everything better, whether you’re writing for school, job, or fun. QuillBot doesn’t think there is a “one size fits all” answer because the tool can be changed. The Standard and Fluency modes are free to use. There are various methods for premium customers to modify.
The Paraphraser can modify the complete text or just a few words. You can alter 125 words per day with QuillBot’s free version. Customers who pay can change terms in more than ten ways and use it as often as they want. The Synonym Slider, limitless Custom settings, and Freeze phrases are some of the other features. These tools keep some rebuilt words. The program changes words and makes writing better, like an AI.
QuillBot’s Paraphraser is an advanced AI writing tool that can spell, summarize, translate, and work with MS Word. Customers enjoy this part since it has everything they need to write, edit, and finish. To sell, you need to know how well, swiftly, and effortlessly it works. You don’t have to rewrite your work to change its style, tone, or length.
Thoughts
As you see, as we feed the response back to itself, it decays pretty quickly. I am going to do this 100 times. At level 7, it took 45 seconds. Notice each time, the count of words change randomly and widely. At 25 times, the word count goes from around 300 to 500. When we hit 50 times, we went from 300 words to almost 900 words. It also took 1 minute each time. This is where I choose to stop as it was eatting so much time. It also started to repeat itself over and over again. Which is super weird.
Level 50
The QuillBot AI Paraphraser can quickly change English text to make it easier to read and more interesting, all while keeping the original meaning. It might be a good idea to think about adding another function to the app. You can modify how the sentences are understood, but you can’t change the words themselves. Doing this on a daily basis would definitely help you become a better writer, which will help you convey your thoughts more clearly and provide you more words to use. One may fairly expect that enhancements will occur in all other domains as a direct result of this advancement. No matter whether you write for fun, school, or work, it’s a good idea to think about this part carefully. QuillBot says that there is no one-size-fits-all way to use the tool since there are so many different ways to do it. You don’t have to spend any money to use either the Standard mode or the Fluency mode. If premium users choose to, they may change the scene in many different ways.
You may use the Paraphraser tool to change all or part of the text, depending on what you need and want. The free version of QuillBot lets users change up to 125 words every day. People who pay for the service may change the rules in more than 10 different ways. Also, customers have the freedom to use the service to its fullest extent as they see fit. At this point, you have a lot more choices than before. These include the new Synonym Slider, the opportunity to make as many Custom settings as you like, and the ability to Freeze phrases to make them easier to use. We fully support your right to make more purchases anytime you want. The language analysis tools being spoken about keep a close eye on and record the specific words that have changed a lot in different situations. The application works like artificial intelligence since it changes the words used to improve the quality of the whole thing.
The QuillBot Paraphraser is a very advanced and powerful AI writing tool with a lot of features. It has several capabilities that make it useful for improving the writing process, such as spell checking, translation, summary, and easy interface with Microsoft Word. A lot of people really like this phase since it offers everything they need to write, revise, and finish their work in a thorough way. The company may improve its operational efficiency by doing jobs more quickly and with fewer workers as its revenues rise. If you want to change the tone, length, or style of your work, you don’t have to start again.QuillBot’s AI paraphraser is amazing since it can quickly and accurately rephrase English text. This tool makes things clearer and easier to understand while still looking a lot like the original. It could be a good idea to think about adding another feature to the app. The phrases’ meaning may vary, but the words themselves must stay the same. Doing this often will definitely make your writing better, clearer, and a lot longer. It is a fair assumption that, along with other variables, all other factors will also become better with time. No matter whether you’re writing for fun, school, or work, it’s a good idea to think carefully about this issue. QuillBot says that there is no one-size-fits-all way to use the tool since it may be used in many different ways. You don’t have to spend any money to use either the Standard mode or the Fluency mode. Premium users may change the scene in many different ways if they want to.
You may use the Paraphraser tool to change all of the text or just some of it, depending on what you need. The free version of QuillBot lets users change 125 words every day. People that pay for the service may change the rules in many ways, more than ten different ways, so they can use the service to its maximum potential based on their own requirements and preferences. You have a lot of choices, such as the Synonym Slider, the ability to make a wide range of Custom settings that suit your needs, and the ability to Freeze phrases so that you can utilize them more easily. If you want, you can buy more things whenever you want. These gadgets keep a close eye on changes to different phrases and keep track of them. The software improves writing by changing words, which is similar to how artificial intelligence works in many ways.
The QuillBot Paraphraser is an amazing AI writing tool that works really well with Microsoft Word. This platform has a lot of tools to help with writing, such as spell check, translation, and summary. People in this group get the most joy from it since it gives them all the tools and resources they need to do their jobs well, make any changes that need to be made, and finish their assignments. To properly promote the product and make sure it meets high standards, you need to know everything about how well it works, how fast it works, and how easy it is to use. If you want to change the tone, length, or style of your work, you don’t have to start over from scratch.
Final Thoughts
It’s amazing how AI can do things. I thought this was interesting and how it works. It only costs $99 a year, and it’s a good price for all that it does. It does have limits. I just thought this would be a cool random thing to try out. My only complaint is customer service treats you like a robot and refuses to budge. Other than that, it has some amazing tools and can really add to your blogs. I personally like how it underlines everything and says to fix it. It’s very helpful for people like myself.
Growing up, I watched my parents do this thing that feels kind of rare now. They didn’t just go to work. They built a work life. Like the kind that bleeds into the community, where people know your name, and your effort leaves marks in places you’ll never fully see.
They built communities where they worked and even changed the town. My mom worked as a bookkeeper at a Bilo and my dad was the guy who made all of the TV stuff happen at a TV station. When they both passed away, we had people we didn’t even know existed come and tell us stories of how their dedications affected their lives.
And I remember standing there thinking, wow. This is the real stuff. This is human relationships. This is impact. Not titles. Not buzzwords. Not “synergy.” Just showing up, being solid, and treating people like people. I want this.
However, it’s 2026 and not the 1990s.
Companies are purchased. Positions end. Entire departments get “restructured” because somebody in a different state wants a spreadsheet to look cleaner. And sometimes management rewards the loudest person, not the most honest one. I hate even typing that, but you know what I mean. We’ve all seen it.
So yeah, it’s easy to see why people job hop. I’ve experienced this myself on a few occasions, and I’m not pleased. Not because I think loyalty should be forced. But because I miss the idea that work could be steady enough to grow relationships. That you could stay somewhere long enough for people to actually know you. Not just your username in Teams.
And then comes the part that makes me want to gently fold my laptop in half.
I hate searching and comparing my resume to the job posting.
It feels like a game where the rules change every time. The job post reads like a wish list written by three different people who never met. Your resume reads like a life you actually lived. And then an ATS robot shows up and decides your future because you didn’t say “stakeholder management” in the correct sacred order.
Meanwhile I’m sitting there with a Diet Dr Pepper, trying to convince myself this is fine. Life is good. This is normal. Totally.
Its not.
But I still want that thing my parents had. The human part. The stories people tell later. The “they helped me” moments. So I’m not trying to win the corporate hunger games here. I’m trying to find a role where I can actually matter, with people who still value being real.
And since I don’t enjoy the resume-vs-job-post cage match…
So, Lets Match it up, using chat gpt.
What MATCH is
Alright. So when I say “Let’s MATCH it up,” I’m not trying to turn job hunting into some hustle culture personality trait. I’m not here to sell you a seven-step morning routine that starts with cold plunges and ends with crying in LinkedIn Premium.
MATCH is way more boring than that.
And that’s why it works.
MATCH is a comparison framework. That’s it. It’s a method to take a job posting and your resume, put them side by side, and stop relying on vibes. Because vibes are how you end up applying for a role you’re perfect for and getting rejected by a robot that thinks you’re underqualified because you said “ticketing system” instead of “ITSM platform.”
When we use MATCH, we’re doing something super simple:
We’re making sure your resume and the job posting are speaking the same language, without you changing who you are or making stuff up.
Because here’s the uncomfortable truth. A lot of job searching is translation. Not lying. Not exaggerating. Just translating. Like if you’ve been doing “keeping the place from catching fire” for five years, but the job post calls that “risk mitigation and operational continuity,” you should not lose points because you did not use their fancy phrase.
MATCH helps you do that translation in a way that still feels like you.
And it’s designed to be used in four places where people usually get stuck, burnt out, or angry. Sometimes all three.
1) Job Posting vs Resume Analysis
This is the “tell me where I stand” step. What’s a strong match? What’s weak? What’s missing? And what’s in the posting that’s implied but never directly said?
2) Resume Tailoring
This is where we take the truth you already have and shape it so it actually lands. Same experience. Cleaner connection. Less “hope they figure it out.”
3) ATS Optimization
This is the part where we stop pretending ATS does not exist. We pull the real keywords and competency signals, and we weave them in naturally, like a normal human. Not like a resume that reads like it was written by a toaster oven.
4) Interview Preparation
This is my favorite use of MATCH, honestly. Because it shows you where you’re weakest before you’re sweating through a “Tell me about a time…” question. You find the gaps, you build stories, you prepare your receipts.
So yeah, MATCH is not magic.
It’s more like a flashlight.
You shine it on the job post. You shine it on your resume. You see what’s real. And then you make smart edits instead of panic edits.
Now let’s break down the acronym itself, because each letter has a job. Once you get it, you will never go back to randomly editing bullets until you hate yourself.
The MATCH acronym
So now that we know MATCH is not a motivational poster, let’s actually break it down. This part matters because each letter is a different kind of thinking. If you skip steps, you end up doing what most people do. You rewrite your resume in a mild panic, throw more words at it, and hope the algorithm feels kindness that day.
MATCH keeps you honest. It also keeps you from spiraling.
M — Map
Mapping is where you stop guessing what the company wants and you make them say it out loud.
You take the job posting and break it down into parts you can actually work with:
The implied expectations are the sneaky ones. This is the stuff they do not say directly but they hint at. Like “fast-paced environment” usually means “we are understaffed and proud of it.” Or “must be able to juggle priorities” means “you will get interrupted every 12 minutes.”
When you Map, you create the benchmark. This is the measuring stick. Without it, you are just editing your resume in the dark.
Mini prompt for M (Map):
Map this job description into five sections:
1) Required skills
2) Preferred skills
3) Core responsibilities
4) Keywords and tools
5) Implied expectations (things not stated directly but strongly suggested)
Job Description:
[Paste job post]
A — Align
Align is where you look at your resume and ask one simple question.
Where do I already match this?
Not where you could match if you had three more certs and a time machine. Where you match now, based on what you have actually done.
This is also where you separate strong matches from partial matches. Strong match means you have done it, you can prove it, and you can talk about it. Partial match means you have some adjacency, but the proof is light or the wording is not clear.
Align is basically the honesty filter. It shows you what is already working so you do not accidentally delete your best stuff while chasing keywords.
Mini prompt for A (Align):
Using the mapped job requirements below, identify where my resume aligns.
Output in three sections:
1) Strong matches (clear evidence)
2) Partial matches (some evidence, needs strengthening)
3) Not present (missing or unclear)
Job Requirements (from Map):
[Paste the mapped list]
Resume:
[Paste resume]
T — Translate
Translate is my favorite, because this is where we stop losing points for wording.
Translation is not lying. It is not inflating. It is taking the real work you did and describing it in the same dialect the job posting uses.
Job posts have a language. Sometimes it is clean and direct. Sometimes it sounds like it was written by a committee that only communicates in buzzwords.
Either way, if the posting says “identity lifecycle management” and your resume says “made accounts and removed accounts,” you are talking about the same thing. The machine does not always know that. The recruiter might not either, especially if they are scanning at warp speed.
Translate means you mirror phrasing, match seniority language, and surface transferable skills. You keep the truth, but you present it in a way that lands.
Mini prompt for T (Translate):
Rewrite my resume bullets to better match the language of the job description.
Do not exaggerate or add experience I do not have.
Keep my original meaning, but mirror the job posting phrasing and seniority level.
Job Description:
[Paste job post]
Resume bullets to rewrite:
[Paste bullets]
C — Close Gaps
Close Gaps is where you look at what is missing and decide what kind of missing it is.
There are two kinds of gaps that matter.
The first is a real gap. You do not have that skill yet. You cannot claim it.
The second is a signal gap. You have done the work, but your resume is not proving it clearly. This one is way more common than people think.
Close Gaps is where you identify:
Missing skills Weak experience signals Missing metrics Experience that should be expanded
Then you decide what to do with it.
Add it, if it is true and relevant. Reframe it, if it exists but is hidden. Remove it, if it distracts from the role you want.
This is the section that saves you from tossing your whole resume into the trash because one posting asked for a tool you used one time in 2019.
Mini prompt for C (Close Gaps):
Identify gaps between the job description and my resume.
For each gap, label it as:
- Real gap (I do not have it)
- Signal gap (I have it but my resume does not show it well)
Then recommend one of these actions:
Add, Reframe, Remove, or Ignore (if low importance)
Job Description:
[Paste job post]
Resume:
[Paste resume]
H — Highlight
Highlight is where we decide what gets the best real estate.
Because the top of your resume is prime land. The first third of the first page is basically beachfront property. That is where the reader decides if they keep going.
Highlight means you prioritize:
Most relevant experience Job-specific metrics Keywords Core competencies
This is where you move the right bullets up, trim the fluff, and make it easy for a recruiter to connect the dots without working overtime.
Highlight is also where you stop treating your resume like a biography. It is not your life story. It is a targeted document meant to get you into a conversation.
A human conversation, ideally. With a person who might someday tell a story about working with you.
Mini prompt for H (Highlight):
Based on the job description, tell me what to highlight on my resume.
1) List the top 8 items I should prioritize (skills, keywords, accomplishments)
2) Tell me what should move to the top of the resume
3) Suggest a revised order for my sections (Summary, Skills, Experience, Projects, etc.)
4) Identify anything that should be trimmed or moved down
Job Description:
[Paste job post]
Resume:
[Paste resume]
Next up is where we put MATCH to work in the four places you listed.
And yes, I will give you copy and paste prompts that are ready to go, plus what good output should look like so you can tell if ChatGPT is being helpful or just being ChatGPT.
MATCH in real life: the 4 core use cases
This is the part where we stop admiring the acronym and actually use it. Because MATCH is cute on paper, but the whole point is that it saves you from that awful feeling of staring at a job post and thinking, “Cool. I have no idea what they want, and I’m apparently unqualified to exist.”
So we are going to use MATCH four different ways. Same framework, different outcome.
And I want you to notice something as we go. This is not just about getting past the ATS. It’s about respecting your own time and energy. Job searching can make you feel disposable. MATCH pulls you back into control. You stop begging for a chance and you start making a case.
1) Job Posting vs Resume Review
This is the “tell me the truth” step.
Before we tailor anything, before we optimize, before we rewrite a single bullet, we compare what they asked for to what you actually have. Line by line. Not emotionally. Not hopefully. Just honestly.
You want the model to:
Map the job post into requirements
Align your resume evidence to each requirement
Translate where your experience exists but your wording is weak
Close gaps by identifying what is missing or unclear
Highlight the strongest parts so you know what to lead with
This is the step that answers the question you are already asking in your head: “Am I even close?”
Copy and paste prompt (Job Posting vs Resume Review using MATCH):
Use the MATCH framework (Map, Align, Translate, Close Gaps, Highlight) to compare this job description to my resume.
M) Map:
- Extract required skills, preferred skills, responsibilities, keywords/tools, and implied expectations.
A) Align:
- For each mapped item, show where my resume provides evidence.
- Mark each item as Strong match, Partial match, or Not present.
T) Translate:
- Suggest wording changes to my existing bullets that better mirror the job posting language.
- Do not add experience I do not have.
C) Close Gaps:
- List gaps and label each as Real gap (I do not have it) or Signal gap (I have it but it is not clear).
- Recommend Add, Reframe, Remove, or Ignore for each gap.
H) Highlight:
- Tell me the top 8 things I should emphasize on my resume for this job.
- Suggest what should move to the top of the resume.
Output format:
1) A comparison table: Job requirement | Resume evidence | Match level | Notes
2) Then the rewritten bullet suggestions
3) Then a short competitiveness summary (Strong fit, Moderate fit, Stretch)
Job Description:
[Paste job post]
Resume:
[Paste resume]
What good output looks like If the output is good, it will feel specific. It will point to exact lines in your resume. It will not just say “You match well.” It will say “This bullet proves it, and this is the missing keyword.”
If the output is bad, it will be vague. It will give you generic career advice. It will try to rewrite your life story. We do not want that.
2) Resume Tailoring
This is where you take the same truth and aim it like a flashlight.
Tailoring does not mean changing who you are. It means choosing what to emphasize so the reader immediately understands why you belong in the room. Most resumes are not “bad.” They are just not targeted. They are written like a general biography instead of a specific argument.
Tailoring is also where you stop treating every bullet equally. Some bullets are doing real work. Some bullets are just taking up space.
Copy and paste prompt (Resume Tailoring using MATCH):
Use the MATCH framework to tailor my resume for this exact job.
Do not exaggerate. Do not invent experience. Keep it honest.
M) Map the job post into:
- Required skills
- Preferred skills
- Responsibilities
- Keywords/tools
- Implied expectations
A) Align my current resume to that map and identify:
- What already supports the job strongly
- What supports it weakly
T) Translate:
- Rewrite my Professional Summary (3 to 4 lines) to match this role.
- Rewrite my top 6 to 10 bullets to mirror the job posting language.
- Keep bullet structure consistent and results-focused.
C) Close Gaps:
- Identify missing signals and suggest what to expand, add, or reframe using my existing experience.
H) Highlight:
- Recommend the best ordering of sections and which items should be in the top third of page one.
Output:
1) Revised Summary
2) Revised Skills or Core Competencies section (if needed)
3) Revised bullets (ready to paste)
4) Notes on what changed and why
Job Description:
[Paste job post]
Resume:
[Paste resume]
How you use the result Take the revised summary and the top bullets first. That is the “prime real estate.” If you only have the energy for one thing, do that. It gives you the biggest return.
3) ATS Optimization
Let’s talk about the robot.
ATS systems are not evil. They are just literal. They scan for signals. They look for keywords, tools, titles, and patterns. Humans do this too, but ATS does it faster and colder and without caffeine.
ATS optimization is not keyword stuffing. Keyword stuffing is how you end up with a resume that reads like a broken toaster manual.
Optimization is making sure the words that matter actually show up in a way that still sounds human.
Copy and paste prompt (ATS Optimization using MATCH):
Use MATCH to optimize my resume for ATS for this job posting.
M) Map:
- Extract the top 20 keywords, tools, and competency phrases from the job post.
- Group them into categories (tools, processes, soft skills, certs, domains).
A) Align:
- Check my resume for each keyword or phrase.
- Mark as Present, Present but weak, or Missing.
T) Translate:
- Rewrite bullets where needed to naturally include missing or weak keywords.
- Keep the statements truthful and specific.
- Do not overuse the same keyword.
C) Close Gaps:
- Identify missing terms that I cannot honestly claim.
- Suggest alternatives that reflect adjacent experience I do have.
H) Highlight:
- Provide a final ATS-friendly Skills/Core Competencies block tailored to this job.
Output:
1) Keyword table with status
2) Revised bullets (ready to paste)
3) ATS Skills block
Job Description:
[Paste job post]
Resume:
[Paste resume]
Small warning that saves pain Do not chase every keyword. Some job posts are written like Christmas lists. Prioritize the recurring themes. If “Active Directory” shows up five times, that matters more than a tool mentioned once.
4) Interview Preparation
This is where MATCH turns into confidence.
Interview prep is not memorizing answers. It is knowing your weak spots and having stories ready, so you are not inventing coherence under pressure.
MATCH helps you identify:
Where your experience is strongest, so you can lead with it
Where you are thin, so you can prepare a clean explanation
Where the job expects something you have not done, so you can position adjacent work
Copy and paste prompt (Interview Preparation using MATCH):
Use the MATCH framework to prepare me for an interview for this role.
M) Map:
- Identify the top responsibilities, required skills, and implied expectations.
- Identify what this role will likely measure in interviews.
A) Align:
- Based on my resume, list my strongest matching areas and why.
T) Translate:
- Convert my strongest bullets into 6 STAR stories (Situation, Task, Action, Result).
- Keep them short and conversational.
C) Close Gaps:
- Identify my weakest areas for this role.
- For each weak area, give me:
a) a truthful explanation strategy
b) a bridge statement using related experience
c) a learning plan answer if asked directly
H) Highlight:
- Provide a list of 10 likely interview questions for this role.
- Tell me which 3 stories I should lead with and why.
Job Description:
[Paste job post]
Resume:
[Paste resume]
How you practice without losing your mind Read your STAR stories out loud once. Fix what sounds weird. Then stop. You are not trying to become a different person. You are trying to become a clearer version of the person who already did the work.
Pro Tips
Here’s where we make MATCH actually feel usable when you’re tired, annoyed, and your brain is doing that thing where it wants to quit forever. These are the little moves that make the whole process less painful and way more consistent.
Ask for a comparison table
Do not let the model ramble. Rambling is how you end up with a pretty paragraph and zero action.
Ask for a simple table like this:
Job Requirement | Resume Evidence | Gap Level
That’s it. It forces clarity. It forces receipts. It also makes it obvious when your resume is missing proof, not experience.
If the job says “automation” and your resume evidence is “helped with scripts sometimes,” the gap level is going to tell on you. That’s a good thing. Better now than in an interview.
Run it twice
First run is analysis. Second run is writing.
If you try to do both in one shot, you usually get a mushy blend of generic advice and half-rewritten bullets. Instead:
Pass 1: Compare and diagnose using MATCH. Pass 2: Rewrite only the sections with the highest impact.
This keeps you from rewriting your whole resume like you are repainting a house because one wall has a scuff mark.
Ask for confidence level and assumptions
This one is huge. Models love to sound confident, even when they are guessing.
So tell it to label:
Confidence level for each match (High, Medium, Low)
Assumptions it had to make (like “I assume you used Jira because you said ticketing”)
Assumptions are where people accidentally drift into stuff they cannot defend. We are not doing that. We are staying clean.
Keep a “truth inventory”
This is the thing that keeps you honest when tailoring starts to feel like fiction writing.
Make a small list for yourself of:
Tools you truly used
Metrics you can defend
Projects you can explain without sweating
Stories you can tell in an interview
Then when MATCH suggests edits, you only accept changes that fit inside your truth inventory. That’s how you stay human. That’s how you avoid becoming the person who “led a global transformation initiative” when you were really just trying to keep the server from screaming.
Also, it makes interviews easier. You are not performing. You are just telling the truth clearly.
And yes, I still recommend doing all of this with a Diet Dr Pepper nearby. Not because it makes the ATS nicer. It just makes you feel slightly less like you are being judged by a spreadsheet.
Closing thoughts
I keep coming back to my parents because it’s the cleanest example I have of what work can look like when it’s human.
They weren’t famous. They weren’t chasing “personal brand.” They just showed up, did the job, treated people right, and stayed long enough for roots to grow. And when they were gone, people showed up with stories. Not about their job titles, but about how they made life easier, how they helped, how they mattered. That is legacy. Quiet, steady, real.
Now we live in a world where companies can act like people are disposable. One acquisition, one reorg, one manager with a weird ego, and suddenly you’re updating your resume on a Tuesday like none of it counted. That messes with you. It makes you question the whole idea of “building something” at work.
But here’s the thing I have to remind myself of, and maybe you need it too.
Even if the system is cold, you don’t have to become cold.
Job searching feels gross sometimes because it turns humans into documents. It turns your lived experience into bullet points. It turns your relationships into “stakeholders.” But under all that noise, what you are really doing is trying to find your people again. A team you can contribute to. A place where your effort is felt. A manager who values truth more than theatrics. Coworkers who remember you as a person, not a resource.
You are human, just like the rest of us. Let’s treat each other as such.
So, here I am looking down at a project to create a new domain and migrate users. Normally this isn’t a bad process. You clone the user on the other domain and have them sign in. Use a tool like Profwiz or ADMT (assuming it works). Then I realize, they are AD synced to Entra/Identity. Oh, this is going to be interesting. So, I pulled out my Diet Dr Pepper and got to work. It’s time to find the Entra ID source anchor attribute.
ms-DS-ConsistencyGuid is the Entra ID source anchor attribute
This little guy is the magic sauce that you are looking for. Back in the day, the syncing attribute was the object guid. This was a problem as many companies had more than one domain with the same account names. So, this little consistency guid matches the Immutable ID in entra. Lets take a look at these two.
On-prem AD user:
Attribute: ms-DS-ConsistencyGuid
Type: GUID stored as binary
Entra ID user:
Attribute: immutableId
Type: Base64-encoded version of that GUID
As long as these values never change, your hybrid identity stays the same. Change it the wrong way, your sync gets ugly. Here is how you can get the information from AD.
If it’s $null, nothing is using it yet, it not, then something is using it.
It’s a GUID field, perfect for unique identity.
It doesn’t change when you move users between OUs.
In the right design, you keep it stable even across forests and migrations.
Microsoft now recommends it specifically as the Entra ID source anchor attribute.
This is important to understand. if these don’t match, you don’t have a sync going on. Lets write a powershell that will check both.
Confirm with powershell
This powershell grabs both and lets us know if they match, if they don’t it tells us.
<#
.SYNOPSIS
Compare on-prem ms-DS-ConsistencyGuid with Entra/Azure AD ImmutableId.
.DESCRIPTION
For each user:
- Reads ms-DS-ConsistencyGuid from AD
- Converts it to Base64 (what ImmutableId should be)
- Gets the cloud ImmutableId by UPN
- Outputs if they match
NOTE: This script is READ-ONLY. It does NOT change anything.
#>
Import-Module ActiveDirectory
Import-Module MSOnline
Write-Host "Connecting to Entra/Azure AD..."
Connect-MsolService
Write-Host "Getting AD users..."
$adUsers = Get-ADUser -Filter * -Properties userPrincipalName, ms-DS-ConsistencyGuid |
Where-Object { $_.UserPrincipalName -ne $null }
$result = @()
foreach ($user in $adUsers) {
$upn = $user.UserPrincipalName
# Get ms-DS-ConsistencyGuid from AD
$consistencyBytes = $user.'ms-DS-ConsistencyGuid'
$consistencyGuid = $null
$adAnchorBase64 = $null
if ($consistencyBytes) {
$consistencyGuid = [Guid]$consistencyBytes
$adAnchorBase64 = [Convert]::ToBase64String($consistencyBytes)
}
# Get cloud ImmutableId by UPN
$cloudUser = Get-MsolUser -UserPrincipalName $upn -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
$immutableId = $null
$matchStatus = "Unknown"
if ($cloudUser) {
$immutableId = $cloudUser.ImmutableId
}
# Work out match status
if ($adAnchorBase64 -and $immutableId) {
if ($adAnchorBase64 -eq $immutableId) {
$matchStatus = "Match"
} else {
$matchStatus = "Mismatch"
}
}
elseif ($adAnchorBase64 -and -not $immutableId) {
$matchStatus = "No ImmutableId in Entra"
}
elseif (-not $adAnchorBase64 -and $immutableId) {
$matchStatus = "No ConsistencyGuid in AD"
}
else {
$matchStatus = "Neither Set"
}
$result += [PSCustomObject]@{
UserPrincipalName = $upn
ConsistencyGuid = $consistencyGuid
ADSourceAnchorB64 = $adAnchorBase64
EntraImmutableId = $immutableId
MatchStatus = $matchStatus
}
}
# Show on screen
$result | Sort-Object MatchStatus, UserPrincipalName | Format-Table -AutoSize
# Optional: save to CSV for review
#$result | Export-Csv .\AnchorComparison.csv -NoTypeInformation
This script will give you a list of all the users and if it matches. Here is a script that will force the user to the immutableid. The check gives you info, and if you don’t check it will set it.
function Set-MsDsConsistencyGuidFromImmutableId {
<#
.SYNOPSIS
Set ms-DS-ConsistencyGuid from Entra/Azure AD ImmutableId for one user.
.DESCRIPTION
Given a samAccountName:
- Look up the on-prem AD user
- Read ms-DS-ConsistencyGuid
- Look up the Entra/Azure AD user by UPN
- If ms-DS-ConsistencyGuid is empty and ImmutableId exists,
set ms-DS-ConsistencyGuid to the ImmutableId value (decoded from Base64)
Use -Check to only show what would happen, without making changes.
.PARAMETER SamAccountName
The on-prem AD samAccountName of the user.
.PARAMETER Check
If supplied, only checks and reports. No changes are made.
#>
[CmdletBinding()]
param(
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)]
[string]$SamAccountName,
[switch]$Check
)
# Make sure AD module is available
if (-not (Get-Module ActiveDirectory -ListAvailable)) {
Write-Error "ActiveDirectory module not found. Install RSAT / AD tools first."
return
}
Import-Module ActiveDirectory -ErrorAction Stop
# Make sure MSOnline module is available
if (-not (Get-Module MSOnline -ListAvailable)) {
Write-Error "MSOnline module not found. Install-Module MSOnline first."
return
}
Import-Module MSOnline -ErrorAction Stop
# Get on-prem user
$adUser = Get-ADUser -Identity $SamAccountName -Properties userPrincipalName, ms-DS-ConsistencyGuid -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
if (-not $adUser) {
Write-Error "No AD user found with samAccountName '$SamAccountName'."
return
}
$upn = $adUser.UserPrincipalName
if (-not $upn) {
Write-Error "User '$SamAccountName' does not have a UPN. Cannot match to Entra."
return
}
# Current AD ConsistencyGuid
$currentConsistencyBytes = $adUser.'ms-DS-ConsistencyGuid'
$currentConsistencyGuid = $null
$currentConsistencyB64 = $null
if ($currentConsistencyBytes) {
try {
$currentConsistencyGuid = [Guid]$currentConsistencyBytes
$currentConsistencyB64 = [Convert]::ToBase64String($currentConsistencyBytes)
}
catch {
Write-Warning "Failed to interpret existing ms-DS-ConsistencyGuid as GUID/Base64: $_"
}
}
# Get cloud user and ImmutableId
$cloudUser = Get-MsolUser -UserPrincipalName $upn -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
if (-not $cloudUser) {
Write-Error "No Entra/Azure AD user found with UPN '$upn'."
return
}
$immutableId = $cloudUser.ImmutableId
# Decide what to do
$action = "None"
$result = "No change"
if ($currentConsistencyBytes) {
# Already has a ConsistencyGuid
$action = "None"
$result = "ms-DS-ConsistencyGuid already set. Nothing to do."
}
elseif (-not $immutableId) {
$action = "None"
$result = "Cloud user has no ImmutableId. Cannot set ms-DS-ConsistencyGuid from it."
}
else {
# We CAN set ms-DS-ConsistencyGuid from ImmutableId
$action = "Set ms-DS-ConsistencyGuid from ImmutableId"
try {
$newBytes = [Convert]::FromBase64String($immutableId)
$newGuid = [Guid]$newBytes
if ($Check) {
$result = "CHECK ONLY: Would set ms-DS-ConsistencyGuid to $newGuid from ImmutableId."
}
else {
Set-ADUser -Identity $adUser.DistinguishedName -Replace @{ 'ms-DS-ConsistencyGuid' = $newBytes }
$currentConsistencyGuid = $newGuid
$currentConsistencyB64 = [Convert]::ToBase64String($newBytes)
$result = "UPDATED: ms-DS-ConsistencyGuid set to $newGuid from ImmutableId."
}
}
catch {
$action = "Error"
$result = "Failed to convert ImmutableId '$immutableId' to GUID/bytes: $_"
}
}
# Output a simple summary object
[PSCustomObject]@{
SamAccountName = $SamAccountName
UserPrincipalName = $upn
CurrentConsistencyGuid = $currentConsistencyGuid
CurrentConsistencyGuidB64 = $currentConsistencyB64
CloudImmutableId = $immutableId
Action = $action
Result = $result
CheckMode = [bool]$Check
}
}
Notes
if you have two domains, and the Entra ID source anchor attribute is the same in a synced area in both, you will get odd little accounts out of no where. Once you remove one of those into a unsynced ou, this will resolve the issue.
You can force a user to become someone else using the Entra ID source anchor attribute ms-ds-consistencyguid. This isn’t a great thing, but it’s a hack around. So, if you want bob to become philip’s entra account, just change his anchor.
What can we learn as a person
In Entra, the anchor says “this is who I am, no matter where you move me.” In real life, we’ve got those too—just without the GUID. They’re the moments, labels, and stories that quietly tell us who we are: the kid who “wasn’t smart,” the one who always had to fix everything, the person who “always messes things up.” Those anchors don’t sit in a database, but they still decide what we “sync” with: what relationships we accept, what jobs we go for, what kind of treatment we think we deserve.
The tricky part is that a lot of those anchors were never chosen on purpose. They just happened, and we started believing, “This is just who I am.” But an anchor in your life is not a prison; it’s a reference point you’re allowed to outgrow. You might not be able to change what happened, but you can change what it means. “I failed” can become “I learned what I need to avoid next time.” “I grew up in chaos” can become “No wonder I get anxious when things change—and I can still learn how to calm myself and ask for what I need.” Same history, different interpretation.
So it’s worth asking yourself: What have I been using as my anchor? And if you could pick one on purpose, what would it be instead? Maybe something like “I’m learning,” or “I’m allowed to grow,” or “I deserve basic respect, even when I screw up.” In identity systems, once the anchor is stable and correct, all the sync errors start to calm down. In life, when your inner anchor shifts from shame to self-respect, a lot of emotional “sync errors” start to calm down too. The past doesn’t vanish—but it stops being the only thing that gets to name you.
The other day, I was showing a friend how to set up Intune deployments. Then it hit me: I have unique scripts for script detections and things like that here on therandomadmin.com. However, I haven’t really gone through the detection rules for built-in items. I was like, well now I have to fix that. So here we are going to fix that with the Intune Detection Rules. Let’s get started.
Types of Intune Detection Rules
There are three built-in detection types that we will go over today. They are the MSI, File, and Registry.
MSI is like the easy button, (no not the staples one from the commercials… did I just age myself?)
File is my least favorite one, but it works for legacy apps
Registry is my favorite one and it’s the one that I will spend some time on for you all.
Other than the built-in items, there are scripted items which is unique in it’s own rights. You can take a look at how these scripts work here. Andrew has a good tutorial on his blog as well. Today will be all about the built-in items.
The Built-In MSI Rule
The MSI rule is the easy button of the detection scripts. If you are using an MSI, it will pull the information directly from the MSI. Once you get to the detection rule part you can follow these steps:
Click Add
Select MSI
And click save
Magic, right? The other thing you can do is select “MSI Product Version Check.” Here you can select an operator like “greater than or equal to” and then give it the value. Which is the product version. This helps with auto-updated items. Which I always suggest using. Below is a screenshot.
File Detection Rule
Our next built-in detection rule is for files. This is good if you have an app that doesn’t install like normal apps. Older apps or more niche apps are like this. For example. We installed a special Creo app. It installed in the C:\PTC location, and it didn’t add itself to the registry uninstall strings. It didn’t come in an MSI; it was an EXE with custom everything. This app was a pain in the backstracher. So we used the File location rule. Here is how you can set it up.
Inside your detection rule, click Add.
Rule type: File
Path: The folder that you want to check. In this case it was C:\PTC
File or Folder: Here we wanted to see if the creo.exe existed. So, that’s what I put here.
Detection Method: We used file or folder existed.
Greater than or equal to string
As you will learn, I am all about the version numbers. If you select the string (version), you will need to get that version number from the file you are pulling from. You can do this with PowerShell pretty quickly.
Once you have this information, you will then proceed to input it into the value section once you select the string (version) and greater than or equal to options.
Built-In Intune Detection Rule for Registry
The registry key is the most common and the most useful as well. Most apps install themselves in this method. The script below is going to be your best friend. What it does is give you the information you need. Lets break down what each item is so we can look at the script and make this happen. I’m giving this the most focus because it’s the most common.
Registry Type: The type we are using.
Key Path: The path of the uninstall string that we will be using
Value Name: What we are looking for, this case we will be looking for displayversion
Detection Method: Version Comparison
Operator: Greater than or equal to
Value: What value we are looking for
Assocated: Is it a 32 or 64.
Script
So you will have to go digging into the registry for this information. However, this registry area is just confussing and really hard to manually dig through. So powershell is once again, our friend.
All you have to do is replace the app name. It will provide you with everything you need inside the built-in detection rule. This is the output that it provides:
RuleType : Registry
KeyPath : HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\{6EB73F60-E858-3AF3-913A-0C1783656B42}
ValueName : DisplayVersion
DetectionMethod : Version comparison
Operator : Greater than or equal to
Value : 143.0.7499.170
AssociatedWith32 : False
This script really makes finding apps easier. If the app installs in another place, good hunting, my friends.
What we can learn as a person
I am still missing my keys. I have the backup fob for my car, but I have no idea where my normal keys are. So no house key right now. Sometimes, I need to backtrace what I have done to find where I am going. Which is ok. This is why I document so much because I don’t have the brain space to remember everything I have done. This is also why this blog post exists. I realized I never once really did explain how to use the built-in tools. Now I have a place to come and get the script I need and anyone else needs. So that will be nice later down the road, and I will thank myself later. Giving myself the little micro successes in the future is what I am going for here. The keys, on the other hand, I didn’t set up a space for them to go with the new desk I have. Thus, they are in the ether somewhere, and when I find them, they will go into my little cubby on my new desk. So, set yourself up for micro successes, whether you know it or not, in the future. This will reduce a lot of stress and anxiety in the future. Remember, 80% of life is the systems that you have put into place. So, let’s make good systems. Then you can set up your own Intune detection rules for your life to detect when you gave yourself successes. Like, when I see the wallet inside the new cubby. I can give myself a little thanks.
The VPN tunnel was solid. We had split-tunnel traffic, per-user group policies, and MFA layered on Azure AD sign-ins. Nothing fancy, just a Meraki firewall and a bunch of cloud-native users on laptops.
Then someone asked for Wi-Fi to authenticate via RADIUS.
Not Wi-Fi on laptops, Wi-Fi for the office printers and a couple of older VOIP phones. Devices that didn’t speak SAML, didn’t join Azure AD, and couldn’t use certificates without a management headache. Just a plain old SSID with LDAP-backed RADIUS.
That’s when the obvious hole showed up: we didn’t have an LDAP source. Azure AD, by itself, doesn’t expose LDAP or Kerberos. And we had no on-prem domain controller.
At first, we thought Meraki might support SAML auth directly. It doesn’t, not for VPN or Wi-Fi. It does support RADIUS, but that assumes your RADIUS server has an actual directory to talk to.
We weren’t going to roll out on-prem AD just to get LDAP. That would mean a domain controller, backups, patches, and joining devices, all the things we’d intentionally avoided by going full Azure AD in the first place.
What we needed was LDAP, not Active Directory in the traditional sense. Just something that could respond to a bind request and validate passwords that already existed in Azure AD. That pointed us to Azure AD Domain Services. So, what is Azure’s AD DS?
What is Azure AD Domain Services?
Azure AD Domain Services (Azure AD DS) is Microsoft’s way of giving you the parts of Active Directory that legacy systems still expect without forcing you to build or maintain domain controllers.
When you enable it, Microsoft stands up two managed domain controllers inside your chosen Azure virtual network. You can’t RDP into them, patch them, or change their schema. They just exist, quietly providing LDAP, Kerberos, and NTLM.
That’s the entire draw: a read-only, managed domain that syncs from your Azure AD tenant. When a user resets their password in Azure AD, that hash syncs down to Azure AD DS so older systems can authenticate it.
It’s not the same thing as Azure AD. Azure AD DS exposes the traditional domain protocols that cloud-only Azure AD never had. You can bind to it with LDAP, join Windows VMs to the domain, and even apply Group Policy Objects.
But there are limits worth knowing early. You can’t extend the schema. You can’t create or edit users directly with ADUC, the objects are synchronized one-way from Azure AD. Forest and domain trusts are unsupported, so it stands alone. Replication is handled entirely by Microsoft and runs on their schedule, not yours.
If you’re thinking of it as “Active Directory in the cloud,” that’s close enough for function but wrong in control. It’s closer to “a read-only mirror of Azure AD that speaks old protocols.”
For teams like ours, that was perfect. We didn’t want the overhead of managing AD. We just needed LDAP to exist long enough for the Meraki RADIUS server to point at something that could actually answer.
Why a cloud-native org might still need it
If you start in the cloud, Active Directory sounds like something you escaped from. You’ve got Azure AD for identity, Entra ID for MFA, and Intune for device management, everything’s tidy until you run into gear that doesn’t understand any of it.
That’s where the problem hides. Legacy protocols didn’t retire when we moved to the cloud. Printers, VPN clients, even network appliances like Meraki still expect LDAP or Kerberos to confirm a user exists. Azure AD doesn’t provide either. It speaks modern OAuth and SAML, great for browsers, useless for RADIUS.
In our case, the Meraki firewall was doing its job. It could handle RADIUS authentication, but it needed a directory to check against. We pointed it at Azure AD and got nothing. Meraki expected LDAP; Azure AD offered tokens. Different worlds.
Azure AD Domain Services bridged that gap neatly. Once it was running, we could bind the Meraki RADIUS server directly to the managed domain using LDAP over SSL. No extra domain controllers. No sync tools. Just credentials that matched the same users already living in Azure AD.
The benefit wasn’t only the VPN fix. Azure AD DS opened up old SMB file shares, on-prem accounting apps, and one ancient label printer server that refused to die. Anything that needed to see “DOMAIN\username” finally had somewhere to look.
We didn’t bring Active Directory back from the dead, we just gave the ghosts of LDAP and NTLM a place to live that didn’t need babysitting.
Setup decisions and things that stalled us
When we decided to spin up Azure AD Domain Services, the wizard made it look easy, pick a resource group, choose a network, and wait. The waiting part wasn’t optional.
Azure AD DS takes a while to build. About forty-five minutes after deployment, the domain name resolved, but LDAP wasn’t answering yet. Microsoft handles replication behind the scenes, so all you can do is watch the portal and drink coffee. The service eventually wakes up, but it’s a quiet kind of delay that catches people off guard.
We tied it into an existing virtual network where our jump host lived. That vNet had subnets for servers and management tools, but no DNS server configured. Azure AD DS creates its own DNS, and here’s the catch: every VM that needs to talk to it must use its private IPs as DNS. Ours were 10.x.x.4 and 10.x.x.5, automatically assigned inside the vNet. Forgetting that step means your domain join will hang forever at “locating domain controller.”
The next tripwire was password hashes. Azure AD doesn’t store NTLM hashes unless you enable that sync for Domain Services. When you first turn on AD DS, users need to reset their passwords before they can authenticate through LDAP or Kerberos. The portal explains this in one small note, which most people skim. We learned the hard way, nobody could log in until they changed passwords.
Once DNS was right and passwords synced, domain join worked like it used to. From the jump box:
No special parameters, no magic. The VM rebooted, grabbed a GPO, and joined the managed domain.
One last surprise: Azure AD DS doesn’t live on public IPs. Everything that touches it, servers, RADIUS, management VMs, must exist inside or be peered to the same vNet. That meant moving our RADIUS instance closer, network-wise, to keep LDAP traffic private and fast.
It wasn’t hard work, but it reminded us how much “simple” depends on wiring things the right way first.
What’s different about managing it
Once the domain started answering pings and LDAP binds, the real question was: how do you manage something you don’t control?
Azure AD Domain Services feels familiar at first. You can open Active Directory Users and Computers (ADUC), Group Policy Management Console (GPMC), and even AD Sites and Services from a domain-joined VM. But the difference shows up fast, it’s all read-only from Azure AD’s point of view.
You can’t make new users or edit synced ones inside ADUC. The data comes one way: Azure AD → Azure AD DS. Any changes flow down automatically, not up. The right place to create a new account is still the Entra (Azure AD) portal. The managed domain just receives a copy when synchronization runs.
Group Policy still works, but it’s scoped to the AADDC Computers and AADDC Users containers. There’s no organizational unit hierarchy beyond what Microsoft provides. You can create your own OUs under those if you need custom policies, but it’s best to keep it minimal. GPO replication is slower than you’d expect, usually a few minutes rather than seconds. Enough to wonder if it applied, not long enough to panic.
DNS management is handled inside the Azure portal. The domain creates an internal zone matching your AD DS domain name. You can add or modify records, but Microsoft owns the root of that zone. If you need conditional forwarders or split-brain setups, you handle that in your own DNS server, not theirs.
From a backup and uptime standpoint, it’s completely hands-off. Microsoft maintains two domain controllers behind the service, replicating automatically across zones in the selected region. There’s no RDP access, no snapshots, and no patch windows to plan. You give up visibility in exchange for reliability, and for most small or hybrid environments, that’s a fair deal.
The adjustment was mostly mental. After years of scripting our own domain controllers, it felt odd to trust a directory we couldn’t touch. But the logs told the truth: LDAP binds were succeeding, Kerberos tickets were valid, and RADIUS requests from the Meraki box were authenticating just fine.
Sometimes the best kind of admin work is the one that doesn’t need you anymore.
Why this didn’t mean ‘going back on-prem’
After Azure AD DS was running and the RADIUS server finally answered a test request, someone joked that we’d rebuilt Active Directory in the cloud. It wasn’t wrong, but it missed the point.
We didn’t resurrect on-prem AD. We just rented the only pieces we still needed: LDAP and Kerberos. No domain controllers to patch, no replication errors, no SYSVOL eating itself on a Friday. Microsoft runs the plumbing, we just point systems at it.
That small distinction mattered. The Meraki VPN clients could now use the same usernames and passwords that Azure AD handled for everything else. The accounting share mounted without a service account buried in a batch file. Legacy systems got to stay alive while we planned their replacements.
For a company that started cloud-first, Azure AD Domain Services wasn’t a step backward, it was a bridge. It gave the network just enough “old” behavior to keep RADIUS and LDAP-bound devices working, without dragging a full domain back into maintenance.
There’s still a line between the new world and the old one, but now it’s clean. The VPN connects. The logs stay quiet. And nobody’s asked for a physical domain controller since.
What can we learn as a person
So, I have 7 Doom boxes. What’s a doom box you ask? It’s a box that you throw something into and you forget about it. They are not cool. They build up over time and then you take a weekend to clean them out. This is kind of how servers can be over time. I have seen environments with 3000 servers but only needed 7 of them. While I have seen some with 300 and needed all 300. Knowing what to keep and what not to keep is so important, especially for our mental health. The Ad ds takes the load of active directory off of us and takes it to the cloud where it’s more manageable. We have so many things in our life that we should do that with. But what are they? What is your AD DS? What should you be off loading to others?
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