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165: Custom Compliance Policies

Implementation Effort: High
User Impact: Low

Overview​

Custom compliance in Intune allows admins to evaluate device state using a script and a JSON rules file when a needed compliance signal is not available in the built-in policy templates. This is most often used to validate niche security settings or organization-specific configuration requirements.

Within Zero Trust, custom compliance should be used carefully: it can strengthen device trust decisions, but it also introduces code, maintenance, and support overhead that built-in compliance settings avoid.

Implementation Guidance​

Use built-in compliance first​

  • Exhaust built-in compliance settings before introducing custom rules so that reporting, supportability, and platform consistency remain as simple as possible.
  • Define exactly which device state must be measured, who owns the logic, and how quickly the rule must change when business requirements evolve.
  • Avoid custom signals that are easily spoofed or that rely on unstable local artifacts such as nonstandard file paths or unsupported registry assumptions.

Build and assign the custom rule​

  • Create a signed or otherwise governed discovery script that returns a clear, deterministic result for the target Windows devices.
  • Author the JSON rules file carefully and validate the expected compliant and noncompliant outcomes before wide assignment.
  • Deploy the custom compliance policy to a pilot group and confirm that the signal flows correctly into device compliance and any dependent Conditional Access policy.

Operate the custom control​

  • Version-control the script and rules file, and require peer review because errors can mark large device populations noncompliant.
  • Build a support runbook so administrators know how to troubleshoot script execution failures versus genuine noncompliance.
  • Retire custom rules when Intune adds equivalent built-in settings to reduce complexity over time.

Video Walkthrough​

Reference​