Configuration Profiles in Endpoint Manager (Intune) Explained
Updated: Jun 24
Rather than define configuration profiles, I'll explain what they do. Configuration profiles allow you, the Endpoint Manager Admin, to send configurations or settings to your end users' devices, allowing you to manage, configure, and secure them. Microsoft provides an in-depth article on creating configuration profiles; click here to learn more.
Configuration Profiles are available for all main device operating systems including Windows, macOS, iOS/iPadOS, Android, and Linux. You can either manage each operating system's config profiles separately under the By platform section or you can manage all of them together under the Manage devices section (see below):
Configuration Profile Types
When creating a configuration profile, you are presented with two types (see below):
Settings Catalog: allows you to select one or multiple individual settings to configure and deploy for that OS; use this type to build out a custom policy
Template: allows you to select from a list of templates that each contain a preconfigured group of related settings
Configuration Profiles for Windows Devices
Configuration Profiles for Windows devices are comparable to Group Policy Objects deployed through the Group Policy Management Console in an AD DS environment. If you are familiar with GPOs, you will feel right at home with configuration profiles.
What are Administrative Templates?
Remember that there are two config profile types: setting catalog and template. If template is chosen, you will see Administrative templates as an option in the drop-down list.
Administrative templates are preconfigured templates that use ADMX (Administrative Templates that use XML) files to modify registry entries. Working with Administrative Templates is very similar to working with GPOs; the structure and settings are practically the same. There are Computer Configurations and User Configurations the same as Group Policy (see below):
