Microsoft 365 Archive: file-level archiving public preview

🚨 The Signal: SharePoint now offers file-level archiving, moving individual files to low-cost storage while retaining metadata and permissions. This impacts data lifecycle management and storage costs, but archived files are excluded from Copilot and search.

The Impact

SharePoint administrators and users are affected by changes to data accessibility and discovery, with potential implications for data governance and eDiscovery.

• SharePoint Admins: New configuration options for data lifecycle and storage costs.
• Users: Archived files are not immediately accessible and excluded from Copilot/search.
• Security Teams: New considerations for eDiscovery and data availability.
• Compliance Teams: Review data retention policies for archived content.

The Action

1. Review Microsoft 365 Archive documentation for file-level archiving.
2. Assess current data retention policies against new archiving capabilities.
3. Plan for user communication regarding changes in file accessibility and Copilot/search behavior.
4. Consider enabling Microsoft 365 Archive and file-level archiving in a test environment.
5. Define clear policies for archiving and reactivation based on data sensitivity and business needs.

Domain: SharePoint · Impact: medium · Workload: SharePoint