MC1245216 - Targeted file and folder restores in Microsoft 365 Backup
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Summary
Microsoft 365 Backup will enable admins to browse, search, and restore individual files or folders from SharePoint and OneDrive restore points starting early 2026. This granular restore reduces recovery time, requires the SharePoint Backup Administrator role, and respects existing backup policies without impacting users.
More information
Introduction
Microsoft is introducing granular restore capabilities in Microsoft 365 Backup, allowing administrators to browse, search, and restore individual files or folders from restore points for protected SharePoint sites and OneDrive accounts. This update helps organizations reduce recovery time and operational impact by restoring only the content that is needed.
Screenshot: Select the granular restore path when restoring content from a SharePoint site or OneDrive account
This message is associated with Roadmap ID 464991.
When this will happen:
- Public Preview (Worldwide): We will begin rolling out in early March 2026 and expect to complete by mid-March 2026.
- General Availability (Worldwide): We will begin rolling out in late April 2026 and expect to complete by early May 2026.
How this affects your organization:
Who is affected:
- Microsoft 365 tenants with Microsoft 365 Backup enabled
- Admins responsible for SharePoint Online and OneDrive for Business data protection and recovery
What will happen:
- Admins will be able to browse and search restore points for protected SharePoint sites and OneDrive accounts.
- Admins will be able to restore individual files or folders instead of restoring entire sites or drives.
- Only admins assigned the SharePoint Backup Administrator role can perform granular restore operations for SharePoint sites and OneDrive accounts.
- Existing Microsoft 365 Backup protection policies and restore points are respected.
- This feature is available only to tenants with Microsoft 365 Backup enabled.
- There is no direct impact to users; restore operations remain admin‑initiated.
What you can do to prepare:
- No action is required to receive this feature.
- Review your current Microsoft 365 Backup coverage for SharePoint and OneDrive to ensure critical workloads are protected.
- Familiarize backup administrators with the granular restore experience once Public Preview begins.
- Update internal recovery procedures or runbooks to include file- and folder-level restore scenarios.
- Inform helpdesk or IT operations teams when granular restores may be appropriate instead of full restores.
Learn more: Restore data in Microsoft 365 Backup | Microsoft Learn
Compliance considerations:
| Question | Explanation |
| Does the change alter how existing customer data is processed, stored, or accessed? | This feature introduces a new method for admins to access existing Microsoft 365 Backup restore points at a more granular level (file or folder), without changing where or how backup data is stored. |
| Does the change alter how admins can monitor, report on, or demonstrate compliance activities? | Restore operations continue to be auditable, and the scope of restore actions becomes more granular, which may be reflected in audit and operational review scenarios. |
| Does the change modify how users can access, export, delete, or correct their personal data (GDPR Data Subject Rights)? | Admins gain finer control to restore specific files or folders containing personal data when responding to recovery, correction, or remediation scenarios. |