Metadata at Mar 25, 2026
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MC1261587 - Microsoft Purview | Data Lifecycle Management - Hard delete OneDrive and SharePoint files with priority cleanup workflow
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What changed since this version
Updated June 10, 2026: We have updated the timeline. Thank you for your patience.
Introduction
We are introducing a new priority cleanup workflow in Microsoft Purview Data Lifecycle Management that allows administrators to permanently delete (hard delete) specific OneDrive and SharePoint content types, even when retention policies or holds are in place. This capability helps reduce data exposure risk from rapidly growing Copilot-related content while maintaining compliance through required eDiscovery admin review and approval.
This change is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 558343.
When this will happen:
Public Preview: We will begin rolling out mid-July 2026 and expect to complete by late July 2026.
General Availability (Worldwide) Rollout begins early September 2026 (previously late May 2026May) and is expected to complete by mid-JuneSeptember 2026 (previously mid-June).
How this affects your organization:
Who is affected:
- Microsoft 365 administrators managing Microsoft Purview Data Lifecycle Management
- Organizations using OneDrive for Business and SharePoint Online with retention policies or holds
What will happen:
- Admins can create a priority cleanup policy targeting specific content types in OneDrive and SharePoint.
- A new Delete data permanently option enables hard deletion of targeted items.
- Content deleted through this workflow is fully removed and is no longer discoverable in:
- SharePoint search
- Copilot experiences
- eDiscovery (after required approval)
- For content under hold, eDiscovery admin review and approval is required before deletion.
- This capability is not enabled by default and requires explicit admin configuration.
- There is no change to user workflows unless an admin configures and applies a priority cleanup policy.
What you can do to prepare:
- Review your organization’s data risk and retention strategy, especially for Copilot-generated content such as Teams transcripts.
- In Microsoft Purview, plan and configure a priority cleanup policy if permanent deletion is required for specific content types:
- Navigate to Microsoft Purview portal > Data Lifecycle Management > Priority cleanup.
- Create a new policy and select Delete data permanently in the policy settings.
- Ensure appropriate eDiscovery admin roles and approval processes are in place for content under hold.
- Update internal governance or compliance documentation to reflect this new deletion capability.
Learn more: Compare types of groups in Microsoft 365 - Microsoft 365 admin | Microsoft Learn
Compliance considerations:
| Compliance area | Explanation |
| Alteration of existing customer data processing | This change introduces a priority cleanup workflow that allows permanent deletion of specific OneDrive and SharePoint content types, even when retention policies or holds exist, subject to required approval. |
| eDiscovery or Content Search | Content deleted through the priority cleanup workflow is fully removed and no longer discoverable in eDiscovery or Content Search after eDiscovery admin review and approval for items under hold. |
| Retention policies, holds, or deletion workflows | Adds a new admin-controlled deletion workflow that can override standard retention outcomes through an approved hard-delete process. |
| Admin controls and compliance monitoring | The feature is managed by administrators in Microsoft Purview and includes review and approval steps that support compliance oversight and auditing. |
Snapshot from Mar 25, 2026
Introduction
We are introducing a new priority cleanup workflow in Microsoft Purview Data Lifecycle Management that allows administrators to permanently delete (hard delete) specific OneDrive and SharePoint content types, even when retention policies or holds are in place. This capability helps reduce data exposure risk from rapidly growing Copilot-related content while maintaining compliance through required eDiscovery admin review and approval.
This change is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 558343.
When this will happen:
General Availability (Worldwide) Rollout begins late May 2026 and is expected to complete by mid-June 2026.
How this affects your organization:
Who is affected:
- Microsoft 365 administrators managing Microsoft Purview Data Lifecycle Management
- Organizations using OneDrive for Business and SharePoint Online with retention policies or holds
What will happen:
- Admins can create a priority cleanup policy targeting specific content types in OneDrive and SharePoint.
- A new Delete data permanently option enables hard deletion of targeted items.
- Content deleted through this workflow is fully removed and is no longer discoverable in:
- SharePoint search
- Copilot experiences
- eDiscovery (after required approval)
- For content under hold, eDiscovery admin review and approval is required before deletion.
- This capability is not enabled by default and requires explicit admin configuration.
- There is no change to user workflows unless an admin configures and applies a priority cleanup policy.
What you can do to prepare:
- Review your organization’s data risk and retention strategy, especially for Copilot-generated content such as Teams transcripts.
- In Microsoft Purview, plan and configure a priority cleanup policy if permanent deletion is required for specific content types:
- Navigate to Microsoft Purview portal > Data Lifecycle Management > Priority cleanup.
- Create a new policy and select Delete data permanently in the policy settings.
- Ensure appropriate eDiscovery admin roles and approval processes are in place for content under hold.
- Update internal governance or compliance documentation to reflect this new deletion capability.
Learn more: Compare types of groups in Microsoft 365 - Microsoft 365 admin | Microsoft Learn
Compliance considerations:
| Compliance area | Explanation |
| Alteration of existing customer data processing | This change introduces a priority cleanup workflow that allows permanent deletion of specific OneDrive and SharePoint content types, even when retention policies or holds exist, subject to required approval. |
| eDiscovery or Content Search | Content deleted through the priority cleanup workflow is fully removed and no longer discoverable in eDiscovery or Content Search after eDiscovery admin review and approval for items under hold. |
| Retention policies, holds, or deletion workflows | Adds a new admin-controlled deletion workflow that can override standard retention outcomes through an approved hard-delete process. |
| Admin controls and compliance monitoring | The feature is managed by administrators in Microsoft Purview and includes review and approval steps that support compliance oversight and auditing. |