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Updated September 17, 2026: We have updated the content and timeline. Thank you for your patience.
What and why
Microsoft Purview Data Lifecycle Management now allows admins to archive OneDrive and SharePoint files based on retention policies. This helps organizations reduce storage costs by moving inactive content to Microsoft 365 Archive while maintaining compliance and discoverability. Archived content is excluded from Copilot indexing, which can improve the relevance of Copilot responses by focusing results on current, active data.
Rollout schedule
General Availability (GCC, GCC High, DoD): Beginning in early October 2026 (previously mid-September 2026September) and expected to complete by early November 2026 (previously late September 2026September)
Impact on your organization
Who is affected
Platforms and services
What will happen
Action required and recommendations
No immediate action is required. To prepare for and take advantage of this feature, we recommend that you:
Learn more: Configure Microsoft 365 retention settings to automatically retain or delete content | Microsoft Learn
Compliance considerations
| Question | Answer |
| Does the change store new customer data, and if so where, is it cached or permanently stored? | Files moved by retention policies are relocated to Microsoft 365 Archive storage, a distinct storage tier, and are stored there until restored or otherwise actioned. |
| Does the change alter how existing customer data is processed, stored, or accessed? | Archived files move out of active storage into Microsoft 365 Archive, changing how those files are stored and accessed going forward. |
| Does the change introduce or significantly modify AI/ML or agent capabilities that interact with or provide access to customer data? | Archived content is excluded from Copilot indexing, which changes what data Copilot can access and surface in responses. |
| Does the change modify, interrupt, or disable Purview capabilities such as retention policies, holds, or eDiscovery? | Retention policies gain a new archive action, and archived files remain subject to eDiscovery, extending existing retention and discovery workflows. |
What and why
Microsoft Purview Data Lifecycle Management now allows admins to archive OneDrive and SharePoint files based on retention policies. This helps organizations reduce storage costs by moving inactive content to Microsoft 365 Archive while maintaining compliance and discoverability. Archived content is excluded from Copilot indexing, which can improve the relevance of Copilot responses by focusing results on current, active data.
Rollout schedule
General Availability (GCC, GCC High, DoD): Beginning in mid-September 2026 and expected to complete by late September 2026
Impact on your organization
Who is affected
Platforms and services
What will happen
Action required and recommendations
No immediate action is required. To prepare for and take advantage of this feature, we recommend that you:
Learn more: Configure Microsoft 365 retention settings to automatically retain or delete content | Microsoft Learn
Compliance considerations
| Question | Answer |
| Does the change store new customer data, and if so where, is it cached or permanently stored? | Files moved by retention policies are relocated to Microsoft 365 Archive storage, a distinct storage tier, and are stored there until restored or otherwise actioned. |
| Does the change alter how existing customer data is processed, stored, or accessed? | Archived files move out of active storage into Microsoft 365 Archive, changing how those files are stored and accessed going forward. |
| Does the change introduce or significantly modify AI/ML or agent capabilities that interact with or provide access to customer data? | Archived content is excluded from Copilot indexing, which changes what data Copilot can access and surface in responses. |
| Does the change modify, interrupt, or disable Purview capabilities such as retention policies, holds, or eDiscovery? | Retention policies gain a new archive action, and archived files remain subject to eDiscovery, extending existing retention and discovery workflows. |