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Purview retention policies explained

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Purview retention policies explained

How Microsoft Purview retention policies keep and delete content across Microsoft 365 — the model and the gotchas.

Solving Microsoft 365 · www.solvingmicrosoft365.com/guides/purview-retention-policies-explained

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What does a Purview retention policy do?

It keeps content for a set period even if users delete it, deletes it after the period, or both — applied automatically to whole locations (mailboxes, sites, OneDrive, Teams chat). Users see no difference; deleted items…

Solving Microsoft 365 · www.solvingmicrosoft365.com/guides/purview-retention-policies-explained

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What happens when retention policies conflict?

The principles of retention apply: retention wins over deletion, the longest retention period wins, explicit (labels, specific locations) wins over implicit (org-wide), and the shortest deletion period wins among deleti…

Solving Microsoft 365 · www.solvingmicrosoft365.com/guides/purview-retention-policies-explained

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Can users tell a retention policy is applied?

Not directly. Retention labels are visible on items and can be applied by users; retention policies are invisible. Users notice only when they cannot find a Teams message older than the deletion period, or when eDiscove…

Solving Microsoft 365 · www.solvingmicrosoft365.com/guides/purview-retention-policies-explained

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