# Microsoft Teams Retention Policy Configuration in Microsoft Purview

Field	Details
Document Type	Microsoft Teams Retention Policy Configuration in Microsoft Purview
Applies To	Microsoft Purview & Microsoft Teams
Audience	MS Teams Administrator / IT Engineer
Author	AK. Udofeh
Last Updated	June 2026

##### **Overview** This configuration implements a Microsoft Teams retention policy using Microsoft Purview Data Lifecycle Management to automatically retain and delete Teams chat and channel messages after a defined retention period. The policy helps organisations: • Align with data governance and retention requirements • Reduce unnecessary long-term data storage • Support GDPR data minimisation principles This implementation applies retention to: • Teams 1:1 chats • Teams group chats • Teams meeting chats • Teams channel messages Once the retention period expires, messages are automatically deleted and are no longer recoverable through standard user access or Data Subject Access Requests (DSARs). ##### **Prerequisites** **Required licensing:** • Microsoft 365 A3/A5 or E3/E5 equivalent licensing • Microsoft Purview Data Lifecycle Management access **Required roles and permissions:** • Compliance Administrator or • Purview Data Lifecycle Management Administrator **Dependencies:** • Microsoft Teams enabled in tenant • Microsoft Exchange Online enabled • Microsoft Purview portal access **Preparation tasks:** • Review existing retention and eDiscovery policies • Confirm no conflicting legal hold requirements exist • Prepare user communications prior to go-live ##### **Step 1: Access Microsoft Purview** 1. Open the Microsoft Purview portal: [https://purview.microsoft.com](https://purview.microsoft.com/) 2. Sign in using an administrative account with appropriate permissions. 3. From the left-hand navigation pane, select: Solutions > Data lifecycle management > Retention policies 4. Select: - New retention policy ##### **Step 2: Configure Policy Scope** 1. Enter a policy name. Recommended naming convention: Teams Chat Retention – 2 Years *(enter the number of years that Teams messages will be retained before deletion.)* 2. Optionally provide a description including: • Business justification • Approval reference • RFC number • Implementation date Example: Retains Teams chat and channel messages for 2 years in alignment with institutional data retention policy. 3. Select: Static 4. Continue to location configuration. ##### **Step 3: Target Resources / Components** Select the following Microsoft 365 locations: ✅ Teams chats ✅ Teams channel messages **Recommended scope:** • All users (enterprise-wide deployment) **Optional phased rollout:** • Select specific pilot users or groups during testing phase

**Important:**

This configuration targets: • Teams 1:1 chats • Group chats • Meeting chats • Channel conversations **This policy does NOT apply to:** • Teams meeting recordings • SharePoint files • OneDrive files • Email retention These workloads require separate retention policies. ##### **Step 4: Configure Retention Settings** 1. Choose: Retain items for a specific period 2. Configure retention duration: 2 Years 3. Start retention based on: When items were created **Recommended rationale:** Using creation date ensures predictable and consistent lifecycle management and prevents indefinite retention caused by message edits. 4. After the retention period: Delete items automatically 5. Review the policy summary carefully before proceeding. **Recommended configuration:** • Retain content for 2 years • Automatically delete after expiry ##### **Step 5: Access Control / Enforcement** Policy enforcement is handled automatically by Microsoft Purview once deployed. Important operational notes: • Users cannot bypass centrally managed retention settings • Messages deleted after expiry are permanently removed from standard access • eDiscovery or Litigation Hold policies override deletion where applicable Why this matters: This ensures: • Consistent organisational retention enforcement • Reduced data sprawl • Improved compliance posture • Controlled information lifecycle management ##### **Step 6: Testing / Report Mode** Recommended safe rollout approach: **Phase 1: Pilot Deployment** 1. Deploy policy to: • IT administrators • Small pilot group • Test accounts 2. Validate: • Messages remain accessible during retention period • Older content is identified correctly • No unexpected user impact occurs 3. Perform test exports using Microsoft Purview eDiscovery. ##### **Validate:** • Teams chats can be searched • Export formats are usable • Retention scope behaves as expected Suggested test scenarios: • 1:1 chat retention • Group chat retention • Meeting chat retention • eDiscovery export validation Important: Retention processing may take several days to fully apply due to Microsoft background processing. ##### **Step 7: Monitoring & Validation** Monitoring locations: Microsoft Purview Portal: **Solutions > Data lifecycle management > Retention policies** Validation checks: • Policy status shows enabled • Locations are correctly assigned • No policy errors present Additional monitoring: • Review Purview audit logs • Validate Teams message lifecycle behaviour • Confirm retention processing completion Expected behaviour: • Messages older than retention threshold become unavailable • Users lose access to expired messages • Content becomes unavailable through standard retrieval methods Troubleshooting indicators: • Policy not applying after several days • Users outside expected scope • Retention conflicts with existing compliance policies ##### **Step 8: Enforcement / Go-Live** 1. Expand policy scope to all required users. 2. Confirm organisational communications have been issued. ##### **Important Considerations** • Teams chat retention does not automatically apply to Teams meeting recordings • Recordings stored in OneDrive or SharePoint require separate retention configuration • Deleted messages cannot be recovered once permanently removed • Data Subject Access Requests cannot retrieve deleted content after retention expiry • Litigation Hold or eDiscovery Hold overrides retention deletion • Retention processing is not immediate and may take several days **Potential operational impact:** • Users may lose access to historical conversations • Teams should not be used as a long-term records repository **Operational recommendations:** • Store important records in SharePoint or approved document systems • Avoid relying on Teams chat for permanent record keeping • Validate eDiscovery export functionality periodically ##### **Summary** This implementation deploys a Microsoft Teams retention policy through Microsoft Purview to retain Teams chat and channel messages for a defined period before automatic deletion. **The policy supports:** • Data minimisation • Compliance requirements • Reduced long-term data exposure • Consistent lifecycle management across collaboration platforms Once enforced, Teams chat content exceeding the retention period is automatically and permanently deleted in accordance with organisational policy.