OneDrive File Issues

Can You Customize OneDrive Terminated User Deletion Emails in Microsoft 365?

Kushani Nimanthika Oct 14, 2026 870 views

Question details

Microsoft 365 administrators want to know if they can edit the text or add company branding to the automated email sent to managers before a terminated user's OneDrive account is deleted.

Can You Customize the OneDrive Terminated User Deletion Email?

Product: Microsoft OneDrive
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Administrators are configuring OneDrive cleanup and retention policies for departing employees and want to standardize automated communications.
Observed behavior: The system sends a generic automated cleanup email to the departed user's manager, but there is no obvious setting in the admin center to apply custom branding or modify the message text.

Before you start

Ensure you have SharePoint Administrator or Global Administrator permissions in Microsoft 365 to view and manage OneDrive retention and access delegation settings.

Solution 1Recommended

Manage Automated OneDrive Cleanup Settings

While direct customization of the email is not supported, administrators can manage how and when this automated notification is sent.

The notification email sent to a manager when a user is deleted from Microsoft 365 is generated automatically by the backend OneDrive cleanup process.

Currently, Microsoft does not provide a built-in option to customize the wording, alter the format, or add company branding to this specific automated message.

Review Default Retention Policies

Log in to the SharePoint admin center, navigate to 'Settings', and select 'Retention' under OneDrive to review or adjust how long files are kept before the final deletion process begins.

Check Access Delegation Settings

In the SharePoint admin center, verify if automatic access delegation is enabled. This setting dictates whether the manager automatically receives the standard email with a link to the departed user's files.

Manage Automated OneDrive Cleanup Settings

Workaround for Custom Messaging: If customized branding is strictly required by your organization, consider disabling the automatic access delegation. Administrators can then manually assign access and send customized emails to managers using a standard company template or Power Automate.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Who receives the automated email when a user's OneDrive is marked for deletion?

By default, the automated email is sent to the deleted user's manager, as defined in their Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure AD) profile. If no manager is specified, a secondary owner can be configured to receive the notification.

How long is a terminated user's OneDrive kept before permanent deletion?

The default retention period is 30 days after the Microsoft 365 user account is deleted. However, administrators can extend this period up to 3650 days (10 years) within the SharePoint admin center.

Can I completely stop the automated OneDrive deletion email from being sent?

Yes. You can disable the automatic access delegation feature in the SharePoint admin center. This prevents the system from automatically granting the manager access and stops the automated email from being sent.

Document & File Issues