SharePoint Document Issues

How to See Who Accessed an MSG Email File in SharePoint

Phi Hung Vo Sep 25, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user wants to find out how to view access logs or viewer information for an .msg email file stored in SharePoint.

How to See Who Accessed an MSG Email File in SharePoint

Product: SharePoint Online
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Attempting to track which users have viewed or accessed a specific .msg email file within a SharePoint document library.
Observed behavior: SharePoint Online does not display the standard "Who has viewed" information for .msg files, unlike supported documents such as Word, Excel, and PDF files.

Before you start

Verify your administrative privileges, as you will need Site Administrator permissions for general usage stats or Tenant Administrator access to search comprehensive audit logs.

Solution 1Recommended

Search Microsoft Purview Audit Logs

This is the most accurate method to track specific file access events for .msg files, requiring Tenant Administrator permissions.

Since SharePoint does not natively show viewer information for .msg files in the file properties, tenant administrators can use the centralized audit logging provided by Microsoft Purview to find exact access events.

Log into Microsoft Purview

Navigate to https://purview.microsoft.com/ in your web browser and sign in using your Tenant Administrator credentials.

Access the Audit Search tool

In the Microsoft Purview portal, locate and click on the 'Audit' section from the navigation menu.

Configure search parameters

Set the date and time range for your search. In the 'Activities' dropdown, select file access events (such as 'Accessed file'). In the 'File, folder, or site' field, enter the exact name or URL of the .msg file.

Run and review the search

Click 'Search' to generate the report. Once completed, you can view or export the results to see exactly which users accessed the .msg file and when.

Audit Log Availability: Audit availability and the duration logs are retained depend entirely on your organization's Microsoft 365 licensing and tenant configuration.

Solution 2

Review SharePoint Site Usage Reports

If you are a Site Administrator without full tenant admin rights, you can check general site usage to get a broader overview of file activity.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why doesn't SharePoint display the 'Who has viewed' info for MSG files?

SharePoint Online's built-in file viewer analytics are optimized primarily for standard Microsoft Office file types (like Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and PDFs. Email files (.msg) are not natively supported by this specific analytics feature.

Who can access the Microsoft Purview audit logs?

Accessing Microsoft Purview audit logs requires specific administrative permissions. Typically, you must be a Tenant Administrator or be assigned a specific compliance/audit role within your Microsoft 365 organization.

How long are audit logs kept in Microsoft Purview?

The retention period for audit logs depends on your Microsoft 365 license (such as E3 or E5) and how your organization's retention policies are configured. Typically, standard logs are retained for 90 to 180 days.

Document & File Issues