SharePoint Document Issues

How to Show Missing Information Management Policy Settings in SharePoint

Khadija Khan Sep 28, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user needs to locate and display the Information Management Policy Settings in a SharePoint document library.

How to Show Missing Information Management Policy Settings in SharePoint

Product: SharePoint
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Configuring document retention and management permissions within a SharePoint library.
Observed behavior: The Information Management Policy Settings option is missing from the Permission and Management section.

Before you start

Ensure you have Site Owner or Site Collection Administrator permissions, as enabling the necessary publishing infrastructure requires elevated access.

Solution 1Recommended

Enable the SharePoint Server Publishing Infrastructure Feature

Activating this site collection feature restores the missing Information Management Policy Settings option.

In modern SharePoint environments, classic policy settings are sometimes hidden until the publishing infrastructure is activated.

Access Site Settings

Navigate to your SharePoint site. Click on the gear icon in the top right corner, select 'Site Information', and then click on 'View all site settings'.

Navigate to Site Collection Features

Look for the 'Site Collection Administration' section. Click on the 'Site Collection Features' link.

Activate the Infrastructure

Scroll down the list until you find 'SharePoint Server Publishing Infrastructure'. Click the 'Activate' button next to it. It may take a few moments to process.

Enable the SharePoint Server Publishing Infrastructure Feature

Permission Required: If you do not see 'Site Collection Administration' options, you lack the necessary permissions. Ask your site owner or IT administrator to perform these steps for you.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why are Information Management Policy Settings missing by default?

In modern SharePoint, Microsoft emphasizes Purview retention labels over classic information management policies. Consequently, the legacy settings require enabling the Publishing Infrastructure to appear.

Do I need to activate this on every subsite?

No. The SharePoint Server Publishing Infrastructure is a Site Collection-level feature. Once activated by an administrator, it applies to all subsites within that specific site collection.

Can I set document policies without enabling this feature?

Yes. Instead of using the classic policy settings, administrators can use the Microsoft 365 Compliance Center (Microsoft Purview) to apply modern retention labels and policies to libraries.

Document & File Issues