Microsoft 365 Auto-Expanding Archive Storage Limits Explained
Question details
The user wants to understand the storage capacity limits and behavior of the Auto-Expanding Archive feature in Microsoft 365.
- Product
- Microsoft 365 Exchange Online
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Administrators or users verifying mailbox archive capacities and quotas in an enterprise Exchange environment.
- Observed behavior
- When the feature is enabled, the archive mailbox capacity successfully increases beyond the standard 50 GB limit, reaching 100 GB or more without deleting old data.
Ensure you have administrative access to the Exchange admin center and verify that your organization's user accounts have the appropriate Exchange Online Archiving licenses assigned.
Verify License and Archive Quotas via Exchange Admin Center
Check if the Auto-Expanding Archive feature is correctly licensed and monitor current archive storage usage for specific users.
Depending on the assigned license (such as Business Basic with an add-on) and quota configuration, an archive can expand to 100 GB or more. You can verify these limits directly from the admin dashboard.
Navigate to the Microsoft 365 admin center and access the Exchange admin center using your global admin or Exchange administrator credentials.
Go to 'Recipients' and select 'Mailboxes'. Search for and click on the specific user's mailbox you wish to verify.
In the mailbox details pane, check the 'In-Place Archive' or 'Archive' section to confirm that it is enabled, and view the current storage usage compared to the 100 GB warning quota.
Enable Auto-Expanding Archiving using PowerShell
Use Exchange Online PowerShell commands to turn on the auto-expanding archive feature for your organization or individual mailboxes.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the maximum size of an auto-expanding archive?
Once auto-expanding archiving is turned on, the initial 50 GB limit is automatically expanded. The archive can grow in increments up to a total of 1.5 TB for qualifying enterprise licenses, with the initial warning quota often triggering at 100 GB.
Do I need a special license for Auto-Expanding Archives?
Yes, Auto-Expanding Archiving requires specific licenses. You typically need an Exchange Online Plan 2 license or a Microsoft 365 Business Basic/Standard license combined with an Exchange Online Archiving add-on.
Does the Auto-Expanding Archive delete my old emails to save space?
No, the auto-expanding archive feature provides additional storage capacity; it does not automatically delete your archived data. Email deletion is handled separately by your organization's custom retention policies.
