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How to Download More Than 90 Days of SharePoint Site Usage Data

Maira Mehtab Sep 20, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user wants to export SharePoint Site Usage metrics, specifically Unique Viewers and Average Time Spent per User, for a time period exceeding the default 90 days.

Product: Microsoft SharePoint Online
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Attempting to gather historical site analytics and user engagement reports for long-term tracking and organizational review.
Observed behavior: SharePoint Online's out-of-the-box usage reports restrict historical data downloads to a maximum of 90 days, preventing access to older metrics.

Before you start

Verify that you have Site Owner or Site Collection Administrator permissions, as these roles are strictly required to view and export analytics from the SharePoint Site Usage page.

Solution 1Recommended

Manually Archive 90-Day Usage Data on a Regular Schedule

Because SharePoint restricts historical data out-of-the-box, the most reliable method is to proactively export the available 90-day data at regular intervals to build your own long-term archive.

By establishing a routine export schedule, you can merge multiple 90-day reports over time into a single historical database for continuous analysis.

Access Site Usage Settings

Navigate to your SharePoint site homepage, click the Settings gear icon in the top right corner, and select 'Site usage' from the menu.

Export the Current Analytics

Scroll to the specific metrics you need, such as Unique Viewers or Average Time Spent per User, and click the 'Export' or download icon to save the current 90-day report as a CSV or Excel file.

Set a Recurring Reminder

Create a calendar reminder every 80 to 90 days to repeat this export process so you do not lose any continuous historical data before the rolling window closes.

Analytics Tools Alternative: For automated long-term archiving, consider evaluating approved Microsoft reporting tools like Microsoft 365 Usage Analytics via Power BI, which can store historical data beyond the basic SharePoint limits.

Solution 2

Submit a Feature Request on the SharePoint Feedback Portal

Since there is no built-in fix, joining the community in requesting this feature can influence Microsoft's future development priorities.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Manage and Analyze Your Exported SharePoint Data with WPS Office

After downloading your 90-day SharePoint usage CSV or Excel files, use WPS Spreadsheet to combine, analyze, and visualize your historical data. WPS Office is a highly compatible, free, and lightweight suite that provides all the robust data analysis tools you need.

1. Install the Software: Download and install the free WPS Office suite on your desktop or mobile device.
2. Import Your Data: Open WPS Spreadsheet and load your exported SharePoint site usage CSV or Excel files.
3. Merge and Analyze: Combine your quarterly reports into a master sheet and utilize built-in charting and Pivot Table tools to analyze viewer trends spanning multiple years.

Seamlessly opens and edits Microsoft Excel (.xlsx) and CSV formats exported directly from SharePoint.Easily compile multiple 90-day export files to track long-term usage trends.Lightweight architecture ensures fast and smooth processing of large analytics datasets.Free alternative with a highly familiar user interface and advanced pivot table features.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does SharePoint limit out-of-the-box site usage data to 90 days?

Microsoft limits the retention of detailed site analytics like unique viewers and average time spent to 90 days to optimize server performance and storage capacity within the standard SharePoint environment.

Can I recover SharePoint usage data older than 90 days if I forgot to export it?

No, once the rolling 90-day window has passed, the out-of-the-box metrics for that period are permanently removed from the standard reporting interface and cannot be recovered natively.

Do Microsoft 365 Admin Center reports provide more than 90 days of SharePoint data?

The standard Microsoft 365 Admin Center usage reports generally offer up to 180 days of activity data for overall site usage, but specific granular metrics like Average Time Spent per User on a site page may still be restricted.

Is it possible to automate the export of SharePoint usage data?

Yes, advanced users can utilize Microsoft Graph API or connect Power BI to Microsoft 365 Usage Analytics to automate data extraction and bypass the manual requirement of saving 90-day reports.

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