Compliance Problems

Can You Change the Retention Period for Microsoft Loop Components?

Chanuka Geekiyanage Sep 28, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user is looking for a way to adjust the retention period of Microsoft Loop components after noticing some previously created components have disappeared.

Can You Change the Retention Period for Microsoft Loop Components?

Product: Microsoft Loop
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: The user wants to recover disappeared Loop components and prevent future loss by extending or customizing the retention period.
Observed behavior: Loop components have vanished from their original locations, and there is no visible end-user setting within the Loop interface to change how long the content is retained.

Before you start

Before troubleshooting, ensure you have the correct permissions to view the underlying Microsoft 365 storage location (such as OneDrive or SharePoint) where the Loop components were originally created.

Solution 1Recommended

Check Microsoft 365 Storage and Consult Your IT Administrator

Since Microsoft Loop components do not have individual retention settings, you must check their underlying storage locations and your organization's Microsoft 365 policies.

Microsoft Loop components are stored as standard files (with .fluid or .loop extensions) in either the creator's OneDrive or the SharePoint site associated with the channel where they were generated. Because they are treated like regular files, their retention is entirely governed by your organization's global Microsoft 365 retention and deletion policies.

Locate the underlying file

Log into your Microsoft 365 account, go to OneDrive or SharePoint, and use the search bar to look for the Loop component by its title. You can also filter for files with a .loop or .fluid extension.

Check the Recycle Bin

If the component has completely disappeared, navigate to the OneDrive or SharePoint Recycle Bin to see if it was accidentally deleted by a collaborator. You can restore it directly from there.

Contact your IT administrator

Reach out to your organization's Microsoft 365 administrator. Ask them to verify the global compliance and retention policies applied to OneDrive and SharePoint, as these rules dictate exactly how long Loop files are kept before automatic deletion.

Submit feedback to Microsoft

Open the Microsoft Loop app, click on the 'Help and feedback' button, and submit a feature request asking for customizable end-user retention settings.

Check Microsoft 365 Storage and Consult Your IT Administrator

Administrator Controls: Only Microsoft 365 administrators with the appropriate permissions can adjust or override retention policies using the Microsoft Purview compliance portal.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Where are Microsoft Loop components actually stored?

Loop components created in Teams chat or Outlook are automatically stored in the creator's OneDrive folder. Components created within Teams channels are stored in the SharePoint site connected to that specific channel.

Can an end-user recover a deleted Loop component?

Yes, if the component was deleted recently, you can navigate to the specific OneDrive or SharePoint Recycle Bin where the file was originally stored and restore it, provided it hasn't exceeded the platform's recycle bin retention period.

Why did my Loop component suddenly disappear?

Loop components usually disappear due to accidental deletion by a team member, moving the underlying .loop file to a different folder, or because an organizational Microsoft 365 retention policy automatically purged the file after a specified timeframe.

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