Compliance Problems

Fix New-ComplianceSearchAction Purge Completes but Emails Remain

Tauseeq Magsi Sep 28, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user ran a Microsoft Purview compliance search purge that shows as complete, but the targeted emails are still visible in user mailboxes.

Fix New-ComplianceSearchAction Purge Completes but Emails Remain

Product: Microsoft Purview / Exchange Online
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: An administrator is attempting to purge suspicious emails across the organization using the New-ComplianceSearchAction PowerShell cmdlet.
Observed behavior: The purge command reports successful completion, but the messages remain undeleted due to asynchronous processing delays, incorrect scoping, or built-in deletion limits.

Before you start

Ensure you are assigned the 'Search And Purge' management role in the Microsoft Purview compliance portal and are successfully connected to Exchange Online PowerShell.

Solution 1Recommended

Verify Purge Status and Command Syntax

Check the detailed status of the purge action and ensure the correct parameters were executed for a hard deletion.

Because compliance search purges operate asynchronously, the initial command may return immediately while the actual deletion happens in the background. It is critical to monitor the detailed status and verify your parameters.

Check detailed action status

Run the command `Get-ComplianceSearchAction -Identity "suspicious emails-3_Purge" | Format-List` in Exchange Online PowerShell to view the real-time progress of the purge.

Verify the purge type

Ensure your original command included the `-PurgeType HardDelete` parameter, e.g., `New-ComplianceSearchAction -SearchName "suspicious emails-3" -Purge -PurgeType HardDelete`.

Allow time for asynchronous processing

Wait a few hours for the backend processing to complete. Even if the status says 'Completed', it can take additional time to reflect in end-user mailboxes depending on server load.

Solution 2

Review Mailbox Holds and Purge Limits

Investigate if retention policies, litigation holds, or system limitations are preventing the emails from being deleted.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does the compliance search purge take so long to delete emails?

The New-ComplianceSearchAction purge operates asynchronously in the background. Processing speed depends on the size of the tenant, the number of mailboxes involved, and overall Microsoft server load, which can sometimes delay results by several hours.

How many emails can I delete at once using New-ComplianceSearchAction?

Microsoft imposes a hard limit of 10 items per mailbox per purge action. If a specific user received 15 suspicious emails, the command will only delete 10, and you will need to re-run the purge command to clear the remaining 5.

What is the difference between SoftDelete and HardDelete in compliance purge?

SoftDelete removes the item from the user's view and places it in the Recoverable Items folder where it can still be restored. HardDelete permanently purges the item from the mailbox entirely, provided the mailbox is not under a Litigation Hold.

Why did my hard delete fail to permanently remove an email?

If a mailbox is subject to a Litigation Hold, In-Place Hold, or a strict Microsoft 365 retention policy, immutable data rules override the hard delete command. The email will remain in the Purges or Recoverable Items subfolder for eDiscovery purposes.

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