Compliance Problems

How to Configure SharePoint Retention Features in Microsoft 365 Business Premium

Chanuka Geekiyanage Oct 10, 2026 868 views

Question details

Organizations need to determine if their Microsoft 365 Business Premium plan supports specific SharePoint retention policies and litigation holds, and understand the associated licensing requirements.

Configuring SharePoint Retention Features with Microsoft 365 Business Premium

Product: Microsoft 365 Business Premium
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Administrators are preparing to deploy data retention policies and litigation holds across organizational SharePoint sites.
Observed behavior: Users require clarification on whether compliance capabilities are included in their Business Premium tier and how these policies are applied and licensed.

Before you start

Ensure you have Global Administrator or Compliance Administrator privileges in your Microsoft 365 tenant to access the Microsoft Purview portal and modify organizational policies.

Solution 1Recommended

Verify Licensing and Configure Policies in Microsoft Purview

Microsoft 365 Business Premium includes specific retention capabilities that apply at the site level. You must verify administrative licensing and configure the rules within the Purview portal.

Retention policies for SharePoint apply to the entire site or specific content rather than to individual users. However, the administrators configuring these policies and the specific compliance features utilized may have distinct licensing requirements that must be met.

Review Licensing Terms

Before deploying any compliance feature, review the current Microsoft 365 licensing documentation for Business Premium to ensure your intended retention policies or litigation holds are fully covered for your administrators.

Access Microsoft Purview

Log in to the Microsoft 365 admin center, scroll down the left navigation pane, and select 'Compliance' to open the Microsoft Purview compliance portal.

Navigate to Data Lifecycle Management

In the Purview portal, go to 'Data lifecycle management' > 'Microsoft 365' in the left menu to view your existing retention policies.

Create a Retention Policy

Click 'New retention policy', name your policy, and select 'SharePoint sites' under the locations to apply the specific retention or deletion rules to the necessary content.

Verify Licensing and Configure Policies in Microsoft Purview

Site-Level Application: Because SharePoint retention rules are applied at the site level, any user adding content to that SharePoint site will have their data subjected to the retention policy automatically.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Do SharePoint retention policies apply to individual users or the whole site?

In Microsoft 365, SharePoint retention policies are applied at the site level. This means the rules govern the content stored within that specific SharePoint site, regardless of which individual user created or uploaded the document.

Can I use Litigation Hold with a Microsoft 365 Business Premium license?

Microsoft 365 Business Premium does include certain compliance and archiving features, but capabilities like core eDiscovery and specific litigation holds may require additional add-ons or careful verification of your current licensing terms in the Purview portal.

Where do I manage compliance features for Microsoft 365 Business Premium?

All compliance features, including data loss prevention (DLP), retention policies, and eDiscovery, are managed centrally through the Microsoft Purview compliance portal, accessible from the main Microsoft 365 admin center.

Are there separate licensing requirements for the administrator configuring retention policies?

Yes, Microsoft's licensing model often dictates that users who administer specific compliance policies, or benefit directly from advanced governance features, must hold the appropriate license that covers those capabilities.

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