Compliance Problems

How to Exclude Users from a Microsoft Teams Chat Retention Policy

Guest Writer Oct 7, 2026 870 views

Question details

The user needs to configure exclusions for specific users from an existing Microsoft Teams chat and Copilot retention policy.

How to Exclude Users from a Microsoft Teams Chat Retention Policy

Product: Microsoft Purview / Teams
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: An administrator is managing data compliance and needs to exempt certain users from standard Teams chat retention or deletion rules.
Observed behavior: The administrator requires the correct Microsoft Purview configurations or PowerShell cmdlets to successfully apply user exceptions without breaking the broader organizational policy.

Before you start

Ensure you have the appropriate Microsoft 365 administrator permissions, specifically the Compliance Administrator or Global Administrator role, before modifying retention policies in your organization.

Solution 1Recommended

Exclude Users via the Microsoft Purview Compliance Portal

The most user-friendly method is to use the web-based Purview portal to manually add user exclusions to an existing Teams chat retention policy.

Log into Microsoft Purview

Navigate to the Microsoft Purview compliance portal and log in using your global administrator or compliance administrator credentials.

Navigate to Retention Policies

On the left navigation pane, select 'Data lifecycle management' or 'Records management', then click on 'Policies' followed by 'Retention policies'.

Edit the Target Policy

Find and select the specific Teams chat retention policy you wish to modify, then click on the 'Edit' button to open the policy wizard.

Modify the Locations

Proceed through the wizard to the 'Locations' step. Locate the row for 'Teams chats' or 'Teams channel messages'.

Add User Exclusions

In the 'Excluded' column for the Teams chats location, click 'Edit'. Search for the specific users you want to exclude, add them to the list, and then click 'Done'.

Save and Submit

Review your changes on the final page of the wizard and click 'Submit' to apply the updated retention policy.

Exclude Users via the Microsoft Purview Compliance Portal

Solution 2

Exclude Users using Security and Compliance PowerShell

For bulk operations or advanced configurations, administrators can use PowerShell cmdlets to modify retention policy exclusions.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a Microsoft 365 Group to exclude users from a Teams chat retention policy?

Whether a group can be added directly depends on the specific retention policy type. Standard Teams chat retention policies typically require individual users to be added to the exclusion list rather than a broader Microsoft 365 group. Always check current Purview documentation for your specific policy version.

How long does it take for a retention policy exclusion to take effect?

Changes to Microsoft 365 retention policies, including newly added user exclusions, can take up to 24 hours to fully propagate across the environment and apply to the affected Teams chats.

Will excluding a user from a retention policy delete their existing chat history?

No. Excluding a user removes them from the automated retention or deletion rules defined by that specific policy. Their existing chat history will remain intact unless it is acted upon by a different active policy or deleted manually.

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