Compliance Problems

How to Manage Microsoft Purview Sensitivity Labels Approval and Reapplication

Maira Mehtab Sep 22, 2026 869 views

Question details

An organization needs to allow external users to access labeled files, mandate administrator approval before users can remove labels, and automatically reapply sensitivity labels after a specific time period.

Product: Microsoft Purview
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Managing enterprise data compliance and enforcing strict security protocols for document sharing with external partners.
Observed behavior: Seeking a built-in method to enforce admin approval for label downgrades and enable automatic time-based reapplication of labels, which are not currently supported by default.

Before you start

Ensure you have global administrator or compliance administrator permissions in the Microsoft 365 Purview compliance portal before attempting to modify sensitivity label policies.

Solution 1Recommended

Require Justification and Monitor Audit Events

Since Purview lacks a built-in admin approval workflow for every label removal, requiring user justification and actively monitoring audit logs is the recommended alternative.

Microsoft Purview does not currently support mandatory administrator approval for label removal. By forcing users to provide a reason for lowering or removing a label, you add a layer of accountability that can be reviewed by security teams.

Require justification in label policies

Navigate to the Microsoft Purview compliance portal, go to 'Information Protection' > 'Label policies', select your policy, and edit the settings to check the box for 'Require users to provide a justification if they remove a label or lower its classification'.

Monitor audit logs

Access the 'Audit' section in the Purview portal and search for activities related to 'Changed sensitivity label' or 'Removed sensitivity label' to regularly review user justifications.

Set up automated alerts

Use Microsoft Defender or Purview alert policies to trigger automated email notifications to administrators whenever a highly sensitive label is downgraded or removed.

Solution 2

Use Auto-labeling Policies for Content Protection

To compensate for the inability to automatically reapply labels based on a time period, use auto-labeling policies to continuously enforce protection based on sensitive content.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I force admin approval before a user removes a Microsoft Purview sensitivity label?

No, Microsoft Purview does not currently offer a built-in feature to enforce administrator approval for label removal. The recommended workaround is to edit your label policy to require user justification and actively monitor the audit logs for compliance.

Is there a way to automatically reapply a sensitivity label after a certain time limit?

Purview does not support automatic time-based reapplication of labels. Administrators should instead rely on auto-labeling policies that continuously scan file contents and apply appropriate labels when sensitive data is detected.

How do external users access files protected by sensitivity labels?

External users can access labeled files provided the label's permissions are configured to allow their specific email addresses or domains. Additionally, leveraging Azure Active Directory B2B collaboration can streamline external access to protected content.

Microsoft Office Security Issues