How to Update Microsoft 365 Retention Settings for Compliance Archiving

Last updated 7 months ago

Overview

Updating Microsoft 365 retention settings ensures email content is preserved for regulatory archiving. The steps below guide you through creating or updating a retention policy in Microsoft Purview so all Exchange mailboxes retain data for the required period and are accessible to Greenboard through the Microsoft Graph API.

Step 1: Open Microsoft Purview and Navigate to Data Lifecycle Management

In the Microsoft 365 Admin Center, select Compliance to launch Purview.

From the left menu, choose Data Lifecycle Management.

Select Policies, then Retention Policies.

Step 2: Create or Edit a Retention Policy

To update an existing policy, select it from the list and open the settings.

To create a new policy, select New Retention Policy.

Step 3: Name the Policy

Enter a clear policy name such as Email Archiving Policy.

Add a description if helpful for internal reference.

Select Next.

Step 4: Choose the Policy Type

Select Static.

This allows you to directly specify which locations the policy covers.

Step 5: Set the Retention Settings

Choose Retain items for a specific period.

Select 7 years or your required regulatory timeframe.

Set the retention period to start based on When items were created.

At the end of the retention period, select Do nothing.

This ensures archived content remains available for Greenboard capture even after the retention window ends.

Select Next.

Step 6: Apply the Policy to Exchange Mailboxes

Under Locations, confirm Exchange mailboxes is turned on and set to All Recipients.

Select Next.

Step 7: Review and Finish

Review your settings.

Select Submit.

*Microsoft notes it can take up to one week for the policy to fully apply across all mailboxes.

Why This Matters

These retention settings ensure Microsoft preserves all mailbox content for the duration required under FINRA and SEC rules. Once enabled, Greenboard can capture and supervise retained data through the Microsoft Graph API connection by following these instructions.