Retention Labels for Exceptions to Retention Policies

Overview

Retention labels in Microsoft 365 allow organizations to manage exceptions to retention policies by applying customized retention settings to individual items (e.g., specific documents or emails). While retention policies apply broadly at the container level (like entire SharePoint sites or mailboxes), retention labels offer granular control over particular content, ensuring that specific items follow different retention rules when needed.

When to Use Retention Labels

• Override retention policies: Apply a longer or different retention period for specific items. Example: Most documents on a SharePoint site follow a 3-year retention policy, but contract documents need to be retained for 7 years. A retention label can ensure these contracts remain accessible beyond the default policy period.

• Prevent automatic deletion: Use labels to override automatic deletion at the end of a retention period.

• Apply different deletion periods: Assign shorter or longer deletion periods based on business needs.

Retention labels also offer additional capabilities such as event-based retention and disposition reviews, which are not available with standard retention policies.

Creating Retention Labels: Steps and Guidelines

1. Access the Portal: Use either the Microsoft Purview portal or Microsoft Purview compliance portal.

   • Purview Portal: Navigate to Data Lifecycle Management > Retention labels.

   • Compliance Portal: Solutions > Data lifecycle management > Microsoft 365 > Labels tab.

2. Create the Label:

   • Select Create a label and follow the prompts.

   • Choose the label name carefully—it cannot be changed after saving.

   • Configure retention settings, such as how long to retain the item or when to delete it.

   • Save the label (you can publish or auto-apply it later).

3. Editing Labels:

   • Some settings can be edited after creation, including label descriptions and retention periods.

   • However, key settings like the label name and core retention logic cannot be changed after saving.

Next Steps: Applying Retention Labels

Once created, retention labels can be applied in one of two ways:

• Manual Publication: Make the label available for users to apply directly within apps (e.g., SharePoint, OneDrive).

• Auto-application: Configure rules to apply labels automatically based on content conditions (e.g., keywords or sensitive data).

Tip for High-Value Records

For managing high-value business or legal records, create retention labels through the Records Management solution instead of Data Lifecycle Management. This allows for advanced options like event-based retention and disposition reviews.