No items were found for the Compliance Asset ID after an retention event creation sucess.

Question

I'm working on implementing a data deletion process using event-based retention labels in Microsoft Purview.

To trigger the retention event, I'm using a defined Compliance Asset ID. Here's what I'm observing:

• When I search in SharePoint, I can successfully retrieve items that have the correct Compliance Asset ID assigned.
• However, when I perform a Content Search using the same Compliance Asset ID, no results are returned. All sites in SharePoint are defined in Data Sources.
• As a result, when I created an event based on that Compliance Asset ID, no items are picked up. Keywords I have been tried: ComplianceAssetId:"Project2025End30D" ComplianceAssetId:Project2025End30D ComplianceAssetID:"Project2025End30D” ComplianceAssetID:Project2025End30D

Interestingly, when I use a custom property instead of the Compliance Asset ID:

• The Content Search still returns no results
• No data shows in the Event, but disposition process still being triggered

Does anyone know how to properly configure or troubleshoot this so that the Compliance Asset ID can successfully trigger the retention event?

Thanks

Answer 1

Hi @JD It looks like you're running into an issue where your Content Search isn't returning any results based on the Compliance Asset ID, even though you've already created a retention event. Here are a few things to check that might help troubleshoot the problem:

Compliance Asset ID Assignment Since you mentioned you're able to see the correct Compliance Asset ID on items in SharePoint, that’s a good start. Just make sure it's applied in a way that’s searchable ideally through a metadata field that can be indexed.

Content Search Syntax When running a Content Search, make sure you're using the correct syntax. You can use either of the following formats:

• ComplianceAssetId:Project2025End30D
• ComplianceAssetId:"Project2025End30D"

Both work, but the version with quotes is safer especially if your Asset ID includes spaces or special characters. Double-check for typos, smart (curly) quotes, or extra spaces even small formatting mistakes can prevent results from appearing.

1. Data Sources You've mentioned all SharePoint sites are already included in your Data Sources, which is great. Still, it's worth confirming that the specific content you're targeting is within those scopes and has been indexed properly.
2. Event and Label Configuration Make sure the event you created is using the exact event type that your retention label expects. If there’s a mismatch, even a small one, items won’t be picked up when the event is triggered.
3. Indexing & Processing Time There can be a delay after creating the event. Microsoft notes it can take up to 7 days for the event-based retention to fully take effect and start processing the relevant items.
4. Custom Properties If you're testing with a custom property (like a managed property or refinable string), make sure it's properly indexed and searchable. These properties need to be mapped correctly and tested with the right query syntax.
5. Disposition Review Even if Content Search and Event Status show zero items, if items appear in the Pending Disposition Review (e.g., 2 items), that confirms the retention is working.

References:

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/purview/auto-apply-retention-labels-scenario#generate-the-event-that-triggers-the-retention-period

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/purview/event-driven-retention#use-content-search-to-find-all-content-with-a-specific-label-or-asset-id

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/purview/event-driven-retention#how-to-set-up-event-based-retention

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