Under what conditions does SharePoint delta link return 410 (Gone)?

Question

Under what scenarios does SharePoint return a 410 (Gone) error for a delta link in Microsoft Graph?
Does this occur only when the delta token becomes invalid or expired, or can it also happen due to structural or permission-related changes?

Answer 1

Hi Yuvan Kesav A, 

Welcome to Microsoft Q&A Forum! Have a good day and I hope you're doing well! 

Based on my research, I’d like to share some insights into when a SharePoint delta link in Microsoft Graph can return an HTTP 410 (Gone) response. 

A 410 (Gone) response indicates that the service can no longer continue change tracking using the provided delta token, and the client is expected to restart the synchronization with a new initial delta query. 

Scenarios that can trigger a 410 (Gone) response: 

1. Delta token invalidation or expiration: Microsoft Graph delta tokens are stateful and only valid for a certain period or internal state. If the service can no longer provide a reliable change set for a given token (for example, when the token is too old or the internal tracking state has been cleaned up), Graph returns 410 to signal that a full resync is required. 

2. Structural changes in SharePoint: A delta token can also become invalid when there are significant structural changes, such as: 

• A document library or list being deleted and recreated 
• A site, drive, or list being reprovisioned or restored 
• Backend changes that reset the change tracking state 

In these cases, the original delta snapshot is no longer usable, so the service returns 410 to prevent data inconsistency. 

3. Permission or access changes: In certain situations, substantial permission or security context changes may also invalidate the delta token, such as:

• The calling app or user losing access to the site, drive, or list

• Changes to admin consent or API scopes

• The resource no longer being accessible under the current security context

It is worth noting that typical permission issues more commonly result in 403 (Forbidden) responses. However, if the security context change causes the delta token to become unusable, the service may return 410 instead.

Reference: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/graph/delta-query-overview#synchronization-reset

Hope this clarifies the distinction. If I misunderstood your scenario or if anything remains unclear, please feel free to reach out anytime. 

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