Finding "Assign Policy"

Question

I cannot find the option for the retention policy setting in the TAGS section of the ribbon.

Where is it located.

Answer 1

Follow https://support.microsoft.com/en-au/office/assign-and-view-retention-policies-on-email-messages-3e5fd2dc-633f-4a38-b313-b31b81f7cf7a

---

If the above response helps answer your question, remember to "Accept Answer" so that others in the community facing similar issues can easily find the solution. Your contribution is highly appreciated.

hth

Marcin

Answer 2

In classic Outlook for Windows, the retention policy command is not under TAGS; it appears as Assign Policy on the Ribbon or on folder/message menus.

To locate and use it:

1. Select any email message in the message list.
2. On the Ribbon, look for Assign Policy (not “Retention policy”) in the commands above the Reading Pane.
3. If Assign Policy is not visible, open the Ribbon overflow:
   • Click the three dots (…) at the far right of the Ribbon.
   • In that menu, look for Assign Policy.
4. Alternatively, to set a policy on a folder:
   • Right‑click the mail folder in the Navigation Pane and select Properties.
   • Go to the Policy tab and choose a Folder Policy.

If Assign Policy still does not appear anywhere, either retention/archive policies are not enabled for the mailbox or the Outlook/Exchange license in use does not include this feature. In that case, the Microsoft 365 or Exchange administrator must enable retention and archive policies and ensure the correct license is assigned. For details, see the note about license requirements in the referenced article.

---

References:

• Assign and view retention policies on email messages
• Messaging Records management (MRM) and Retention Policies in Microsoft 365
• Assign retention labels and archive policies in Outlook on the web
• Retention tags and retention policies in Exchange 2013
• Users can use all personal retention tags regardless of retention policy in Exchange Online