Apply retention policies to Copilot prompts and responses

  • 5 minutes

Microsoft Purview retention policies help ensure that prompts and responses generated during Microsoft 365 Copilot interactions are retained for as long as needed to meet compliance and business requirements.

Copilot interactions are stored as compliance copies in Exchange Online mailboxes, including hidden folders used for compliance purposes. Microsoft Purview applies retention policies to these mailboxes based on the policy locations you configure.

This lets you manage Copilot content using the same tools and processes you already use for Microsoft 365 workloads.

Where Copilot data is stored

Retention behavior depends on how the Copilot interaction is stored:

  • Outlook: Copilot responses in Outlook are saved in the user's mailbox and managed with Exchange retention policies.
  • Teams: Interactions from Copilot in Teams are stored in the Teams chat service and managed with Teams retention policies.
  • Copilot Chat and other Copilot experiences: Prompts and responses are stored in the user's mailbox under a hidden folder, accessed using the retention policy location Microsoft Copilot experiences.

These interactions can be retained or deleted using Microsoft Purview retention policies. Each supported location must be selected explicitly when configuring a policy.

Note

Microsoft Copilot experiences is a new, dedicated policy location. It isn’t included in existing policies and must be selected when creating or editing a policy. For more details on how retention applies to Copilot and other AI apps, see Learn about retention for Copilot and AI apps.

Create a retention policy for Copilot interactions

To retain prompts and responses generated by Microsoft 365 Copilot:

  1. In the Microsoft Purview portal, go to Solutions > Data Lifecycle Management.

  2. Select Policies > Retention policies > + New retention policy.

  3. On the Name your retention policy page, enter a name and optional description.

  4. On the Policy Scope page, assign administrative units or use the Full directory.

  5. On the Choose the type of retention policy to create​ page, choose either a Static or Adaptive scope.

  6. On the Choose where to apply this policy​ page, select Microsoft Copilot experiences.

    Screenshot showing Microsoft Copilot experiences selected as a location in the retention policy setup.

  7. On the Decide if you want to retain content, delete it, or both page, choose whether to retain content, delete it, or both, and set how long to keep the content.

  8. Review your policy settings, then create your policy.

How Purview retains Copilot content

Copilot data stored in Exchange mailboxes is retained in hidden folders that aren't accessible to users. When a retention policy applies:

  • Expired content is copied to the SubstrateHolds folder.
  • After a minimum of one day, the content is permanently deleted, unless it's subject to another retention or eDiscovery hold.

This ensures content remains discoverable through eDiscovery tools until it's permanently deleted.

Retention policies for Copilot help meet compliance requirements without affecting productivity, allowing you to retain or delete AI-generated content as needed.