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IM_Shane's avatar
IM_Shane
Copper Contributor
Dec 20, 2023

Calling all experts in retention labels!!!!

Hello experts,

 

For those who are guns with retention policies and labels I have a challenge for you! In all scenarios I have encountered I can clear a retention label from a document, then delete. This is a problem - in my environment a document always needs a retention label.

 

Context:

I operate in a heavily regulated environment, all documents created/uploaded in SharePoint Online are considered records, and require a retention label to be applied (a 'record' requires disposition, thus requiring the retention label).

 

There are different types of records; so there are multiple retention labels published to a location (two are published through a retention label policy, and the default label is done through an auto-apply retention label policy).

 

  • If I clear the retention label from a document then delete, the document sits in the preservation hold library with no retention label (the auto-apply policy does not 're-label' the document in that location later) - this is a problem.

  • If I create a document, then delete it before the auto-label policy labels the document (up to 7 days), the document sits in the preservation hold library with no retention label (the auto-apply policy does not label the document in that location) - this is a problem.

     

I've tried using a published label as the default label for the document library (via library settings > Apply label to items in this list or library) - I can still clear the label (the option is available when more than one label is available - see below).

 

 

How can I ensure a retention label is always applied to a document (AND have multiple retention labels available for selection)????

 

Any insights appreciated.

 

microsoft purview
Retention
Retention Labels
  • IM_Shane's avatar
    IM_Shane
    Copper Contributor
    Jan 04, 2024

    I've discovered a workaround, not ideal but does the job....

     

    If an item has no retention label when deleted, and you need a label applied, you can set a default retention label on the preservation hold library - so the item will have one applied there. 

     

    1. publish the default retention label via retention label policy to the location 

    2. via the preservation hold library settings, apply the label to items in that library 

     

    I've confirmed that items with a different retention label will retain that label when deleted (and copied to the preservation hold library - they wont inherit the default label from the preservation hold library settings).

     

    This means that each preservation hold library in the tenant will need to have a default label set, a little painful to set up and maintain but does fill the gap.

    • AndrewWarland's avatar
      AndrewWarland
      Steel Contributor
      Jan 04, 2024

      Thanks Shane that's an interesting workaround. A 'dumb question', if an item does not have a retention *label* applied when it is deleted in a library how can it go into the PH library? (Unless it was subject to a retention policy). 

      Of course, if users use the 'Move to' function, that creates another interesting problem because it technically copies and re-creates the item to the new location with the original metadata etc and deletes it from the original location - putting it into the Recycle Bin AND the PH library if subject to a retention label/policy. 

      • IM_Shane's avatar
        IM_Shane
        Copper Contributor
        Jan 05, 2024

        That's a very good question, and yes, your assumption is correct - there is also a retention policy in place in this scenario. 

         

        Thanks for mentioning the 'Move to' (copy) scenario too. I've encountered this in the past other EDRMS using on-prem SharePoint as the front-end. There'd be a lot of happy records managers if that one ever got addressed!

    • IM_Shane's avatar
      IM_Shane
      Copper Contributor
      Jan 04, 2024

      Thanks for the suggestion Andrew! I have looked into this; there is also a requirement for users to be able to delete and move across containers - so this feature would impact that requirement.