Forum Discussion
Data access after Project Online (PWA) retirement
Leandro --
To add to the excellent answers already shared, I think you need to assume that all of your Project Online data will be GONE after Microsoft "pulls the plug" on this tool. So, in other words, begin your planning immediately to move your Project Online data to another application, such as to Project Server Subscription Edition. In addition, I believe you will find that Microsoft IS NOT offering any of us help in migrating to Project Server SE, nor are they publishing any kind of official guidance. Hope these additional thoughts help!
Thanks, Dale,
We’re aligning our plans to the same assumption: once Microsoft “pulls the plug,” PWA data will be gone. That said, it would be extremely helpful if Microsoft could offer a **read-only retention window** (even limited) after retirement, for example, continued read access to PWA data and linked SharePoint project sites, or at least to the OData or CSOM export endpoints.
A short, time-boxed grace period (6–12 months) would let customers validate migrations, access historical records for audits, and avoid migrating large volumes of history they only need for reference. Given the tight timeline, this would significantly reduce risk and effort across tenants.
If you see any movement or formal statement from Microsoft on a read-only or historical access window, please share.
Leandro --
There is nothing unreasonable about your request, but at this point, I cannot imagine that Microsoft will ever grant that. They appear to be in a big rush to abandon Project Online, as well as the Project Online community of users. For years, they have assumed the world will migrate to Project Online, which later became Planner Premium, which has not happened. So, if I were you, I would come up with a plan to move to a another PPM tool, such as Project Server SE, and then execute that migration as soon as possible. Hope this helps.
