As Microsoft 365 Copilot continues to transform the way people work, it is more important than ever to have a governance structure in place for your data. This guide will help you ensure a smooth deployment and maximize the benefits of Microsoft 365 Copilot as quickly as possible.

Archive or Purge Stale Data and Sites

Purging or archiving data from SharePoint that is no longer being used is the cornerstone of any data governance strategy.  The links below highlight some of the native tools in Microsoft 365 to help manage stale content.

Use Expiration policies for Microsoft 365 Groups so users can easily participate in the lifecycle of their data.
Set expiration for Microsoft 365 groups – Microsoft Entra ID | Microsoft Learn

Create Lifecycle policies to identify inactive sites (SharePoint Premium required).
Manage site lifecycle policies – SharePoint in Microsoft 365 | Microsoft Learn

Configure Retention Policies to automatically expire and purge old content
Configure Microsoft 365 retention settings to automatically retain or delete content | Microsoft Learn

Configure Microsoft 365 Archive for sites that are no longer being used, but need to be preserved for compliance or other reasons.
Manage Microsoft 365 Archive – Microsoft 365 Archive | Microsoft Learn

Review Sharing Settings

Below are settings a SharePoint administrator can configure to manage how users can share content with others.

If enabled, configure expiration for Anyone Links to ensure they are removed automatically.

Review Default Link Type to help guide users to the most appropriate experience for your organization.

Use sensitivity labels and configure a “default” in SharePoint to automate protection settings.
Configure a default sensitivity label for a SharePoint document library | Microsoft Learn

Find Overshared Data

Configure Purview policies to look for and restrict access to potentially overshared files.  Typical policies for Microsoft 365 Copilot will look for:

Passwords
API keys
Personal information

What DLP policy templates include
Data loss prevention policy tip reference for SharePoint

Review reports for content shared with “Anyone” or “People in the organization” (SharePoint Premium required)

Data access governance reports for SharePoint sites

Manage SharePoint Search

Consider Restricted SharePoint Search as a temporary solution as you finish auditing and cleaning up permissions.  Restricted Search will prevent users from discovering content that they have not interacted with, see the link below for details.
Restricted SharePoint Search

If Applicable – remove sites from SharePoint Search index.
Semantic Index for Copilot

By following the steps outlined in this guide, you’ll be well-prepared to leverage the full potential of Microsoft 365 Copilot. These essential reviews will help you streamline your data governance processes and ensure a smooth deployment, without impacting collaboration.

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