Microsoft Group Expiration Process Guideline

Overview: All VU Microsoft 365 Groups/Teams that have been inactive for 730 days are set to automatically expire. Group/Team owners will be notified by email or Teams (if no mailbox is associated) 30 days before expiration. Upon expiration, all associated services/data (mailbox, Planner, SharePoint site, team chats/channels, etc.) are deleted. 

Affected Services/Features: 

  • Mailbox: Emails and calendar events 
  • Planner: Tasks and plans 
  • SharePoint Site: Documents and site content 
  • Teams: Chats and channels 

What is considered Activity: 

  • Posting or replying to messages in Teams channels or chats 
  • Creating or responding to Group/Team calendar events (meetings, appointments) 
  • Using Group/Team Planner tasks (creating, updating, or completing tasks) 
  • Interacting with Group/Team SharePoint files (uploading, downloading, editing documents) 
  • Using Teams apps (integrations with other services and apps) 

Notification Process: 

  • Timing: Owners are notified at 30 days, 15 days, and 1 day prior to expiration. 
  • Method: Notifications are sent via email or Teams. 

Owner Actions: 

  • Renewal: Owners can renew the group to prevent expiration. 
  • How to Renew: Either click on the link to “Renew group” from the notification email message or go to settings in Teams and select the option to renew the group. 
  • Restoration: If a group is soft-deleted, it can be restored within 30 days.  

Expiration Details: 

  • Start: The expiration period begins 700 days after Group/Team creation. 
  • Cycle Renewal: The expiration cycle restarts upon renewal. 

Special Cases: 

  • No Owner: If a group has no owner, members of the Group/Team will receive emails notifying them of the need for an owner. The members will have the option to become an owner. 
  • Soft-Deleted Groups: Groups can be restored within 30 days of deletion. After 30 days, the group and all associated data is irrecoverable.  

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