💡 Our Technical Review in summary
Summary
- This update introduces archival capabilities for SharePoint Embedded applications, allowing organizations to move inactive or large containers to a lower-cost storage tier.
- Key benefits include a reduction in storage costs by up to 75% and improved Microsoft 365 Copilot performance by reducing search “noise” from outdated or inactive data.
- The feature is rolling out in Public Preview starting early February 2026, with full completion expected by mid-March 2026.
Impact
- Storage Optimization: Admins can significantly lower costs by archiving data that is no longer frequently accessed but must be retained.
- Copilot Relevance: By moving inactive data to the archive tier, Copilot search results will prioritize active, relevant content.
- Administrative Control: New options will appear in the SharePoint Admin Center to manage (archive/reactivate) containers manually.
- Developer Integration: New Graph APIs will allow developers to automate the archival and reactivation workflows within their custom SharePoint Embedded applications.
- Default State: This feature is OFF by default and requires administrative action to enable.
Action Required
- Enable via PowerShell: To use this feature, you must opt-in at the Container Type level using the SharePoint Online Management Shell.
- For new container types: Use
New-SPOContainerType -IsArchiveEnabled $true. - For existing container types: Use
Set-SPOContainerType -IsArchiveEnabled $true.
- For new container types: Use
- App Development Update: Coordinate with your development team to ensure custom applications can handle the “archived” status and display appropriate notifications to users when content is read-only.
- UI Adjustments: Determine if your custom application should expose archive/reactivate buttons to end-users or if archival will be managed strictly by IT admins.
- Documentation Review: Review the updated Microsoft Graph API documentation for the new archival endpoints to integrate these functions into existing automation scripts.
Microsoft Official Update
Service: N/A
Category: stayInformed
Severity: normal
Updated February 4, 2026: We have updated the timeline. Thank you for your patience.
[Introduction]
Non-Microsoft SharePoint Embedded applications now support container archival. This feature helps organizations reduce storage costs by up to 75% by moving large or inactive content to low-cost storage tiers. It also improves Copilot search relevance by prioritizing active content and reducing noise from outdated data.
[When this will happen:]
- Public Preview: Rollout will begin in early February 2026 and is expected to complete by mid-March 2026 (previously late February).
[How this affects your organization:]
Who is affected: Admins managing SharePoint Embedded applications and developers integrating with SharePoint Embedded APIs.
What will happen:
- New Graph APIs will be available to archive and unarchive containers, enabling integration with your application workflows.
- SharePoint Admin Center will include options to archive and reactivate containers alongside existing container management capabilities.
- Archival support is OFF by default. To enable this functionality, you must opt in using a PowerShell cmdlet.
[What you can do to prepare:]
- Enable archival support by running the appropriate PowerShell cmdlet:
- For a new container type: Use
New-SPOContainerTypewith the parameter-IsArchiveEnabled. Learn more: New-SPOContainerType (Microsoft.Online.SharePoint.PowerShell) | Microsoft Learn. - For an existing container type: Use
Set-SPOContainerTypewith the parameter-IsArchiveEnabled. Learn more: Set-SPOContainerType (Microsoft.Online.SharePoint.PowerShell) | Microsoft Learn.
- For a new container type: Use
- Update your application to handle archived container status and display appropriate messaging to end users.
- Optionally, expose archival and reactivation options in your application interface.
- Review documentation for Graph API integration and PowerShell cmdlet usage.
[Compliance considerations:]
No compliance considerations identified, review as appropriate for your organization.
