How to Add Retention Labels in SharePoint

Retention labels let you control how long files are kept before they’re deleted or reviewed, helping you stay compliant with company policies.

1. Create the label

• Go to the Microsoft Purview Compliance Portal → Data lifecycle management → Labels.
• Click Create a label, name it, and set how long to keep content (for example, 7 years).
• Choose what happens after that period — delete, review, or keep.
• Save and publish it.

2. Publish it to SharePoint

• In the same portal, go to Label policies → Publish labels.
• Select your new label and choose the SharePoint sites where it should be available.
• It can take up to 24 hours to show up in SharePoint.

3. Apply it in SharePoint

• Open your document library.
• Select a file (or folder) → open the Information panel (i) → choose the label under Retention label.
• You can also set a default label for the entire library under Library settings.

Once set, SharePoint automatically handles retention and deletion based on your label settings.