Microsoft provides a feature to set an expiration timeframe for any Microsoft 365 group. This helps to ensure that only those groups necessary for the organization’s current work or for compliance purposes are maintained. In this post, we will discuss how to configure an expiration policy for Microsoft 365 groups.
Expiration Policy for Microsoft 365 Groups
Microsoft 365 groups expiration policy allows organization administrators to set an expiration timeframe for selected or all groups. After the defined group lifetime, owners receive an email notifying that the group will be deleted unless it’s renewed. This policy can be set for any type of Microsoft 365 group such as Teams, SharePoint, Outlook, Yammer, etc.
Steps to set-up Microsoft 365 Group expiration policy
- Sign-in to the Microsoft 365 admin center.
Use your admin account to sign in to the Microsoft 365 admin center - Visit the Azure Active Directory admin center.
Navigate toGroups > Expiration. - Create a New Expiration policy.
This policy defines when groups expire and should be renewed to be kept active. - Set Expiry Duration
Set the group lifetime in days. The group lifetime can be set to any number of days between 1 and 3655 (10 years). The default value set by Microsoft is 180 days. This is the duration after which an email would be sent to the group owner prompting them to renew the group. - Choose the specific groups for the policy
You can either apply the policy on all groups or select specific groups. - Review & Create Policy
Review the policy settings, and proceed to create the policy.
Here’s a quick look at the step-by-step process
| Step | Action |
|---|---|
| 1 | Login to Microsoft 365 Admin center |
| 2 | Visit the Azure Active Directory admin center |
| 3 | Create a New Expiration policy |
| 4 | Set Expiry Duration |
| 5 | Choose the specific groups for the policy |
| 6 | Review & Create Policy |
Once the policy is in place, the group owners will receive an email notification 30 days before the group expiration date. They will have the option to renew the group if it’s still needed. If the group is not renewed, it will be deleted.
Disabling Expiration Policy
An expiration policy once set can also be disabled. To disable the policy, you just need to follow the same steps but at step 3, instead of creating the policy, select and delete the policy.
Conclusion
Setting up an expiration policy for Microsoft 365 groups is an important aspect of Microsoft Teams management, especially when preparing for the MS-700 Managing Microsoft Teams exam. Through this post, you learned how to set-up, configure, and disable an expiration policy for a Microsoft 365 group. Managing the lifecycle of groups can help keep your organization’s collaboration environment more orderly and save valuable resources.
Practice Test
True or False: An expiration policy can be set up for Microsoft 365 groups.
Answer: True
Explanation: Microsoft offers the ability to create an expiration policy for Microsoft 365 groups. This helps to manage inactive groups in your directory.
What is one of the main purposes of setting an expiration policy on Microsoft 365 groups?
- A. To delete inactive groups
- B. To enhance the visual appeal of the group
- C. To send out daily notifications
- D. To alter default membership
Answer: A. To delete inactive groups
Explanation: The main purpose of an expiration policy for Microsoft 365 groups is to manage inactive groups and prevent unnecessary usage of resources.
True or False: You can apply the expiration policy to specific groups only if needed.
Answer: True
Explanation: While you can apply the expiration policy to all groups, you also have the option to apply it to select groups only.
True or False: The default lifetime for a Microsoft 365 group is 30 days.
Answer: False
Explanation: The default lifetime for a Microsoft 365 group when an expiration policy is applied is 180 days.
Which PowerShell command is used to configure the expiration policy settings?
- A. Set-MSOLGroup
- B. New-MSOLGroup
- C. Set-ExpiryPolicy
- D. Set-AzureADMSLifecyclePolicy
Answer: D. Set-AzureADMSLifecyclePolicy
Explanation: The PowerShell command to configure the expiration policy settings is Set-AzureADMSLifecyclePolicy.
What happens when a group reaches its expiration?
- A. The group is automatically renewed.
- B. The group owner gets a renewal notification.
- C. The group gets deleted instantly.
- D. The group’s members get a renewal notification.
Answer: B. The group owner gets a renewal notification.
Explanation: When a group reaches its expiration, the owner will receive a notification to renew the group.
Owners of the expiring groups are notified by which means?
- A. Phone call
- B. Email
- C. Message on Teams
- D. Calendar invite
Answer: B. Email
Explanation: Owners of a Microsoft 365 group that is reaching its expiration will be notified via email.
Expiration policy for Microsoft 365 groups is not part of which functionality?
- A. Teams
- B. Outlook
- C. OneDrive
- D. Dynamics 365
Answer: D. Dynamics 365
Explanation: While Microsoft Teams, Outlook, and OneDrive support group expiration policies, Dynamics 365 doesn’t support group expiration policies.
True or False: An expiration policy can be set by any member of a group?
Answer: False
Explanation: Only administrators can set an expiration policy for Microsoft 365 groups.
True or False: If the group is not renewed after its expiration, it will be permanently deleted after 30 days.
Answer: True
Explanation: If the group is not renewed during the grace period after expiration, it will be deleted. The default deletion time is 30 days.
If a group gets deleted due to non-renewal, which of the following contents can be restored?
- A. Files
- B. Conversations
- C. Site contents
- D. All of the above
Answer: D. All of the above
Explanation: When a group gets deleted, the mailbox, site, and contents get deleted, but you can recover these items within 30 days.
Are users notified in advance of group’s expiration?
- A. Yes
- B. No
Answer: A. Yes
Explanation: Microsoft 365 sends notification emails to the group owner 30 days, 15 days, and 1 day prior to the group’s expiration date.
Expiration policy for Microsoft 365 groups supports how many languages?
- A. 10
- B. 12
- C. 25
- D. 50
Answer: B. 12
Explanation: Notifications from expiration policy for Microsoft 365 Groups are available in 12 languages.
Is user activity taken into account to auto-renew the groups?
- A. Yes
- B. No
Answer: A. Yes
Explanation: Microsoft 365 groups with expiration policies will auto-renew if there is user activity in the group.
Is “MS-700 Managing Microsoft Teams” exam related to configuring an expiration policy for Microsoft 365 groups?
- A. Yes
- B. No
Answer: A. Yes
Explanation: MS-700 is the certification exam for Managing Microsoft Teams. One of the test areas includes configuring settings such as the expiration policy for Microsoft 365 groups.
Interview Questions
What is the purpose of configuring an expiration policy for Microsoft 365 groups?
Configuring an expiration policy for Microsoft 365 groups allows you to keep your environment clean and free from inactive or obsolete groups. These policies enforce an expiration timeline for Office 365 groups to ensure they remain active, relevant, and populated.
Who can create an expiration policy?
Only global administrators or user administrators can create an Office 365 groups expiration policy.
What are the steps to configure an expiration policy for Microsoft 365 groups?
You can follow these steps:
a. Go to the Azure Active Directory admin center.
b. Click on “Groups”, then “Expiration”.
c. Click “Set expiration for selected Office 365 groups”.
d. Set the duration of the period you want.
e. Select the groups you want to apply the policy.
f. Click “Save”.
What happens when a Microsoft 365 group reaches its expiration date?
When a group reaches its expiration, the group’s owners will be notified and given an opportunity to renew the group. If the group is not renewed, it will be deleted.
What happens to the content in a deleted group?
The content in a deleted group will be deleted as well. However, it can be restored within 30 days after deletion.
What are the prerequisites for configuring an expiration policy for Microsoft 365 groups?
A current Azure Active Directory Premium P1 or P2 license is required in order to use automatic expiration for Office 365 groups.
How many notifications are sent prior to a group’s expiration date?
Three notifications are sent out to the group owner(s) within a certain timeframe before the group’s expiration date, ensuring they have ample time to renew the group if desired.
Can group owners renew their groups manually before they expire?
Yes, group owners can renew their groups manually at any time before they expire.
How can activity-based automatic renewals be enabled in Microsoft 365 groups?
Activity-based automatic renewals can be enabled via Azure Active Directory PowerShell. Once enabled, groups with user activity in SharePoint, Outlook, Teams, or Yammer are automatically renewed.
What is the default expiration period for Microsoft 365 groups?
If you decide to create a policy but don’t specify a group, the default expiration period is 180 days.
Can one modify the actions that define a group as ‘active’ for the purpose of automatic renewal in the policy?
No, the actions that define a group as ‘active’ are predefined and include activities like viewing, editing, downloading, sharing files or posts etc.
What happens if none of the group owners renew the group before its expiration date?
If none of the group owners renew the group prior to its expiration date, it is deleted and can be restored within 30 days.
Can the expiration policy be enforced on all groups in the organization?
Yes, an expiration policy can be set to apply to all existing and future groups in the organization.
How can you verify if a group was auto-renewed?
To verify if a group was auto-renewed, you can check the audit logs in Azure Active Directory admin center.
Can an expiration policy be applied to a single group, as opposed to applying it across the organization?
Yes, an expiration policy can be applied to selected or a single Microsoft 365 group.
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