Microsoft will retire support for several legacy SharePoint Online information management features starting April 2026, forcing organisations to migrate to modern Microsoft Purview solutions.

The retirement affects Information Management Policies, In-Place Records Management and deletion-only document policies. While the features will continue to function, Microsoft will no longer provide support after the April deadline.

Organisations using these legacy features must migrate to Microsoft Purview Data Lifecycle Management and Purview Records Management before support ends. Microsoft will not automatically migrate existing configurations.

"Microsoft won't automatically migrate your older information management and records management features in SharePoint for Microsoft 365," Microsoft stated in the announcement. "If you choose not to migrate to supported features, the older features might no longer be supported."

The retirement follows Microsoft's long-term plan to streamline compliance and data lifecycle management. The company first announced the deprecation timeline in November 2023.

Records managers and compliance teams now have until April 2026 to plan and execute their migration strategies. Microsoft recommends organisations review current use of legacy features and confirm compliance goals.

The migration preparation includes auditing retention schedules for duplicates or outdated policies. Organisations must also confirm applicable licences for Purview features and verify functionality using tools like Policy Lookup.

"Between now and the deprecation date of the feature, you have the flexibility to migrate your scenarios on your own schedule," Microsoft noted in the announcement.