Microsoft has been steadily modernizing its compliance and records management ecosystem, and a major part of that journey is the retirement of legacy SharePoint Online features. These features – many originating from the SharePoint Server era – are being deprecated in phases across January 2025 and April 2026.
The goal? To fully transition organizations to Microsoft Purview Data Lifecycle Management (DLM) and Microsoft Purview Records Management (RM) – the modern, cloud‑native compliance platform where Microsoft continues to invest.
If you’ve depended on Record Centers, Content Organizer rules, In‑Place Records Management, or Information Management Policies, this transition will impact your workflows. But the good news is that Purview provides more powerful, centralized, and intelligent alternatives. Here’s what you need to know…
Phase 1 (January 2025: First wave of SharePoint retirements)
Beginning January 2025, Microsoft will no longer support or allow configuration of these features:
- Record Center site template
- “Send To” Record Center programmable interface
- Content Organizer rules
These features form the classic SharePoint Records Center model, originally designed for physical routing and centralized storage of declared records.
What this means for Purview
Purview replaces the entire model with:
- Retention and record labels
- Auto-apply labeling
- Metadata‑based routing
- Scalable cross‑M365 retention
- Disposition review workflows
Phase 2 (April 2026: Retirement of legacy SharePoint compliance features)
By April 2026, Microsoft will retire:
- Information Management Policies
- In‑Place Records Management
- Document deletion policies
- Site closure and deletion policies
Purview fully replaces these capabilities with tenant-wide retention, auto-application, event-based retention, record sealing, and centralized compliance controls.
Why this matters
The future of Microsoft 365 records management is Microsoft Purview. Organisations must migrate before support fully ends.
Why you should come to us for M365 Records Management Training
We help organisations transition successfully with:
- Expert trainers who understand both legacy SharePoint and modern Purview
- Practical, scenario-driven learning
- Training tailored for Records Managers, Compliance, and IT
- Up-to-date guidance aligned with Microsoft’s roadmap
- Workshops tailored to your retention schedule, governance needs, and regulatory requirements
By learning with us, your organisation gains the skills, confidence, and clarity to implement Purview effectively and remain fully compliant as Microsoft retires legacy features.
