{"id":32736,"date":"2026-10-07T18:12:59","date_gmt":"2026-10-07T16:12:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eu.wedoback.com\/?page_id=32736"},"modified":"2026-10-07T18:37:45","modified_gmt":"2026-10-07T16:37:45","slug":"how-to-back-up-microsoft-365","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/eu.wedoback.com\/en\/guides\/backup\/how-to-back-up-microsoft-365\/","title":{"rendered":"How do you back up Microsoft 365?"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-page\" data-elementor-id=\"32736\" class=\"elementor elementor-32736 elementor-31929\" data-elementor-post-type=\"page\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e2d1829 e-con-full wdb-g e-flex e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"e2d1829\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d34f606 e-con-full wdb-g-hero e-flex e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"d34f606\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ce60c34 e-con-full wdb-g-hero-in e-flex e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"ce60c34\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d60592c elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"d60592c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"wdb-g-crumb\"><a href=\"\/en\/\">Home<\/a><span>\u203a<\/span><a href=\"\/en\/guides\/\">Guides<\/a><span>\u203a<\/span><a href=\"\/en\/guides\/backup\/\">IT backup<\/a><\/p><p class=\"wdb-g-pill\" style=\"--pill:#01adb9\">IT backup<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0db346a elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"0db346a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">How do you back up Microsoft 365?<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-29fda4f elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"29fda4f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"wdb-g-lead\">You back up Microsoft 365 by regularly copying Exchange mailboxes, OneDrive and SharePoint outside the tenant, with several restore points. Microsoft&#8217;s recycle bins, retention and litigation hold remain useful, but they live in the same tenant and have short time limits: they are not that copy.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4d5b5a3 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"4d5b5a3\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"wdb-g-meta\"><span>Updated <b>October 2026<\/b><\/span><span><b>3 min<\/b> read<\/span><span><b>5<\/b> sources cited<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-365f6ec e-con-full wdb-g-body e-flex e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"365f6ec\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3b71ce4 e-con-full wdb-g-grid e-flex e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"3b71ce4\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0d57010 e-con-full wdb-g-article e-flex e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"0d57010\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e286875 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"e286875\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wdb-g-key\"><h2>Key points<\/h2><ul><li>By default, Exchange Online keeps <strong>permanently deleted items for 14 days<\/strong>, 30 days at most.<\/li><li>A deleted user can be restored <strong>for 30 days<\/strong>; after that, their account and mailbox are lost.<\/li><li>Include <strong>Exchange, OneDrive, SharePoint and Teams<\/strong>, as well as shared mailboxes.<\/li><li>Connect the tool with a <strong>dedicated application with minimum permissions<\/strong>, not a global administrator.<\/li><li>Run a test restore of a mailbox and a site <strong>every quarter<\/strong>.<\/li><\/ul><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a0eaf81 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"a0eaf81\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>What Microsoft keeps, and for how long<\/h2><p>The details of what the subscription does and does not include are in <a href=\"\/en\/guides\/cloud-email\/does-microsoft-365-include-backup\/\">Does Microsoft 365 really include a backup?<\/a>. This page describes the method. Keep in mind the native time limits documented by Microsoft:<\/p><table><thead><tr><th>Situation<\/th><th>Native recovery period<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Item permanently deleted from an Exchange Online mailbox<\/td><td>14 days by default, 30 days at most<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Deleted user account (with its mailbox)<\/td><td>30 days<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>OneDrive of a deleted user<\/td><td>30 days by default (configurable), then 93 days in the recycle bin<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><p>These periods are enough for a mistake spotted the same day. They cover neither a compromise discovered a month later, nor a deletion carried out by an administrator whose account has been stolen.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a15fbf8 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"a15fbf8\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>What to include<\/h2><ul><li><strong>Exchange Online<\/strong>: messages, folders, calendars, contacts. A mailbox deleted or emptied by a compromised account is the most common case.<\/li><li><strong>OneDrive<\/strong>: users&#8217; files. Microsoft versioning is limited in duration and number of versions.<\/li><li><strong>SharePoint and Teams<\/strong> (Teams files are stored in SharePoint): team sites, libraries. This is often where collaborative work lives.<\/li><li>Shared mailboxes and equipment mailboxes, not just named users.<\/li><\/ul><p>Applications that store their data outside these three services (some third-party apps in the tenant) are not covered by a generic \u201cMicrosoft 365\u201d backup. They need to be identified.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-8ea1d6c elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"8ea1d6c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>The method<\/h2><ol><li>Inventory mailboxes and sites, including accounts of people who left less than thirty days ago, and shared items.<\/li><li>Choose a tool that connects to the Microsoft APIs through a dedicated application with minimum permissions, protected by strong authentication. Avoid a global administrator account whose password is left lying around in a script.<\/li><li>Set the frequency. Once a day is enough for many SMEs. Management mailboxes or an active sales team may justify several runs a day. This frequency is the RPO of your email.<\/li><li>Set the retention period. Thirty to ninety days covers mistakes and a large share of compromises. Beyond that, keep only what a business rule justifies: the GDPR applies to backed-up mailboxes.<\/li><li>Store the copy outside the tenant, encrypted, ideally <a href=\"\/en\/guides\/backup\/what-is-an-immutable-backup\/\">immutable<\/a> over the anti-ransomware period. The CNIL, France&#8217;s data protection authority, recommends protecting backups to the same level of security as the original data.<\/li><li>Run test restores: a mailbox to a test mailbox, a OneDrive folder, a site. At least once a quarter.<\/li><\/ol><p>The first run copies all the history the tool can read. It takes a long time. Subsequent runs only pick up changes.<\/p><p>Before deleting the account of a departing employee, check that their mailbox and OneDrive are in the backup: after 30 days, Microsoft no longer allows the user to be restored.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ebf3460 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"ebf3460\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>Common mistakes<\/h2><ul><li>Enabling a Microsoft retention policy and assuming \u201cit&#8217;s backed up\u201d. Retention prevents certain deletions within the tenant. It does not create an independent copy.<\/li><li>Forgetting shared mailboxes.<\/li><li>Giving the tool a permanent global administrator role.<\/li><li>Never restoring, then discovering that the API application was revoked six months ago.<\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f04823d elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"f04823d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wdb-g-brand\"><h2>At WeDoBack<\/h2><p>Microsoft 365 is within scope: emails, calendars, contacts, as well as SharePoint and OneDrive. The public price list requires <strong>one agent per email address<\/strong>, plus <a href=\"\/en\/smart-offer\/\">SMART<\/a> or <a href=\"\/en\/integral-offer\/\">INTEGRAL<\/a> storage matching the volume retained. Encryption takes place before sending, the key stays with the customer, and copies are stored outside the tenant, on servers dedicated to backup. Backups are monitored 24\/7. Installation is done from the console, or with deployment assistance from a technician (45 \u20ac excl. VAT per hour). Support can be reached on +33 9 72 50 78 28 from 9:00 to 13:00 and from 14:00 to 17:30 (Paris time).<\/p><div class=\"wdb-g-btns\"><a class=\"wdb-g-btn wdb-g-btn-primary\" href=\"\/en\/offers-and-prices\/\">See offers and prices<\/a><a class=\"wdb-g-btn wdb-g-btn-ghost\" href=\"\/en\/quotation\/\">Request a quote<\/a><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e47e07e elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"e47e07e\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wdb-g-faq\"><h2>Frequently asked questions<\/h2><details><summary>Doesn&#8217;t Microsoft already back up my data?<\/summary><p>Microsoft ensures the availability of its service and the redundancy of its data centres. With the standard subscription, it does not provide you with an independent copy that can be restored to a date of your choice. Native recovery periods are short: 14 days by default for items deleted from a mailbox, 30 days for a deleted user.<\/p><\/details><details><summary>Is a Microsoft Purview retention policy enough?<\/summary><p>It prevents certain permanent deletions in the tenant and serves compliance purposes. The data remains in the same tenant, under the control of the same administrators, and bulk restoration of a mailbox or site to a given date is not what it is designed for. It is a complement, not an external copy.<\/p><\/details><details><summary>How long should the backup of a former employee&#8217;s mailbox be kept?<\/summary><p>For as long as justified by a business need or a legal obligation, not indefinitely: mailboxes contain personal data subject to the GDPR. Also remember to back up the mailbox before deleting the account: Microsoft only allows a deleted user to be restored for 30 days.<\/p><\/details><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-aeed19e elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"aeed19e\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>Further reading<\/h2><div class=\"wdb-g-related\"><a href=\"\/en\/guides\/cloud-email\/microsoft-365-backup-what-to-know\/\"><small>Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace<\/small>Backing up Microsoft 365: what you need to know<\/a><a href=\"\/en\/guides\/cloud-email\/back-up-microsoft-365-emails\/\"><small>Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace<\/small>How do you back up Microsoft 365 emails?<\/a><a href=\"\/en\/guides\/cloud-email\/back-up-sharepoint-and-onedrive\/\"><small>Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace<\/small>Backing up SharePoint and OneDrive<\/a><a href=\"\/en\/guides\/what-to-do-if\/a-mailbox-was-emptied-or-hacked\/\"><small>What to do if\u2026<\/small>A mailbox has been emptied or hacked<\/a><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d71e063 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"d71e063\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wdb-g-sources\"><h2>Sources<\/h2><p class=\"wdb-g-src-date\">Documents consulted in October 2026.<\/p><ol><li><a href=\"https:\/\/learn.microsoft.com\/en-us\/exchange\/recipients-in-exchange-online\/manage-user-mailboxes\/change-deleted-item-retention\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Change how long permanently deleted items are kept for an Exchange Online mailbox<\/a> \u2014 Microsoft Learn<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/learn.microsoft.com\/en-us\/microsoft-365\/admin\/add-users\/restore-user\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Restore a user<\/a> \u2014 Microsoft Learn<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/learn.microsoft.com\/en-us\/sharepoint\/retention-and-deletion\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">OneDrive retention and deletion<\/a> \u2014 Microsoft Learn<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnil.fr\/fr\/securite-sauvegarder\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Security: Backing up<\/a> \u2014 CNIL (French authority)<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wedoback.com\/offres-et-tarifs\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Offers and prices<\/a> \u2014 WeDoBack<\/li><\/ol><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2979837 e-con-full wdb-g-aside e-flex e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"2979837\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c3a983d elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"c3a983d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<nav class=\"wdb-g-toc\" aria-label=\"Table of contents\"><p>On this page<\/p><ol><\/ol><\/nav>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-25baabf elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"25baabf\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wdb-g-card\"><h3>Planning a backup, DRP or BCP project?<\/h3><p>More than 20 years of experience protecting business data.<\/p><a class=\"wdb-g-btn wdb-g-btn-primary\" href=\"\/en\/quotation\/\">Request a quote<\/a><a class=\"wdb-g-tel\" href=\"tel:+33972507828\">+33 9 72 50 78 28<\/a><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ce657de e-con-full wdb-g-cta e-flex e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"ce657de\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-39260f6 e-con-full wdb-g-cta-in e-flex e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"39260f6\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4ab129d elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"4ab129d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>Protect your data with WeDoBack<\/h2><p>Encrypted offsite backup, immutable storage, DRP and BCP: tell us about your servers and we will recommend the right combination.<\/p><div class=\"wdb-g-btns\"><a class=\"wdb-g-btn wdb-g-btn-primary\" href=\"\/en\/quotation\/\">Request a quote<\/a><a class=\"wdb-g-btn wdb-g-btn-ghost\" href=\"\/en\/offers-and-prices\/\">See offers and prices<\/a><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":32686,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"elementor_header_footer","meta":{"_seopress_titles_title":"How to back up Microsoft 365: the method | WeDoBack","_seopress_titles_desc":"Back up Exchange, OneDrive and SharePoint outside the Microsoft tenant, mailbox by mailbox, with a history the tenant admin cannot 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