Microsoft 365 Backup: Full workload backup for SharePoint, OneDrive, and Exchange

What and Why

We are introducing Full Workload Backup for Microsoft 365 Backup, a new capability that allows admins to quickly protect an entire workload (SharePoint, OneDrive, or Exchange) with a single policy. This feature automatically includes all existing and newly created artifacts that are not already covered by custom policies, helping organizations improve data protection coverage, reduce administrative overhead, and ensure continuous backup for critical business data at scale.

This enhancement supports enterprise-ready data protection and automation, enabling organizations to safeguard content more efficiently while maintaining control through existing policy configurations.

This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 464990.

Rollout Schedule

• Public Preview (Worldwide): We will begin rolling out in early July 2026 and expect to complete by mid-July 2026.
• General Availability: We will begin rolling out in mid-September 2026 and expect to complete by mid-October 2026.

Impact on Your Organization

Who is affected

• Admins managing Microsoft 365 Backup policies
• Organizations currently using or planning to use Microsoft 365 Backup

Platforms/Services

• Microsoft 365 Backup
• SharePoint Online
• OneDrive
• Exchange Online

What will happen

• A new option to back up all artifacts within a selected workload will be available.
• Admins can enable Full Workload Backup per workload (SharePoint, OneDrive, Exchange).
• All eligible artifacts not covered by existing custom backup policies will be automatically protected.
• Newly created artifacts will be included in backup coverage automatically on subsequent runs.
• Existing custom backup policies will continue to take precedence and remain unchanged.
• Admins can upload a CSV file to exclude specific artifacts.
• The feature is available by default but requires admin configuration to enable.

Action Required/Recommendations

No immediate action is required before rollout.

After rollout, we recommend that you:

• Review your current Microsoft 365 Backup policies and coverage.
• Evaluate whether Full Workload Backup aligns with your data protection strategy.
• Inform backup administrators about this new capability.
• Update internal documentation if you manage backup procedures.

To enable the feature

• Go to the Microsoft 365 Backup dashboard in the Microsoft 365 admin center.
• Select the workload you want to protect and choose the option to back up all artifacts.
• (Optional) Upload a CSV file on the Exclude sites step to exclude specific sites from the scope of the policy.
• Review the coverage summary and confirm to create the Full Workload Backup policy.

Learn more

• Create, view, and edit backup policies in Microsoft 365 Backup | Microsoft Learn (will be updated before rollout begins)
• Overview of Microsoft 365 Backup | Microsoft Learn (will be updated before rollout begins)

Compliance considerations

No compliance considerations identified, review as appropriate for your organization.