SharePoint Storage on a Diet: M365 Archive and Automatic Versioning
Uncontrolled SharePoint Storage can quickly drive up costs and make it harder for you to manage your data. If you ignore storage growth, extra charges start small but rise fast. For example, after just six months, you might pay $68.27 in overage charges. By the tenth month, the cost can jump to nearly $1,200. After a year, you could see a bill of $1,926.02.
You need practical ways to control these expenses while keeping your data safe and organized. M365 Archive and Automatic Versioning help you do just that.
Key Takeaways
Check your SharePoint storage often to stop surprise costs. Deleting files you do not use can help you save money.
Use the M365 Archive to move old sites and files to cheaper storage. This can cut your storage costs by up to 75%.
Set automatic version limits so storage does not get too full. This keeps only the file versions you need and saves space.
Clean up your SharePoint sites often. This keeps things neat and helps lower costs.
Use automation tools to handle files better. This saves time and keeps your data neat and easy to find.
SharePoint Storage Challenges
Growth Issues
Managing SharePoint Storage can be hard for many reasons. Storage grows fast when teams upload big files like CAD drawings or high-quality videos. Every time someone edits a document, it makes a new version. These versions use up space quickly. Sometimes, Teams and SharePoint sites are left unused. Even if no one uses them, they still take up space.
Tip: Check your sites and libraries often. Look for files no one uses. Delete old files to help keep storage from growing too much.
Many groups have trouble getting everyone to use SharePoint the right way. Some people do not know how to organize files or use document libraries. Teams might use their own folder names and ways to sort files. This makes it harder to find what you need. If people do not get enough training, files get messy and more help is needed.
Too many files in one library make it hard to find what you need.
Different names and folders slow down your work.
Not having the same version settings can confuse people and fill up storage.
SharePoint intranets can be hard to use. Pages and tools may make it tough to move around. Complicated permissions can stop people from working together. Some users might use email or other tools instead of SharePoint.
Cost Impact
If you do not watch SharePoint Storage, it can cost a lot. Extra storage is expensive. Adding files without a plan makes costs go up fast. Editing files a lot and using big media files need more space. If you do not have rules for keeping files, old files stay and make costs higher.
Adding files all the time makes storage grow fast.
Big media files use up space quicker than you think.
Not having rules for keeping files wastes space and money.
Your team may work slower and feel unhappy. Messy files and more help requests slow everyone down. High storage costs can stop you from buying other tech you need.
M365 Archive
Archive Tier
You want to keep SharePoint Storage small. You also need to protect important data. The M365 Archive tier helps with both jobs. This feature works like cold storage inside SharePoint. You can move old sites and files to the archive tier. These files do not count toward your active storage. You still can search for your data and follow company rules.
The archive tier saves money. You pay only $0.05 for each gigabyte. Many groups save up to 75% on storage costs by moving unused sites to the archive. Here are some ways you save:
You can cut costs by up to 75% with the archive tier.
Moving old SharePoint sites to the archive tier saves money every month.
The archive tier has a low price, so you can store more data without big bills.
Note: Archived sites and their files stay safe and protected. Regular users cannot see them, but you can bring them back when needed.
Storage Optimization
You want SharePoint Storage to help you, not slow you down. The M365 Archive helps you use storage better and keeps your data safe. When you archive data, you keep all the original metadata and search indexes. You can still find what you need, even if it is not active.
The archive tier also helps with security and rules. You keep audit trails and follow laws. You can add rules to protect sensitive data. This lowers the risk of sharing with the wrong people.
Here is a table that shows how the M365 Archive helps you:
You also get faster and better performance. By moving old data to the archive, you keep your main storage clean and quick. You can work together and focus on teamwork, not cleaning up files.
Tip: Use the archive tier to keep SharePoint Storage growing with you. As your data grows, you can manage it without high costs or slow speeds.
Automatic Versioning
Version Limits
You want your files to be safe. You also want to use less space. Automatic versioning in SharePoint helps with both. When you turn on versioning, SharePoint saves a copy each time someone changes a file. This lets you go back if you need to fix something or get old information.
Why set version limits? If you keep every version, storage fills up fast. You can choose how many versions SharePoint keeps. You can set limits for your whole group, a site, a library, or one person’s OneDrive. SharePoint can manage versions for you, or you can pick your own limits.
Tip: Pick the 'Automatically' option for versioning. SharePoint uses smart trimming. It keeps important versions and removes old ones. This saves space and lets you get back important changes.
Here are some good version limits for different files:
Keep versions for 3-6 months for files that change a lot.
Keep versions for 1 year for normal business documents.
Keep versions for 2 years or more for important records like contracts.
Automatic versioning uses smart rules. It keeps the versions that matter most. It removes versions you probably do not need. Microsoft lets you change these settings to fit your needs.
Preventing Bloat
Why does version bloat happen? Every time someone edits a file, SharePoint saves a new copy. If you do not set limits, old versions pile up and use lots of space. Big files like videos or design documents fill storage quickly.
You can stop bloat by setting smart version limits and using retention policies. Retention policies delete files after a set time. Old and unused content does not stay forever. For example, you can set a rule to delete documents five years after their last change.
Here is a table with good version limits for different document types:
You can follow these steps to stop version bloat:
Run a SharePoint Storage report to find which libraries use the most space.
Look at libraries with lots of updates.
Tell your team about new version limits before you change them.
Test your settings with less important libraries first.
Check your storage after a month to see how much space you saved.
Automatic versioning helps you keep important document changes. It saves the versions you need. It removes the ones you do not need. You get a balance between saving history and saving space.
Smart versioning gives you control. You keep SharePoint Storage neat and organized. You do not pay for space you do not need. Your team can always find the right version of a file.
Implementation Steps
Setup
You want your data to be safe. You also want to spend less money. Setting up M365 Archive and Automatic Versioning helps you do both. Here are the steps to start:
Open Microsoft 365 Admin Center.
Go to Setup. Pick Use content AI with Microsoft Syntex.
Set up billing. Make sure you have an Azure subscription and resource group.
Choose your Azure Subscription, Resource Group, and Region.
Agree to the terms. Click Save.
Go back to Setup. Pick Manage Microsoft Syntex.
Turn on Archive. Say yes to confirm.
Go to the Active Sites page.
Pick the SharePoint sites you want to archive.
Click Archive in the toolbar. Confirm your choice.
Automatic Versioning helps keep files neat. It also saves space. Here is how you turn it on:
Sign in to the SharePoint admin center.
Go to Settings. Pick Version history limits.
Choose Automatically. SharePoint will manage versions for you.
Save and confirm your changes.
Tip: You can use PowerShell commands. This lets you set versioning for all, new, or old document libraries. You get more control.
Best Practices
You want to make smart choices. This keeps storage costs low. It also makes data easy to handle. Try these best practices:
Limit the number of versions for archived sites. This saves space.
Archive only important data. Do not keep files you do not need.
Delete old data when you do not need it anymore.
Restore sites only when you really need them. This keeps costs down.
Use free archiving chances. This helps you save more money.
Plan to archive data that you will not need for a long time.
Check how much archived data you use and spend. Do this often to change your plan if needed.
Note: Checking often helps you see patterns. You can make better choices about your SharePoint Storage.
Benefits & Use Cases
Savings
You might wonder why groups use M365 Archive and automatic versioning. The biggest reason is to save money. When you move old sites to the archive tier, you pay just $0.05 for each gigabyte every month. Active sites cost $0.20 for each gigabyte. This means you can save up to 75% on storage. You can bring back archived sites for free, but you have to wait four months before archiving them again. Many groups save a lot of money by using these tools.
Here is a table that shows how different ways to save money work:
By using these tools, you keep SharePoint Storage costs low. You can use your money for other things you need.
File Management
You may also want to know how file management gets better with these tools. M365 Archive and automatic versioning help you keep files neat, easy to find, and safe. AI tools help you make, summarize, and tag documents. Better versioning lets you see changes and stops problems when many people edit files. You can edit and upload lots of files at once, which saves time.
Here are some ways you can keep your files neat and cut down on mess:
Run checks to find and delete old or extra files.
Use automation to tag and sort your files.
Make clear rules for making new sites and teams.
Build a system to label and group files.
Use automation to handle files the right way.
Doing these things helps you keep SharePoint Storage tidy and working well. You spend less time looking for files and more time working.
You need good ways to keep SharePoint Storage small. M365 Archive helps you move old sites to cheaper storage. This saves money and keeps things neat. Automatic versioning keeps only the versions you need. It makes finding changes easier. These tools help protect your data. They also make work faster and better.
FAQ
Why should you use M365 Archive for old SharePoint sites?
You can save money by moving unused sites. The archive tier keeps important data safe. You can still search for your files. You do not pay high costs for active storage.
Why does automatic versioning help control storage growth?
Automatic versioning keeps only the versions you need. It stops storage from filling up with old copies. You can find the right document more easily.
Why is setting version limits important for your team?
Smart limits stop too many versions from piling up. This keeps storage costs low. Your team finds important changes faster and does not sort through lots of versions.
Why do organizations benefit from regular SharePoint cleanups?
You get rid of files no one uses. This keeps storage neat and organized. It lowers costs and helps everyone find what they need.
Why is compliance easier with M365 Archive and versioning?
You keep audit trails and follow company rules. Sensitive data stays protected. You meet legal and business needs more easily.