Admin guide
Nightschool AI: Microsoft 365 Copilot audit logs and retention, for admins
Audit records arrive automatically. Retention for Copilot is its own decision, separate from Teams.
If auditing is on, Microsoft Purview records Copilot interactions automatically as part of Audit (Standard), including the model provider, and keeps them 180 days. Longer needs Audit (Premium) and the 10-Year add-on, not retroactive. Retention uses the Microsoft Copilot Experiences location; a legacy combined Teams policy covers Copilot only until a scheduled 2027 cutover.
Published
Key Takeaways
- Copilot audit records are automatic once auditing is enabled.
- Records include the model provider, and the model name where available.
- Audit (Standard) keeps records 180 days; a 10-year policy is not retroactive.
- Copilot retention uses the Microsoft Copilot Experiences location; a legacy combined Teams-and-Copilot policy covers Copilot only until Microsoft's scheduled 15 January 2027 change.
The full guide
Tap any section to open it.
About this guide
This page is for the admin whose auditor wants to know who used Microsoft 365 Copilot and which model answered, and whose records manager wants a retention period. It lists what Microsoft Purview records, how long it keeps it, and where Copilot retention is set. Records like these can be evidence for your auditor; they do not make your use compliant on their own.
AuditWhat is recorded, automatically
Microsoft says Purview automatically generates audit records when a user interacts with Copilot, as part of Audit (Standard). If your organization enables auditing, you don't need to take extra steps.
Microsoft says audit logs for Copilot include the model provider, and the model name where available, when a request is processed. That answers "which model answered" from the record itself.
How long180 days by default, longer only if you plan it
In Audit (Standard), Microsoft says records are kept for 180 days. Longer retention needs Audit (Premium) licensing plus the 10-Year Audit Log Retention add-on for the user, and a 10-year policy.
Microsoft says that policy isn't retroactive: it can't keep records generated before it applied. Decide before you need the history.
RetentionCopilot retention is its own location, with a 2027 cutover for legacy Teams policies
In a Microsoft Purview retention policy, select the Microsoft Copilot Experiences location, the current location for Copilot. Microsoft says prompts and responses are stored in the user's mailbox, in a hidden folder.
If your organization still has an older policy on the combined "Teams chats and Copilot interactions" location, Microsoft says that policy still covers Copilot today. Microsoft has scheduled a change for 15 January 2027 after which those legacy policies become Teams-only and stop covering Copilot interactions, including ones already retained. Create a Copilot Experiences policy before then.
ChecklistAudit and retention checklist you can copy
Fill this in before your next audit.
1. Confirm auditing
Auditing is enabled for the tenant.
2. Note the fields
Records include the user, time, and the model provider (model name where available).
3. Know the period
Audit (Standard) keeps 180 days.
4. Decide on 10 years
Audit (Premium) plus the 10-Year add-on, set before you need it.
5. Set Copilot retention
Use the Microsoft Copilot Experiences location; a legacy combined Teams policy stops covering Copilot on 15 January 2027.
6. Word it right
Call the records evidence for your auditor, not proof of compliance.
SourcesWhere each fact comes from
Microsoft, "Audit logs for Copilot and AI applications": learn.microsoft.com/en-us/purview/audit-copilot. Microsoft, "Auditing solutions in Microsoft Purview": learn.microsoft.com/en-us/purview/audit-solutions-overview.
Microsoft, "Microsoft Purview for Microsoft 365 Copilot": learn.microsoft.com/en-us/purview/ai-m365-copilot. Microsoft, "Learn about retention for Copilot and AI apps": learn.microsoft.com/en-us/purview/retention-policies-copilot. Microsoft, "Create and configure retention policies": learn.microsoft.com/en-us/purview/create-retention-policies.
Each fact on this page was read on that vendor page on 2026-11-08. Open the source and the Microsoft Purview portal before you rely on a detail here.
Train the admins, then the people they support
This page covers one admin task. The Nightschool AI admin and governance course walks the whole Microsoft 365 Copilot setup in order: licensing, data protection, oversharing, Purview DLP, audit and retention, web search, agents and model providers, with every step checked against Microsoft's own documentation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do we have to configure auditing for Microsoft 365 Copilot?
Not separately. Microsoft says that if your organization enables auditing, you don't need extra steps to audit Copilot interactions.
Can we see which model answered a Copilot prompt?
The model provider, yes. Microsoft says Copilot audit logs always include the model provider, and include the model name only when it's available, such as when a user picks a specific model instead of Auto.
How long are Copilot audit records kept?
180 days in Audit (Standard). Longer retention needs Audit (Premium) licensing and the 10-Year Audit Log Retention add-on, and the policy isn't retroactive.
Does our Teams retention policy keep Copilot prompts?
Today, if it's an older policy on the combined "Teams chats and Copilot interactions" location, yes. Microsoft has scheduled a change for 15 January 2027 after which those legacy policies become Teams-only and stop covering Copilot, including interactions already retained, so create a separate Microsoft Copilot Experiences policy before then.
Where are Copilot prompts stored?
Microsoft says prompts and responses are stored in the user's mailbox, in a hidden folder, which is why eDiscovery searches the mailbox for Copilot activity.
Can we extend audit retention for past Copilot activity?
No. Microsoft says a 10-year audit log retention policy isn't retroactive, so it can't keep records generated before it applied.
Keep going
Related Guides and Courses
Set it up once, write it down, then teach it
Write down who owns each Copilot setting before the day someone asks you to change it.
Nightschool AI is independent and not affiliated with, sponsored by or endorsed by Microsoft. Microsoft 365 Copilot, Microsoft Purview and SharePoint are Microsoft's products, named here only to describe them. Facts checked against Microsoft's public pages on 2026-11-08; confirm in your own admin console before you change a setting.