Enable Archive Policy & Assign Retention Tag for a User in Microsoft 365

1. Install Exchange Online Module

Run PowerShell as Administrator and install the required module:

Install-Module -Name ExchangeOnlineManagement

• Type Y when prompted for installation confirmation.

• Type Yes when asked for repository installation.

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2. Connect to Exchange Online

Connect-ExchangeOnline

You’ll be prompted to log in with your Microsoft 365 admin credentials.

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3. Enable Archive Mailbox

Enable archive mailbox for the user:

Enable-Mailbox -Identity "[e-mail]" -Archive

Verify archive status:

Get-Mailbox -Identity "[e-mail]" | FL ArchiveStatus

✅ You can also verify the archive folder in Outlook after a few minutes.

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4. Enable Auto-Expanding Archive

Enable-Mailbox -Identity "[e-mail]" -AutoExpandingArchive

🕒 Allow ~30 minutes for the change to take effect.

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5. Create Retention Tag

Create a retention tag to move items to archive after 1 year:

New-RetentionPolicyTag -Name "Move to Archive After 1 Year" -Type All -AgeLimitForRetention 365 -RetentionAction MoveToArchive

If an error occurs:

Enable-OrganizationCustomization

Then re-run the Retention Tag command above.

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6. Create and Assign Retention Policy

Create a new retention policy and link the tag:

New-RetentionPolicy -Name "Archive 1 Year Policy" -RetentionPolicyTagLinks "Move to Archive After 1 Year"

Assign the policy to a specific mailbox:

Set-Mailbox -Identity "[e-mail]" -RetentionPolicy "Archive 1 Year Policy"

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7. Force Apply Retention Policy (Optional)

Manually trigger Managed Folder Assistant (if allowed):

Start-ManagedFolderAssistant -Identity "[e-mail]"

⚠️ Note: MFA runs automatically every 7 days per mailbox. Manual triggering may fail if backend restrictions apply.

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8. Verify Archive & Policy Status

Check if archive and auto-expanding archive are enabled:

Get-Mailbox -Identity "[e-mail]" | FL ArchiveStatus, AutoExpandingArchiveEnabled

Check mailbox statistics (archive progress, size, etc.):

Get-MailboxStatistics -Identity "[e-mail]" -Archive | Select DisplayName, ItemCount, TotalItemSize, LastLogonTime

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9. Important Notes

• Archiving does not happen instantly — allow up to 12–24 hours for the Managed Folder Assistant to process.

• MFA runs automatically once every 7 days per mailbox.

• Archive ensures compliance and helps optimize mailbox storage.

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✅ End Result

After completing all steps:

• The archive mailbox and auto-expanding archive are enabled.

• The retention policy automatically moves emails older than 1 year to the archive folder.

• Mailbox data is now compliant, optimized, and efficiently managed.