How to Archive Documents in SharePoint
Archive is where documents go when they’re no longer active but might still be needed. Done well, it keeps your live libraries clean without losing history.
What it is
Archiving is the middle ground between ‘in active use’ and ‘delete forever’. A document that’s no longer relevant to current work but might still be needed for reference, audit, or compliance — that’s an archive candidate. Project documents from a closed project. Old policy versions superseded by newer ones. Reports from previous years. They shouldn’t clutter the active library, but they shouldn’t be deleted either.
There are several ways to archive in SharePoint: a separate ‘Archive’ library on the same site, a dedicated archive site for the whole organisation, applying an ‘Archived’ label or status, or moving to long-term retention. Each has trade-offs. The right approach depends on how often archived content needs to be accessed, who needs access, and what compliance rules apply.
What matters most is consistency. Whatever your archive process is, apply it predictably. Documents either follow the archive workflow or they don’t. Halfway-archived libraries — where some old content is in archive, some is still in the active library, some has been deleted, and nobody knows which is which — are worse than no archiving at all.
Archive ≠ Delete
Archive means keeping, just not in active circulation. Delete means gone (after recycle bin retention expires). The two are completely different decisions, with different implications for compliance, audit, and your team’s ability to find old content. Don’t conflate them.
When to use this
- When a document is no longer actively used but might still be needed for reference.
- When a project closes and you need to clean up the active site.
- When old versions of policies have been superseded but still need to be retained.
- When you’re cleaning up a library that’s grown too large to navigate.
How to do it
- Define what ‘archive’ means for your organisation (separate library, label, retention class).
- Identify documents that meet archive criteria (no longer active, still needed for reference).
- Move documents to the archive location, or apply the archive label/status.
- Set permissions on the archive to read-only for most users.
- Update navigation and links so users find current versions, not archived ones.
- Capture metadata (when archived, why, owner) so the archive isn’t a mystery.
- Set up a retention schedule for how long archived content stays before disposal.
Best practices
- Make archive read-only. Archived content shouldn’t be edited — it’s a snapshot.
- Keep archive separate from active. Mixing the two confuses users and breaks search.
- Archive systematically, not casually. Set criteria, apply consistently.
- Plan archive disposal. Archive isn’t ‘forever’ for most content. Set retention rules.
Common mistakes
- Treating archive as ‘storage in case we need it’. Archive needs structure and rules, not just a folder called ‘Old’.
- Archiving content that should be deleted. Not everything needs to be kept. Some content has reached end of life.
- Making archive too hard to find. If users can’t find archived content when they need it, they’ll create new copies of what they’re looking for.
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What’s the difference between archiving and deleting in SharePoint?
Archived documents stay in your tenant but live in a separate library where they’re out of the way of active work. Deleted documents go to the Recycle Bin and are permanently gone after 93 days. Archive for content you might need later; delete for content that genuinely shouldn’t exist.
Should I archive or delete old SharePoint documents?
Default to archive unless you’re certain the content has no future value. The 3-year rule: if a document is over 3 years old and untouched, archive it. Don’t delete unless you’ve reviewed it. Archived content costs storage; lost content costs business decisions you can’t reverse.
Will Copilot still find archived SharePoint files?
Yes — Copilot reads archived content if it’s in a library with permissions your user has. This is why naive archiving (just moving to a ‘old stuff’ library) doesn’t fix the Copilot risk. Use sensitivity labels, permissions, or exclude libraries from Copilot search if archived content shouldn’t surface in AI results.
How do I set up a SharePoint archive library?
Create a new library called ‘Archive’ (or ‘Archive 2023’, etc. for time-bucketed archives). Set permissions narrower than the source library. Move old documents in bulk. Add a Document Status column with value ‘Archived’. Build a Power Automate flow that auto-archives based on Last Modified date for ongoing maintenance.