File-Level Archiving in Microsoft 365: Less Noise, Lower Costs – CollabDays Bletchley Park 2026

On September 23rd, I presented at CollabDays Bletchley Park 2026. My session, “File-Level Archiving in Microsoft 365: Less Noise, Lower Costs”, was about a practical question many organisations face: what do you do with old SharePoint content when the site itself is still active?

A Site Can Be Active While Most of Its Files Are Not

A completed project can leave thousands of documents behind, while a small set of templates, reports or operational files is still used every week. Deleting everything is not an option, but archiving the entire site also goes too far.

File-level archiving adds a more precise choice. Individual SharePoint files can move to the Microsoft 365 Archive cold-storage tier while the rest of the site stays available. Metadata, permissions and compliance controls remain in Microsoft 365, but the file must be reactivated before someone can open or download it.

What We Covered

During the session I used a finished project site as the recurring example. We looked at:

• how to decide which files belong in the archive;
• the difference between site-level and file-level archiving;
• archiving and reactivating files in SharePoint;
• tenant and site controls for administrators;
• automation with PnP PowerShell and Microsoft Graph;
• how to measure cost, recovery time and user adoption.

The Storage Bill Is Only Part of the Story

Archive storage has a lower rate than standard SharePoint storage, but the immediate saving can still be zero when a tenant is below its included quota. The other benefits can be just as useful: fewer inactive files in daily work, less noise in search, and more relevant context for Copilot.

The main takeaway was simple: archiving is a lifecycle state, not a recycle bin. Define the policy, ownership, exclusions and recovery process before you automate the Archive button.

Related Article

If you want a practical introduction before going through the slides, read File-level archiving in Microsoft 365: minder ruis, lagere kosten.

Watch the Slides

Download the PowerPoint presentation.

Featured image based on “Colossus Computer, Bletchley Park” by Ian Petticrew, via Geograph and Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. Adapted for this article.