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Can't retain cloud attachments

Microsoft Purview provides tools that admins can use to retain cloud attachments that users share through Teams and Outlook. If you've configured cloud attachments to be retained, but you can't find them by using eDiscovery, it might be that the items weren't actually cloud attachments but separate copies or shared by using other mechanisms. Use the following table to identify which sharing mechanisms are cloud attachments in Outlook, Teams, and Viva Engage.

For information about how to retain cloud attachments that are shared in Outlook, Teams, and Viva Engage and known limitations for this scenario, see the retention label condition for cloud attachments in Automatically apply a retention label to retain or delete content.

Cloud attachments in Outlook

Sharing mechanism Is it a cloud attachment?
Cloud attachments: A display on an Outlook client that resembles a regular attachment, but is actually a reference to a stored file.

Example:
Screenshot of a regular attachment, it's a reference to a stored file.
Yes
Attached copy: A separate copy of the original file.

Example:
Screenshot of a separate copy of the original file.
No
URLs: An HTTP reference that's added to the email subject or body, or to the meeting text body that provides the address of a file that's stored online.

Example:
Screenshot of an HTTP reference added into the email subject or body, or meeting text body.
Yes
Embedded Images: Images that are pasted into the email body.

Example:
Screenshot of image pasted into the email body.
No

Cloud attachments in Teams

Sharing mechanism Is it a cloud attachment?
A file that's shared from OneDrive or uploaded from the computer.

Example:
Screenshot of file shared from OneDrive or uploaded from computer.
Yes
URL links to files, documents, or images that are pasted into the chat or a channel and are then resolved as chiclet graphics.

Example:
Screenshot of URL links to files, documents, or images with chiclet that are pasted into the chat or a channel and then resolve as chiclet graphics.
Yes
Audio and video files that are pasted directly into the message as links and are then resolved as chiclet graphics.

Example:
Screenshot of audio and video files pasted directly into the message as links.
Yes
URL links to files, documents, or images that don't resolve as chiclet graphics, and the URL links remain as text-only links in the message.

Example:
Screenshot of URL links remain as text-only links in the message.
Yes
Images that are pasted directly into a chat.

Example:
Screenshot of images pasted directly into a chat.
No
Reactions to messages.

Example:
Screenshot of Reactions to messages.
No
Emojis that are shared in a chat.

Example:
Screenshot of Emojis shared in a chat.
No
GIF files that are shared in a chat.

Example:
Screenshot of GIF files shared in a chat.
No
Live components that are shared in a chat.

Example:
Screenshot of live components shared in a chat
No
Stickers that are shared in a chat.

Example:
Screenshot of stickers shared in a chat.
No
Praise and approvals that are shared in a chat.

Example:
Screenshot of praise sent in a chat.
No

Cloud attachments in Viva Engage

Sharing mechanism Is it a cloud attachment?
Upload a file from a device. It will be stored it in a SharePoint or OneDrive location.

Example:
Screenshot of file uploaded from a device.
Yes
Attach a file that's stored in a SharePoint or OneDrive location.

Example:
Screenshot of sharing a file from a SharePoint or OneDrive location.
Yes
Include a hyperlink in the message body to a file that's stored in a SharePoint or OneDrive location

Example:
Screenshot of sharing a link to file that's stored on SharePoint or OneDrive.
Yes