OneDrive Version History for Document Libraries and Storage

OneDrive introduced version history for document libraries in 2015, allowing users to track changes to files over time.

This feature was initially only available for Office Online files, but was later expanded to include all file types.

Version history was a game-changer for teams and individuals who need to collaborate on documents, as it provides a clear record of changes made to a file.

With version history, you can easily revert to a previous version of a file if you need to, or compare different versions to see what changes were made.

OneDrive's version history feature is also integrated with other Microsoft tools, such as Office Online and SharePoint.

OneDrive version history limits are applied in a hierarchical manner, starting with default organization limits that apply to all new libraries created on sites without site-level settings configured. Organization default settings are applied to all new libraries created on sites that don't have site-level settings configured.

Site limits can be configured to break inheritance from the organization defaults, and when site-level limits are applied, they override the organization default settings. This means that libraries created on a site with site-level limits will follow the settings applied at the site level.

You can configure version limits at the library level to define version limits for files stored in the library. This allows for more granular control over version history for specific libraries.

Here are some key facts about version limits:

Manual Setting allows admins to control the number of major versions stored. This setting can be configured in various ways.

Admins can set a major version limit with an expiration period, which means versions are deleted after exceeding the set number of major versions or after a certain period of time. For example, a library can be configured to store 500 major versions with a 365-day expiration.

The manual setting also allows admins to set a major version limit with no expiration period, which means versions are deleted after exceeding the set number of major versions. For example, a library can be configured to store 500 major versions.

Admins should note that the UI doesn't allow a value less than 100 major versions or less than 30 days expiration time limits to be set. However, it's possible to set the system to store fewer versions using public APIs.

Here are some key points to consider when setting manual limits:

If you're looking to optimize your version storage, automatic setting is the way to go. It combines the benefits of version history with optimized storage.

This setting is ideal for admins who don't want to estimate the version count or age limits needed for their end users. It's a hassle-free option that meets the diversified needs of your users.

Automatic setting is recommended for optimized version storage, making it the most optimal storage option for admins.

You can monitor version history activities on the Microsoft Purview compliance portal, which logs audit events for various activities.

Audit events are available on the Microsoft Purview compliance portal to help you monitor version history activities. Audit events are logged for the following activities:

These audit events can help you keep track of changes made to your OneDrive version history settings and identify any potential issues or security risks.

Storage is a crucial aspect of SharePoint, and understanding how it works can help you manage your files effectively. User deletion activity can impact version storage, and when a user deletes a version from the version history of a file, it's moved to the site's recycle bin.

The recycle bin provides a period during which the deleted version can be recovered. For more information, see Restore items in the recycle bin that were deleted from SharePoint or Teams.

Version storage limits are also configured on a library, and when versions exceed these limits, versions matching the criteria are marked for permanent deletion. This deletion bypasses the normal recycle bin, and the deleted versions can't be recovered.

Scheduled jobs can also trim existing versions on a library or site, and versions deleted using these jobs are permanently deleted. This deletion workflow bypasses the normal recycle bin, and deleted versions can't be recovered.

Retention policies can exempt versioning limits, and for items subject to a retention policy, the versioning limits for the document library are ignored. This exemption continues until the retention period of the document is reached.

Here's a table summarizing the version storage behavior in different scenarios:

Items marked as records are also exempt from version deletion, and version deletion on documents marked as records is blocked. This is a critical feature for organizations that require long-term retention of important documents.

Audit events are available on the Microsoft Purview compliance portal to help you monitor version history activities. This means you can keep track of who made changes and when.

Changes made to organization version history limits are logged, so you can see if anyone has adjusted these settings. Similarly, changes to site and library version history limits are also recorded.

User activities like queuing jobs to generate version storage usage reports or update version history limits on all libraries of a site are also logged. This helps you understand who's doing what and when.

User actions like deleting versions from the version history of a file are tracked, as well as versions deleted when expired or bulk deleted.