Seller field guide · 3 min read
How do you assess Microsoft 365 archives for AI licensing?
Define a permitted process across Exchange, SharePoint and OneDrive before collecting tenant-wide content. The useful unit is an explainable business decision with the right supporting records. Collection permissions, content ownership and permission for the buyer’s intended use must all be resolved separately.
What an eDiscovery package does and does not establish
Microsoft documents exporting mailbox content as PST files or individual messages, and SharePoint or OneDrive content as copies of documents. Export options and reports describe what was collected; the export is not a grant of reuse rights.
Have an authorized administrator confirm the chosen locations, included content types and any export errors. Use a small, permitted test collection to verify the structure. Retain the export report privately so you can explain why the package differs from the original search estimate.
Source notes: Microsoft: export eDiscovery search results
Keep the business process as the organizing principle
A procurement exception may cross a shared mailbox, an internal approval spreadsheet and a policy document. Define those relationships in a manifest rather than assuming that a folder tree explains them. Separate the team’s reasoning from the confidential terms of an individual supplier agreement.
Watch for duplicate messages copied to several recipients and documents synchronized into multiple locations. A large file count can conceal a small number of unique workflows. Describe the number of distinct decision trails in a sample without converting file size or mailbox count into an unsupported price estimate.
Choose a defensible evaluation scope
This is our suggested scoping framework, not a statement that a buyer accepts every record below. Review contractual rights and the intended use before preparing a sample. Technical access to a record does not establish permission to license it.
| Record or context | What to evaluate | Boundary to keep |
|---|---|---|
| Shared operational mailbox | Requests, approvals and resolution messages | Exclude personal, legal and confidential third-party material |
| SharePoint procedure library | The policy used in the sampled decisions | Review versions and restricted libraries separately |
| OneDrive documents | Firm-owned records needed for context | Do not assume everything in an employee account is licensable |
Use collection reports to explain limitations
Compare several known source items with their collected equivalents. Check readable content, attachments, timestamps and links between files. If password-protected or unsupported items are absent, mark that absence in the evaluation scope instead of representing the package as complete.
Ask the buyer whether it needs native files, extracted text or a structured representation. Agree on the minimum acceptable format before paying to transform an entire archive. Keep any identity mapping and excluded originals within the company’s controlled environment.
Illustrative scenario · fictional company
Microsoft 365: a fictional scoping example
A fictional facilities company evaluates maintenance-approval correspondence and its internal operating manual. The administrator limits the collection to a shared mailbox and a reviewed SharePoint library. Individual employee OneDrive folders remain out of scope. Duplicate messages are counted once, supplier attachments are excluded, and a missing procedure version is recorded as a limitation. The buyer receives an explanation of the allowed workflow, not tenant credentials or an unrestricted mailbox archive.
When to pause or narrow the scope
Client work and customer files are excluded from this starting scope. Assess company-owned internal records separately from personnel, health, privileged or NDA-restricted material.
- The scope cannot distinguish business process records from personnel or privileged material.
- A proposed sample depends on confidential attachments that cannot be included.
- The requested access is broader than the stated evaluation purpose.
Your preparation checklist
- Map the workflow to specific mailboxes and document locations.
- Confirm export permissions and the allowed commercial purpose.
- Inspect export reports and compare known source items.
- Document deduplication and missing attachments or versions.
- Agree on file format, retention and deletion before delivery.
Start with a description of the records. The quote form does not ask you to upload a dataset.
Discuss your dataSources and further reading
- Microsoft: export eDiscovery search results · Checked October 26, 2026
This is general information, not legal advice or confirmation that a buyer will accept your records. Published buyer ranges describe their programs, not an offer for your dataset. Buyers may pay QuoteMyData when a deal closes; see how we are paid.
