(Updated) Microsoft SharePoint: Restricted content discovery enhancements for Copilot and Microsoft 365 search

Message ID

MC1427972

Services

SharePoint OnlineMicrosoft Copilot (Microsoft 365)

Summary

Microsoft is enhancing SharePoint's Restricted Content Discovery (RCD) to limit content visibility in Copilot and Microsoft 365 search, starting late July 2026. Files on RCD-enabled sites won't appear in AI-powered search or Copilot, and AI entry points will be removed, ensuring better compliance and content control.

Details

Updated August 4, 2026: We have updated the timeline. Thank you for your patience.

[What and why]

We are enhancing Restricted Content Discovery (RCD) for SharePoint to give organizations stronger control over how content is surfaced in Copilot and Microsoft 365 search. These updates help reduce the risk of oversharing while ensuring AI-powered experiences respect organizational policies and support secure and compliant use of enterprise AI.

[Rollout schedule]

General availability (Worldwide, GCC High, DoD): We will begin rolling out in late July 2026 and expect to complete in late September 2026 (previously late July).

[Impact on your organization]

Who is affected

SharePoint administrators managing RCD policies and users accessing content through Copilot and Microsoft 365 search

Platforms/services

SharePoint (web)
Microsoft 365 search
Copilot (including search and chat experiences)

What will happen

Files recently accessed by a user will no longer appear in Copilot or Microsoft 365 search when governed by RCD policy.
Recently accessed includes file-level activity such as viewing, editing, or sharing files.
AI-powered entry points will be removed from SharePoint sites with RCD enabled. Users will not see Copilot entry points such as the Copilot button, AI menus, or Create pages with AI. The Create an agent action already follows this behavior.
These changes apply only to SharePoint sites where Restricted Content Discovery (RCD) policy is enabled.
Existing RCD policies continue to apply with no configuration changes required.
Users will no longer see certain files on SharePoint sites with RCD enabled. This will change how users discover content and access Copilot capabilities on those sites.
The enhancement is applied automatically.

[Action required / recommendations]

No immediate action is required. However, you may consider the following:

Review current RCD policies.
Review sites where RCD is enabled to understand where Copilot functionality will not be available.
Inform helpdesk teams about expected changes to content visibility and Copilot entry points.
Update internal documentation if needed.
Evaluate additional use of RCD for governance and oversharing scenarios.

Learn more: Documentation will be updated closer to full rollout.

Restrict discovery of SharePoint sites and content | SharePoint in Microsoft 365 | SharePoint | Microsoft Learn

[Compliance considerations]

Question	Answer
Does the change alter how existing customer data is processed, stored, or accessed?	Yes. Content from RCD-enabled sites will no longer be surfaced in Copilot or Microsoft 365 search.
Does the change introduce or significantly modify AI/ML or agent capabilities that interact with customer data?	Yes. Copilot behavior is modified by preventing access to content from RCD-enabled sites.
Does the change alter how users can access their data?	Yes. Users cannot access RCD-protected content through Copilot or search surfaces.
Does the change include an admin control and can it be controlled through Entra ID group membership?	Yes. Behavior is controlled through existing RCD policy.

Change History

Show

Published: July 14, 2026

Last Updated: August 4, 2026

August 4, 2026 at 8:30 PM Updated

Title

Microsoft SharePoint: Restricted content discovery enhancements for Copilot and Microsoft 365 search

New

(Updated) Microsoft SharePoint: Restricted content discovery enhancements for Copilot and Microsoft 365 search

Summary

Microsoft is enhancing SharePoint's Restricted Content Discovery (RCD) to prevent content from RCD-enabled sites appearing in Copilot and Microsoft 365 search, improving data control and compliance. Changes roll out worldwide in late July 2026, requiring no immediate action but recommending policy reviews and user communication.

New

Last Updated Date

2026-07-14T22:44:17.903Z

New

2026-08-04T16:43:57.217Z

Tags

New feature,User impact,Admin impact

New

Updated message,New feature,User impact,Admin impact

Body Content

[What and why]We are enhancing Restricted Content Discovery (RCD) for SharePoint to give organizations stronger control over how content is surfaced in Copilot and Microsoft 365 search. These updates help reduce the risk of oversharing while ensuring AI-powered experiences respect organizational policies and support secure and compliant use of enterprise AI.[Rollout schedule]General availability (Worldwide, GCC High, DoD): We will begin rolling out in late July 2026 and expect to complete in late July 2026.[Impact on your organization]Who is affected<ul><li> SharePoint administrators managing RCD policies and users accessing content through Copilot and Microsoft 365 search</li></ul>Platforms/services<ul><li>SharePoint (web)</li><li>Microsoft 365 search</li><li>Copilot (including search and chat experiences)</li></ul>What will happen<ul><li>Files recently accessed by a user will no longer appear in Copilot or Microsoft 365 search when governed by RCD policy.</li><li>Recently accessed includes file-level activity such as viewing, editing, or sharing files.</li><li>AI-powered entry points will be removed from SharePoint sites with RCD enabled. Users will not see Copilot entry points such as the Copilot button, AI menus, or Create pages with AI. The Create an agent action already follows this behavior.</li><li>These changes apply only to SharePoint sites where Restricted Content Discovery (RCD) policy is enabled.</li><li>Existing RCD policies continue to apply with no configuration changes required.</li><li>Users will no longer see certain files on SharePoint sites with RCD enabled. This will change how users discover content and access Copilot capabilities on those sites.</li><li>The enhancement is applied automatically.</li></ul>[Action required / recommendations]No immediate action is required. However, you may consider the following:<ul><li>Review current RCD policies.</li><li>Review sites where RCD is enabled to understand where Copilot functionality will not be available.</li><li>Inform helpdesk teams about expected changes to content visibility and Copilot entry points.</li><li>Update internal documentation if needed.</li><li>Evaluate additional use of RCD for governance and oversharing scenarios.</li></ul>Learn more: Documentation will be updated closer to full rollout.<ul><li><a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/sharepoint/restricted-content-discovery" target="_blank">Restrict discovery of SharePoint sites and content | SharePoint in Microsoft 365 | SharePoint | Microsoft Learn</a></li></ul>[Compliance considerations]<table class="table table-bordered"><tbody><tr><td>Question</td><td>Answer</td></tr><tr><td>Does the change alter how existing customer data is processed, stored, or accessed?</td><td>Yes. Content from RCD-enabled sites will no longer be surfaced in Copilot or Microsoft 365 search.</td></tr><tr><td>Does the change introduce or significantly modify AI/ML or agent capabilities that interact with customer data?</td><td>Yes. Copilot behavior is modified by preventing access to content from RCD-enabled sites.</td></tr><tr><td>Does the change alter how users can access their data?</td><td>Yes. Users cannot access RCD-protected content through Copilot or search surfaces.</td></tr><tr><td>Does the change include an admin control and can it be controlled through Entra ID group membership?</td><td>Yes. Behavior is controlled through existing RCD policy.</td></tr></tbody></table>

New

Updated August 4, 2026: We have updated the timeline. Thank you for your patience. [What and why]We are enhancing Restricted Content Discovery (RCD) for SharePoint to give organizations stronger control over how content is surfaced in Copilot and Microsoft 365 search. These updates help reduce the risk of oversharing while ensuring AI-powered experiences respect organizational policies and support secure and compliant use of enterprise AI.[Rollout schedule]General availability (Worldwide, GCC High, DoD): We will begin rolling out in late July 2026 and expect to complete in late September 2026 (previously late July).[Impact on your organization]Who is affected<ul><li> SharePoint administrators managing RCD policies and users accessing content through Copilot and Microsoft 365 search</li></ul>Platforms/services<ul><li>SharePoint (web)</li><li>Microsoft 365 search</li><li>Copilot (including search and chat experiences)</li></ul>What will happen<ul><li>Files recently accessed by a user will no longer appear in Copilot or Microsoft 365 search when governed by RCD policy.</li><li>Recently accessed includes file-level activity such as viewing, editing, or sharing files.</li><li>AI-powered entry points will be removed from SharePoint sites with RCD enabled. Users will not see Copilot entry points such as the Copilot button, AI menus, or Create pages with AI. The Create an agent action already follows this behavior.</li><li>These changes apply only to SharePoint sites where Restricted Content Discovery (RCD) policy is enabled.</li><li>Existing RCD policies continue to apply with no configuration changes required.</li><li>Users will no longer see certain files on SharePoint sites with RCD enabled. This will change how users discover content and access Copilot capabilities on those sites.</li><li>The enhancement is applied automatically.</li></ul>[Action required / recommendations]No immediate action is required. However, you may consider the following:<ul><li>Review current RCD policies.</li><li>Review sites where RCD is enabled to understand where Copilot functionality will not be available.</li><li>Inform helpdesk teams about expected changes to content visibility and Copilot entry points.</li><li>Update internal documentation if needed.</li><li>Evaluate additional use of RCD for governance and oversharing scenarios.</li></ul>Learn more: Documentation will be updated closer to full rollout.<ul><li><a href="https://learn.microsoft.com/sharepoint/restricted-content-discovery" target="_blank">Restrict discovery of SharePoint sites and content | SharePoint in Microsoft 365 | SharePoint | Microsoft Learn</a></li></ul>[Compliance considerations]<table class="table table-bordered"><tbody><tr><td>Question</td><td>Answer</td></tr><tr><td>Does the change alter how existing customer data is processed, stored, or accessed?</td><td>Yes. Content from RCD-enabled sites will no longer be surfaced in Copilot or Microsoft 365 search.</td></tr><tr><td>Does the change introduce or significantly modify AI/ML or agent capabilities that interact with customer data?</td><td>Yes. Copilot behavior is modified by preventing access to content from RCD-enabled sites.</td></tr><tr><td>Does the change alter how users can access their data?</td><td>Yes. Users cannot access RCD-protected content through Copilot or search surfaces.</td></tr><tr><td>Does the change include an admin control and can it be controlled through Entra ID group membership?</td><td>Yes. Behavior is controlled through existing RCD policy.</td></tr></tbody></table>

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