Backing up Microsoft 365 data
Know what Microsoft 365's built-in recovery covers, where it stops, and how to plan, protect and test a backup of mail, files and Teams data.
- Level
- Intermediate
- Length
- About 40 minutes
- Contents
- 3 lessons · 1 video · final exam
- Status
- Published · updated 2 Oct 2026
- Microsoft 365
Skills you'll practise
- Describe the built-in recovery windows for deleted mail, files, OneDrive and users.
- Explain why replication and retention policies are not the same as a backup the customer controls.
- Plan what to back up, how often and for how long, based on the customer's needs.
- Test and document restores, and protect the backup service's own access.
Course outline
- 1.Backing up Microsoft 365 dataVideo · 4 min
- 2.What built-in recovery coversLesson · 8 min
- 3.Retention is not backupLesson · 8 min
- 4.Planning, protecting and testing the backupLesson · 8 min
- 5.Backing up Microsoft 365 data: knowledge checkKnowledge check · 14 questions
- 6.Final exam7 questions · passing it completes the course, so people who already know the material can test out
Sources it draws on
The lessons and questions are written from these references, so learners can go back to the original.
- Microsoft Learn: Recover deleted items in a user mailbox
- Microsoft Learn: Restore items in the SharePoint recycle bin
- Microsoft Learn: Restore your OneDrive
- Microsoft Learn: Restore a deleted user in Microsoft 365
- Microsoft Learn: Learn about retention policies and retention labels
- Microsoft Learn: Microsoft 365 Backup overview
See it with your own jobs and topics
Tell us about your team and we'll walk you through setup, from choosing jobs to your first skills check.