Microsoft Copilot for Microsoft 365 / Excluding files & Sites

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As many organizations are engaging in Implementing Microsoft Copilot, a question I often get asked which I thought I would document for reference.

Microsoft Copilot for Microsoft 365 is a powerful tool that leverages AI to assist users in various tasks. However, there might be instances where you want to exclude certain files or documents from being accessed by Copilot. Microsoft Copilot for Microsoft 365 is designed to respect access permissions and security settings within the Microsoft 365 environment. It does not display results that users do not have access to. If a user lacks permission to view specific content, Copilot will not retrieve or present that information. This guide will walk you through the steps to achieve that.

Side note: Microsoft Purview Data Loss Prevention (DLP) is expected to extend support for Microsoft 365 Copilot. DLP policies will be able to identify sensitive documents based on sensitivity labels and exclude processing for Copilot interactions in Microsoft 365 Copilot Business Chat.

Why Exclude Files from Copilot?

There are several reasons why you might want to exclude files from Copilot:

• Confidentiality: Sensitive information that should not be accessed by AI tools.
• Relevance: Files that are not relevant to the tasks Copilot is assisting with.
• Compliance: Regulatory requirements that mandate certain data to be restricted.

Methods to Exclude Files

There are two primary methods to exclude files from Microsoft Copilot for Microsoft 365:

1. Using Sensitivity Labels
2. Excluding from Search Results

1. Using Sensitivity Labels

Sensitivity labels in Microsoft 365 allow you to classify and protect your organization’s data. By applying sensitivity labels, you can control how Copilot interacts with your files.

Steps to Create and Apply Sensitivity Labels:

1. Create Sensitivity Labels:
   • Go to the Microsoft 365 compliance center.
   • Navigate to Information protection under Solutions.
   • Click on Labels and then Create a label.
   • Define the label name, description, and settings (e.g., encryption, content marking).
2. Publish Sensitivity Labels:
   • After creating the labels, go to Label policies.
   • Click on Publish labels and select the labels you want to publish.
   • Choose the users or groups to whom the labels should be available.
3. Configure Policies to Exclude Sites:
   • In the compliance center, go to Information protection.
   • Under Data loss prevention, create a new policy.
   • Define the policy settings, including the conditions and actions.
   • In the conditions, specify the sensitivity label that should trigger the exclusion.
   • In the actions, configure the policy to block access to specific sites or content.
4. Apply the Policy:
   • Ensure the policy is applied to the relevant users or groups.
   • Test the policy to confirm that it correctly excludes access to the specified sites based on the sensitivity label.

2. Excluding from Search Results

Another method to exclude files from Copilot is by removing them from search results. This can be done by configuring the search settings in SharePoint Online.

Steps to Exclude Files from Search Results:

1. Navigate to the SharePoint Site:
   • Go to the SharePoint site where the files are stored.
2. Access Site Settings:
   • Click on the gear icon (Settings) and select Site settings.
3. Configure Search Settings:
   • Under Search, click on Search and offline availability.
   • Set the Allow this site to appear in search results? option to No.
4. Exclude Specific Document Libraries:
   • If you want to exclude specific document libraries, navigate to the library settings.
   • Under Advanced settings, set the Allow items from this document library to appear in search results? option to No.

You can effectively exclude files from Microsoft Copilot for Microsoft 365, ensuring that sensitive or irrelevant data is not accessed by the AI tool. Whether you choose to use sensitivity labels or exclude files from search results, these steps will help you maintain control over your organization’s data. Proper data governance is crucial to manage data effectively and securely, especially when dealing with AI-based tool results (Microsoft Copilot) and sensitive information.

Hope this helps!

Resources:

Here are some sources that provide detailed information on how to exclude files from Microsoft Copilot for Microsoft 365:

1. How to prevent Copilot from accessing certain documents | Microsoft Community Hub
2. Stopping Copilot Access to SharePoint Online Sites and Document Libraries | Microsoft Community Hub
3. Excluding documents marked for Copilot for Microsoft 365 | Microsoft Community Hub
4. Exclude sensitive labelled document from Microsoft 365 copilot lookup | Microsoft Community Hub