If you have Microsoft 365, you almost certainly have some of Microsoft Purview already. Most businesses never switch it on. This guide explains what Purview is, which parts come with your licences, how it relates to AI tools such as Copilot and ChatGPT, and where to start.
The short answer
Microsoft Purview is the set of Microsoft 365 tools for finding, labelling and protecting sensitive information. It covers sensitivity labels, data loss prevention, retention, audit, eDiscovery and insider risk. Microsoft 365 Business Premium includes the core of it. Some features, such as data loss prevention on computers and automatic labelling, need an add on.
What Purview includes
| Feature | What it does | In Business Premium? |
|---|---|---|
| Sensitivity labels | Mark files and emails as public, internal or confidential, and encrypt the confidential ones | Yes, applied by people. Automatic labelling needs an add on |
| Data loss prevention | Warn or block when sensitive information is about to be shared outside the business | Yes for email, SharePoint and OneDrive. Computers and Teams chats need an add on |
| Retention | Keep records for the period the law requires and delete what is no longer needed | Yes |
| Audit | Record who opened, shared, changed or deleted what | Yes, standard audit |
| eDiscovery | Search and hold email and files for a dispute or investigation | Yes, standard. Premium needs an add on |
| Insider risk management | Spot unusual activity, such as large downloads before someone resigns | No |
Microsoft changes what is in each plan from time to time, so check your own tenant before you plan around this table. Microsoft also sells a Purview add on for Business Premium that fills most of the gaps.
Sensitivity labels
Labels are the foundation. A label such as Confidential tells people how to treat a file and can apply protection that travels with it, so a forwarded attachment is still encrypted and only the right people can open it. Three or four labels in plain language work better than ten that nobody remembers.
Data loss prevention
Data loss prevention rules watch for sensitive information on its way out of the business. Purview already recognises Australian tax file numbers, Medicare numbers, bank account numbers, driver licence and passport numbers, and you can add your own patterns such as client file numbers.
Each rule can show a tip, ask for a business reason or block the action. Start every rule in test mode, where it only records what it would have done, so you can tune it before anyone is blocked.
Purview with Copilot and ChatGPT
Purview is how Microsoft 365 keeps sensitive information under control as AI tools arrive.
- Copilot. Microsoft 365 Copilot only shows people information they already have permission to see, and it honours the access rights on files protected by sensitivity labels. Labels and tidy permissions are the best preparation for Copilot.
- Other AI tools. On computers onboarded to Purview, data loss prevention can warn or block people pasting sensitive information into supported AI websites such as ChatGPT. Microsoft lists device onboarding, a browser extension for Chrome and, for AI apps other than Copilot, pay as you go billing among the requirements.
The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner recommends that organisations do not enter personal information, particularly sensitive information, into publicly available AI tools. Purview is one of the ways to back that rule with a control. See AI security for the rest.
How to get started
- Check which Purview features your licences include.
- Find where your sensitive information sits in email, SharePoint and OneDrive.
- Agree three or four sensitivity labels and who applies them.
- Turn on data loss prevention rules for the information that matters most, in test mode.
- Review what the rules catch for a few weeks, tune them, then switch on warnings and blocks.
- Review alerts regularly and adjust as the business changes.
If you would rather have it done for you, see Microsoft Purview and data loss prevention, or call us on 1300 787 429.
Microsoft Purview questions
Is Microsoft Purview free?
Parts of it come with Microsoft 365 business plans. Business Premium includes sensitivity labels applied by people, data loss prevention for email, SharePoint and OneDrive, retention and standard audit and eDiscovery. The rest needs an add on or an enterprise plan.
Is Microsoft Purview the same as Azure Purview?
Azure Purview was the old name for Microsoft’s data governance service, which maps and catalogues data across databases and cloud services. It now sits under the Purview name alongside the Microsoft 365 compliance tools. Most small and medium businesses mean the Microsoft 365 side.
Does Purview work with ChatGPT and other AI tools?
It can. On computers that are onboarded to Purview, data loss prevention can warn or block people pasting sensitive information into supported AI websites. That needs device onboarding, a browser extension for Chrome and the right licences.
Where should we start?
With a look at what your licences already include and where your sensitive information sits. Then a small set of labels and data loss prevention rules in test mode. See Microsoft Purview and data loss prevention.
Sources
- Microsoft Learn, Set up information protection capabilities in Microsoft 365 Business Premium.
- Microsoft Learn, Considerations for deploying Microsoft Purview Data Security Posture Management for AI.
- Microsoft Learn, Data, privacy and security for Microsoft 365 Copilot.
- DVG Systems, Microsoft Purview in Business Premium, 7 September 2026.
- OAIC, Guidance on privacy and the use of commercially available AI products, October 2024.
