check before: 2026-06-15
Product:
eDiscovery, Purview, Purview Communication Compliance
Platform:
Online, US Instances, World tenant
Status:
Change type:
Feature update, Updated message, User impact
Links:
Details:
Summary:
Starting mid-June 2026, Microsoft Purview eDiscovery will restrict special characters (+, =, @, /, *) in naming and description fields for new or edited cases, holds, searches, and review sets. Existing entities remain unaffected. No admin action is required, but users should update naming practices accordingly.
Details:
Updated May 20, 2026: We have updated the timeline. Thank you for your patience.
[Introduction]
We're making a change to the characters allowed in naming and description fields across Microsoft Purview eDiscovery. As part of ongoing security hardening efforts, this update strengthens input validation for eDiscovery cases, holds, searches, and review sets to improve service resilience and reliability.
[When this will happen:]
General Availability (Production, GCC, GCC High, DoD): This change will begin rolling out in mid-June 2026 (previously mid-May) and is expected to be completed by end of June 2026 (previously late May).
Change Category:
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Scope:
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Release Phase:
Created:
2026-04-17
updated:
2026-05-21
Task Type
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Docu to Check
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MS How does it affect me
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MS Preperations
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MS Urgency
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MS workload name
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summary for non-techies**
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Direct effects for Operations**
Naming Restrictions
Users will be unable to use certain special characters in naming and description fields, which may lead to confusion or errors in naming conventions.
- roles: eDiscovery Users, Compliance Officers
- references: https://learn.microsoft.com/purview/edisc
User Experience
Users editing existing entities may face validation messages, causing interruptions in workflow and potential frustration.
- roles: eDiscovery Users, IT Support Staff
- references: https://learn.microsoft.com/purview/edisc
Documentation Updates
Internal documentation and naming conventions will need to be updated, which may lead to inconsistencies if not communicated effectively.
- roles: Compliance Officers, IT Administrators
- references: https://learn.microsoft.com/purview/edisc
Helpdesk Preparedness
Helpdesk teams may receive increased queries related to validation messages, requiring additional training and resources to handle user concerns.
- roles: Helpdesk Staff, IT Support Staff
- references: https://learn.microsoft.com/purview/edisc
Change Management
Without proper communication, users may be unprepared for the changes, leading to potential delays in eDiscovery processes.
- roles: eDiscovery Users, Project Managers
- references: https://learn.microsoft.com/purview/edisc
Configutation Options**
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Opportunities**
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Potentional Risks**
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Data Protection**
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IT Security**
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Hypothetical Work Council Statement**
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DPIA Draft**
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explanation for non-techies**
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** AI generated content. This information must be reviewed before use.
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change history
| Date | Property | old | new |
| 2026-05-21 | MC Last Updated | 04/23/2026 19:04:10 | 2026-05-20T18:13:12Z |
| 2026-05-21 | MC Messages | Updated April 23, 2026: We have updated the content. Thank you for your patience.
[Introduction] We're making a change to the characters allowed in naming and description fields across Microsoft Purview eDiscovery. As part of ongoing security hardening efforts, this update strengthens input validation for eDiscovery cases, holds, searches, and review sets to improve service resilience and reliability. [When this will happen:] General Availability (Production, GCC, GCC High, DoD): This change will begin rolling out in mid-May 2026 and is expected to be completed by late May 2026. | Updated May 20, 2026: We have updated the timeline. Thank you for your patience.
[Introduction] We're making a change to the characters allowed in naming and description fields across Microsoft Purview eDiscovery. As part of ongoing security hardening efforts, this update strengthens input validation for eDiscovery cases, holds, searches, and review sets to improve service resilience and reliability. [When this will happen:] General Availability (Production, GCC, GCC High, DoD): This change will begin rolling out in mid-June 2026 (previously mid-May) and is expected to be completed by end of June 2026 (previously late May). |
| 2026-05-21 | MC End Time | 06/18/2026 09:00:00 | 2026-07-31T09:00:00Z |
| 2026-05-21 | MC Summary | Starting mid-May 2026, Microsoft Purview eDiscovery will restrict the use of +, =, @, /, and * in naming and description fields for new or edited cases, holds, searches, and review sets. Existing entities remain unaffected, and no admin action is required. | Starting mid-June 2026, Microsoft Purview eDiscovery will restrict special characters (+, =, @, /, *) in naming and description fields for new or edited cases, holds, searches, and review sets. Existing entities remain unaffected. No admin action is required, but users should update naming practices accordingly. |
| 2026-04-24 | MC prepare | No admin action is required to enable this change. However, we recommend the following:
Inform your eDiscovery users that the characters + - = @ / and * will no longer be accepted in entity names and descriptions. Review and update existing naming conventions or templates that include these characters. Update internal documentation or guidance for eDiscovery naming standards. Communicate this change to helpdesk and compliance teams to prepare for validation messages when editing existing entities. Learn about eDiscovery (Premium) | Microsoft Learn No data loss will occur. Existing entities retain their current names and continue to function. Enforcement applies only at the time of creation or editing. [Compliance considerations:] No compliance considerations identified, review as appropriate for your organization. https://learn.microsoft.com/purview/edisc | No admin action is required to enable this change. However, we recommend the following:
Inform your eDiscovery users that the characters + = @ / and * will no longer be accepted in entity names and descriptions. Review and update existing naming conventions or templates that include these characters. Update internal documentation or guidance for eDiscovery naming standards. Communicate this change to helpdesk and compliance teams to prepare for validation messages when editing existing entities. Learn about eDiscovery (Premium) | Microsoft Learn No data loss will occur. Existing entities retain their current names and continue to function. Enforcement applies only at the time of creation or editing. [Compliance considerations:] No compliance considerations identified, review as appropriate for your organization. https://learn.microsoft.com/purview/edisc |
| 2026-04-24 | MC MessageTagNames | Feature update, User impact | Updated message, Feature update, User impact |
| 2026-04-24 | MC Summary | Starting mid-May 2026, Microsoft Purview eDiscovery will restrict the use of +, -, =, @, /, and * in naming and description fields for cases, holds, searches, and review sets. Existing entities remain unaffected unless edited, which will trigger validation. No admin action is required, but user communication is recommended. | Starting mid-May 2026, Microsoft Purview eDiscovery will restrict the use of +, =, @, /, and * in naming and description fields for new or edited cases, holds, searches, and review sets. Existing entities remain unaffected, and no admin action is required. |
| 2026-04-24 | MC Last Updated | 04/16/2026 23:16:23 | 2026-04-23T19:04:10Z |
| 2026-04-24 | MC Messages | [Introduction]
We're making a change to the characters allowed in naming and description fields across Microsoft Purview eDiscovery. As part of ongoing security hardening efforts, this update strengthens input validation for eDiscovery cases, holds, searches, and review sets to improve service resilience and reliability. [When this will happen:] General Availability (Production, GCC, GCC High, DoD): This change will begin rolling out in mid-May 2026 and is expected to be completed by late May 2026. | Updated April 23, 2026: We have updated the content. Thank you for your patience.
[Introduction] We're making a change to the characters allowed in naming and description fields across Microsoft Purview eDiscovery. As part of ongoing security hardening efforts, this update strengthens input validation for eDiscovery cases, holds, searches, and review sets to improve service resilience and reliability. [When this will happen:] General Availability (Production, GCC, GCC High, DoD): This change will begin rolling out in mid-May 2026 and is expected to be completed by late May 2026. |
| 2026-04-24 | MC Title | Microsoft Purview eDiscovery: Naming and description fields will restrict certain special characters | (Updated) Microsoft Purview eDiscovery: Naming and description fields will restrict certain special characters |
| 2026-04-24 | MC How Affect | Who is affected:
Organizations with users or administrators who create or manage Microsoft Purview eDiscovery: Cases Holds Searches Review sets What will happen: Beginning May 15th, 2026, the following special characters will no longer be permitted in naming or description fields when creating or editing: + (plus sign) - (hyphen) = (equals sign) @ (at sign) / (forward slash) * (asterisk) This restriction applies to: Case name and description Hold policy name and description Search name and description Review set name and description Existing entities are not affected. Cases, holds, searches, and review sets that already contain these characters will continue to function normally. Editing triggers enforcement: If a user edits an existing entity that contains a restricted character in the name or description, they will see a validation message prompting them to update the value before saving. The original name and description are preserved until the user chooses to make changes. New entities are enforced immediately: Any newly created case, hold, search, or review set must not contain restricted characters in name or description fields. | Who is affected:
Organizations with users or administrators who create or manage Microsoft Purview eDiscovery: Cases Holds Searches Review sets What will happen: Beginning May 15th, 2026, the following special characters will no longer be permitted in naming or description fields when creating or editing: + (plus sign) = (equals sign) @ (at sign) / (forward slash) * (asterisk) This restriction applies to: Case name and description Hold policy name and description Search name and description Review set name and description Existing entities are not affected. Cases, holds, searches, and review sets that already contain these characters will continue to function normally. Editing triggers enforcement: If a user edits an existing entity's name or description (e.g., updating an eDiscovery case name) that contains a restricted character, they will see a validation message prompting them to remove the special character before saving. Note that this does not apply when an existing hold policy is being reapplied or when data sources are added to or removed from hold policies. The original name and description are preserved until the user chooses to make changes. New entities are enforced immediately: Any newly created case, hold, search, or review set must not contain restricted characters in name or description fields. |
Last updated 4 weeks ago ago
