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Modernizing content discovery controls with Restricted Content Discovery
Organizations using Restricted SharePoint Search (RSS) should start planning for its retirement. RSS has historically been used to limit how SharePoint content appears in Microsoft Search and Microsoft 365 Copilot. Microsoft is retiring RSS in favor of Restricted Content Discovery (RCD), which provides more granular controls and better aligns with modern Microsoft 365 governance capabilities.
Microsoft will not automatically migrate existing RSS configurations. Organizations using RSS will need to review their current settings and implement RCD or other appropriate controls before RSS is retired. Failure to do so could result in content becoming discoverable after the retirement date.
New RSS enablement will be blocked after July 31, 2026. RSS will stop functioning on January 31, 2027, and the associated PowerShell cmdlets will be retired on February 28, 2027.
Here are some links for more information:
https://learn.microsoft.com/sharepoint/restricted-content-discovery
https://learn.microsoft.com/sharepoint/restricted-sharepoint-search-admin-scripts
As with all upcoming Microsoft 365 changes, retirement timelines may change. Continue monitoring the Microsoft 365 Message Center for the latest information.
Strengthening Copilot and Search governance with Restricted Content Discovery
The move from RSS to RCD becomes more meaningful when viewed alongside Microsoft's latest enhancements to Restricted Content Discovery. These updates give organizations greater control over how SharePoint content is surfaced through Microsoft 365 Search and Copilot.
On sites where RCD is enabled, recently accessed files will no longer appear through Copilot or Microsoft 365 Search. Microsoft is also removing Copilot entry points from those sites, including Copilot buttons, AI-powered creation experiences, and related AI menus. This helps ensure that content protected by RCD remains consistently governed across both search and AI experiences.
No configuration changes are required. Existing RCD policies will automatically enforce the new behavior. Organizations may still want to review where RCD is in use and prepare support teams for changes to content visibility and available Copilot functionality.
General availability is scheduled to begin and complete during late July 2026.
As with all upcoming Microsoft 365 changes, rollout timelines may change. Continue monitoring the Microsoft 365 Message Center for the latest information.
Extending Restricted Access Control to Microsoft 365 Search
The third announcement completes the picture by aligning search results with access controls. Microsoft is extending Restricted Access Control (RAC) enforcement into Microsoft 365 Search, including SharePoint Search, organization-wide search experiences, and Microsoft 365 applications such as Office.com.
RAC is used to restrict access to SharePoint sites and OneDrive accounts to specific groups of users. With this update, users will only see search results for content that is available to them under existing RAC policies. This improves consistency between access permissions and content discovery while reducing the likelihood of sensitive content appearing in search experiences where it should not.
The update applies automatically to both existing and newly configured RAC-enabled sites and OneDrive accounts. No changes to RAC configuration are required, although administrators may want to review existing group memberships and access policies to ensure they still reflect business requirements.
General availability is scheduled to begin and complete during late July 2026.
https://learn.microsoft.com/sharepoint/restricted-access-control
https://learn.microsoft.com/sharepoint/limit-access
As with all upcoming Microsoft 365 changes, rollout timelines may change. Continue monitoring the Microsoft 365 Message Center for the latest information.
Taken individually, these announcements may look like routine SharePoint updates. Viewed together, they represent a broader effort to ensure that content discoverability, search experiences, and Copilot access follow the same governance and security controls. For organizations investing in Microsoft 365 Copilot, these changes are worth understanding now, particularly if Restricted SharePoint Search is still in use.
Thank you for reading. If you would like to stay up to date on Microsoft 365, security, governance, and Copilot news, feel free to follow me on LinkedIn. You'll find the link in the main menu on the front page of this site.
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