Guide

Clean up redundant, obsolete and trivial content

Last updated Oct 21, 2026 Automation

SharePoint

OneDrive

Teams

AI summary

Create policies to identify files that are old, unused, or trivial, so Copilot and other AI agents use current content instead of outdated information. You can target files by age, size, or modification date, then archive single files, teams, or sites to cold storage while keeping them accessible. This requires specific Rencore role permissions and the Files and Folders add-on.

Find files that are old, unused or trivial, so Copilot answers from current content and your storage does not fill up with files nobody needs.

Before you begin

Your Rencore role needs the permissions to create policies and automations. See Rencore roles.
SharePoint and OneDrive are connected. File data needs the Files & Folders add-on.
Archiving single files uses Microsoft 365 Archive, which needs its own Microsoft license.

Steps

Find obsolete files

Go to Policies > Policy Options ([…]) > Create Policy.
In the “Policy Template Library”, choose one of these templates:
On the “Logic” screen, change the age to your own rule, then save. See Create a Policy from a Template.

Find trivial files

Create a custom policy on the SharePoint object “File”.
Add filters on “Size” (for example, smaller than 1 KB) or on “File Extension” (for example, tmp, bak or log).
Click Preview. Small system files, such as site icons, also match. Add a filter that excludes them before you save.

Find stale knowledge for agents

The templates SharePoint agent uses outdated site collection and SharePoint agent uses outdated list flag SharePoint agents that answer from content nobody has changed for more than a year.

Clean up

For a single file, open it in the inventory and run Archive or unarchive a SharePoint file. The file moves to Microsoft 365 Archive cold storage. It stays visible, but nobody can open it until it is reactivated. See Executing an Action.
When a whole Team is out of date, run the built-in action Archive Team, or use the automation template “Archive unused teams”. See Archive or Unarchive a Team.
For whole sites, see Archive Inactive SharePoint Sites.
To free storage held by old versions, see Remove SharePoint File Versions.

What you see

The policies list the files with their site and library. After the next scan, an archived file shows its new “Archive Status” in the inventory, and an archived Team shows “Is Archived”.

Limits

Rencore Governance does not find duplicate files by their content.
Files have a modified date, not a last opened date.
Rencore Governance does not delete or move single files.

Frequently asked questions

Which policy templates find old SharePoint and OneDrive files?

Use the templates SharePoint file is older than 5 years, Unused SharePoint files, or OneDrive file is older than 5 years. On the Logic screen you can change the age to your own rule before you save.

How do I find trivial files such as tmp or bak files?

Create a custom policy on the SharePoint object File. Add filters on Size (for example, smaller than 1 KB) or on File Extension (for example, tmp, bak or log), then click Preview.

Why do small system files like site icons show up in my trivial files preview?

Small system files, such as site icons, also match the Size or File Extension filters. Add a filter that excludes them before you save the policy.

What happens to a file when I archive it?

The file moves to Microsoft 365 Archive cold storage. It stays visible, but nobody can open it until it is reactivated. Archiving single files needs its own Microsoft license.

Can Rencore Governance delete files or find duplicates by content?

No. Rencore Governance does not find duplicate files by their content, and it does not delete or move single files. Files also have a modified date, not a last opened date.

Was this page helpful?