MC1330877 Viva Glint: Configure data retention policy for Viva Glint

Summary

• New self-service data retention policy is being added to the Viva Glint admin experience allowing admins to set how long survey data is kept (numeric months; min 6, max 1000).
• By default Glint data is retained indefinitely while a tenant has an active Viva Glint subscription; when retention periods are met, applicable survey data is permanently deleted and irrecoverable.
• Retention applies to Engagement (recurring/ad-hoc/lifecycle), Always On, 360 surveys, Focus Areas & Goals, and historical imports; deletions are logged in the Glint Audit Log (and planned for Microsoft 365 Unified Audit Logs).
• No immediate action required for tenants without retention needs, but organizations with compliance requirements should review policies, plan retention values, update documentation, and communicate to HR/Employee Listening stakeholders.

Primary Service: Viva
Admin Impact: High
User Impact: Medium
Release Start: 30 Jun 2026
Release End: 31 Jul 2026
Services: Viva
Category: Stay informed
Tags: Admin Action, New Feature, User Adoption

History

6/1/2026 Item Added to Message Center

Microsoft Message

What and Why

To support enterprise data governance and compliance requirements, Viva Glint will introduce a self‑service data retention policy for survey data. This enhancement enables Glint service administrators to define how long survey data is retained in their tenant, helping organizations align Viva Glint with internal retention policies and regulatory obligations while maintaining control over employee experience insights.

This update aligns with Microsoft’s Enterprise‑ready AI commitment by improving data lifecycle management, auditability, and compliance controls across Viva Glint.

This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 560551.

Rollout Schedule

General Availability (Worldwide, GCC): We will begin rolling out in late June 2026 and expect to complete by late July 2026.

Impact on Your Organization

Who is affected: Viva Glint service administrators and organizations using Viva Glint surveys

Platforms/Services:

• Viva Glint (Web)
• Microsoft Viva

What will happen:

• A new self‑service data retention policy setting will be available in the Viva Glint admin experience.
• By default, Glint data is retained indefinitely as long as the tenant has an active Viva Glint subscription.
• Admins can configure a numerical retention period (in months):
  • Minimum: 6 months
  • Maximum: 1000 months
• The retention policy applies to:
  • Engagement surveys (Recurring, Ad‑hoc, Lifecycle) will be evaluated for retention based on the survey cycle end date, once the survey cycle is in a Completed state.
  • Always on surveys, based on survey response date
  • 360 surveys are subject to retention based on the feedback cycle effective due date (the latest subject due date, or the cycle due date if no subjects exist).
  • Focus Areas & Goals based on due date
• Data retention policy also applies to historical imports. If the historical data being imported is older than the data retention policy in place, that imported data will be deleted shortly after the import finishes.
• When the retention period is met:
  • Applicable Glint survey data is permanently deleted and this action is irreversible
  • Deleted data cannot be recovered
• All changes and deletions are:
  • Logged in the Glint Audit Log
  • Planned to be logged in Microsoft 365 Unified Audit Logs in a future release

Action Required / Recommendations

No action is required if your organization does not have a Glint data retention policy.

If your organization has data retention requirements:

• Review internal compliance policies and configure retention settings after release if required.
• If you already have a retention policy configured:
  • Existing settings will be carried forward to the new self‑service experience.
  • Any data exceeding the configured retention period may be deleted.
  • If you need to modify your existing policy before self‑service is available, submit a Viva Glint support request.
• Communicate this update to Glint Service Administrators, Employee Listening stakeholders, HR, Compliance, or employee experience stakeholders, as applicable.
• Update internal documentation related to survey data retention.

Learn more:

• Data residency for Viva Glint | Microsoft Learn (will be updated before rollout)
• Manage General Settings in Viva Glint | Microsoft Learn (will be updated before rollout)

Compliance considerations

Area: Retention policies, holds, or deletion workflows

Explanation: This update introduces a configurable data retention policy that determines when Viva Glint survey data is permanently deleted based on an administrator-defined timeframe.

Area: Audit logging capabilities

Explanation: All changes to the data retention policy and resulting survey data deletions are logged in the Viva Glint Audit Log, with future support planned for Microsoft 365 Unified Audit Logs.

Area: How customer data is processed or stored

Explanation: Existing Viva Glint survey data, Focus Areas, and Goals may be deleted when the configured retention period is met, changing how long customer data is stored within the service.

Area: Admin controls

Explanation:  Viva Glint service administrators can configure and manage the data retention period through the Viva Glint admin experience.