How To Use Restricted Content Discoverability To Control Copilot

Key insights

• Restricted Content Discoverability (RCD) in SharePoint allows administrators to control content visibility in organization-wide searches and Copilot interactions without changing site permissions.


• Implementation Steps: To enable RCD, use the SharePoint Online Management Shell with commands like Set-SPOSite -Identity <site-url> -RestrictContentOrgWideSearch $true. Verify settings with Get-SPOSite -Identity <site-url> | Select RestrictContentOrgWideSearch.


• User Access and Interaction: RCD does not alter user permissions. Users can still access content directly if they have existing rights. Recent interactions may still appear in searches even with RCD enabled.


• Performance Considerations: Applying RCD to many sites can slow search index updates. Use it selectively on high-risk sites to avoid performance issues and ensure Copilot response quality.


• Use Cases: Ideal for preventing accidental discovery of sensitive or high-risk sites. It helps manage data governance effectively while onboarding Microsoft 365 Copilot.


• Prerequisites and Eligibility: Requires a Microsoft SharePoint Premium subscription. Only affects tenant-wide search scenarios, not individual document interactions within tools like Word.

Introduction to Restricted Content Discoverability

In a recent YouTube video, Steve Corey delves into the intricacies of Restricted Content Discoverability (RCD) within SharePoint Advanced Management. This feature is pivotal for organizations aiming to maintain robust data governance while utilizing Microsoft 365 Copilot. The video provides a comprehensive guide on how to implement RCD, its use cases, and the potential challenges associated with its deployment. Restricted Content Discoverability allows administrators to control whether content from specific SharePoint sites appears in organization-wide searches and Copilot interactions. This control is achieved without altering existing site permissions, making it an essential tool for organizations concerned about data oversharing.

Implementing Restricted Content Discoverability

To successfully implement RCD, certain prerequisites must be met. Organizations need a Microsoft SharePoint Premium - SharePoint Advanced Management subscription and the latest version of the SharePoint Online Management Shell. Additionally, administrators must connect to SharePoint Online as a SharePoint Administrator. Once these prerequisites are in place, enabling RCD for a SharePoint site involves executing specific PowerShell commands. By setting the RestrictContentOrgWideSearch property to $true, the site's content is prevented from appearing in organization-wide searches and Copilot responses. To verify the RCD status for a site, administrators can run a command that confirms whether RCD is enabled or disabled. If necessary, RCD can be disabled, re-enabling content discoverability for the site.

Considerations and Challenges

Implementing RCD comes with several considerations. Notably, enabling RCD does not change user permissions. Users with existing access can still interact with the site's content directly, although it won't appear in broad searches or Copilot-generated responses unless they have recently interacted with it. Moreover, content that users have accessed within the last 28 days may still appear in their search results and Copilot interactions, even if RCD is enabled. This aspect highlights the importance of understanding user interaction patterns when deploying RCD. Another challenge is the potential performance impact. Applying RCD to a large number of sites simultaneously can affect search index update times. Therefore, it is advisable to apply RCD selectively to sites with high oversharing risks. Additionally, restricting content discoverability may limit the information available to Copilot, potentially impacting the accuracy and comprehensiveness of its responses.

Use Cases for Restricted Content Discoverability

RCD can be applied to any SharePoint site within an organization, with the primary use case being the prevention of accidental discovery of high-risk sites. Organizations are encouraged to use tools such as Data Access Governance reports and the SharePoint Admin Center's Active Sites tab to compile a selective list of targeted sites. However, it is important to note that RCD cannot be applied to OneDrive sites. Overuse of RCD can negatively affect performance across search, SharePoint, and Copilot. Removing sites or files from tenant-wide discovery means there is less content for search and Copilot to ground on, leading to inaccurate or incomplete results.

Frequently Asked Questions

Several common questions arise regarding the use of RCD. Firstly, organizations eligible to use RCD must be licensed for Copilot and have SharePoint Advanced Management available to them. RCD affects tenant-wide search scenarios, including SharePoint home, Office.com, Bing, and Microsoft 365 Copilot. However, it does not impact other features with dependencies on the search index, such as the Microsoft Purview product suite. Regarding update latency, the time it takes for Search and Copilot to reflect an update made to the RCD configuration of a site depends on the number of items in the site and the number of sites being updated simultaneously. For sites with more than 500,000 items, the update could take more than a week to fully process and reflect in search and Copilot.

Conclusion: Preparing SharePoint Data for Microsoft 365 Copilot

In conclusion, Restricted Content Discoverability is a crucial feature for organizations looking to manage content discoverability in SharePoint effectively. By limiting the ability of end users to search for content from specific SharePoint sites, organizations can ensure that permissions are accurate and well-managed. However, it is essential to balance the trade-offs involved in implementing RCD, such as potential performance impacts and limitations on Copilot's response quality. Ultimately, RCD should be part of a broader strategy to prepare SharePoint data for Microsoft 365 Copilot, ensuring a safe and efficient deployment. For those interested in a visual demonstration and deeper insights into implementing RCD, Steve Corey's YouTube video provides valuable guidance and practical examples.

Keywords

Restricted Content Discoverability, Control Copilot, SEO Strategy, Content Management, AI Tools Optimization, User Access Control, Digital Privacy Settings, Copilot Features