Microsoft 365 OneDrive: Granular Backup Control with Folder Exclusions

Cloudally now allows administrators to exclude specific folders from Microsoft OneDrive backups, providing granular control over backup scope without impacting existing data or backup continuity.

This enhancement addresses customer requirements for greater compliance flexibility, and privacy protection. Previously, all OneDrive folders were included in backups by default, which limited the ability to meet regulatory, organizational, or data minimization policies. With folder path exclusions, administrators can now precisely define which OneDrive content is protected.

Folder exclusions are configured per backup task and applied consistently across all users. This ensures operational control at scale while maintaining a seamless backup experience. By excluding sensitive, private, or regulated folders, organizations can better align OneDrive backups with compliance and privacy requirements.

Existing OneDrive backups remain unchanged. Configured exclusions are applied automatically from the next backup cycle, ensuring there is no service disruption.

Steps to exclude a folder from OneDrive backup

Notes:

• Only Admin roles can configure folder exclusions.
• Admins can exclude folders only; excluding lists is not supported.
• Folder exclusions apply only to future backups taken after the configuration is saved.