Export Microsoft Data: Dashboard, OneDrive, Copilot

Six Microsoft export paths at a glance

Pick the path that matches what you actually need. They do not overlap.

• Privacy Dashboard archive: account, profile, Edge browsing history, Bing search/chat, location, voice, media activity, Copilot activity (consumer + M365 if personal account). ZIP of JSON.
• OneDrive file download: your actual OneDrive files. Web download or sync client. ZIP of files.
• Copilot activity history: Copilot chat prompts and responses. CSV, exported via the Privacy Dashboard. Consumer Copilot and Microsoft 365 Copilot (personal account) supported; Microsoft 365 Copilot work/school accounts do not have an export UI.
• Outlook.com mailbox: separate from the Privacy Dashboard. Export your .pst mailbox via Outlook.com > Settings > Privacy and data.
• Skype history: separate request via go.skype.com/export.
• Teams personal / Xbox live data: separate flows, each with their own privacy export.

Path 1: Privacy Dashboard archive

The Privacy Dashboard is where most Microsoft account data lives. It is the right path for your profile, sign-in activity, Edge browsing history (if sync is on), Bing search history, voice recordings, location activity, and Copilot activity. It is the wrong path for your OneDrive files or Outlook.com mail.

1. Sign in at https://account.microsoft.com/privacy.
2. Choose the data categories to include: Bing, Edge, location, voice, media, apps-and-services activity, Copilot, ad settings.
3. Click "Download your data" to request the archive.
4. Return to the Download your data page when the archive is ready. It appears under "Archives".
5. Click "Download" next to the archive and save the ZIP file.
6. The download link expires: save the ZIP before it disappears. Re-requesting regenerates the archive.
7. Unzip and open the per-category JSON files.

What is in the Privacy Dashboard archive

The archive is a single ZIP file. Inside, each data type is a separate JSON file.

• Account and profile data
• Bing search history and chat history (when signed in)
• Microsoft Edge browsing history (only if sync of browsing history is on, or personalised-ad settings are on)
• Location activity (where Microsoft recorded your location)
• Voice activity (speech recognition recordings and transcripts. Note Microsoft updated the consent notice for voice data use in 2026)
• Media activity (Movie/TV preferences, Music preferences)
• Apps-and-services activity (when you opened/closed apps, product usage diagnostics)
• Microsoft Copilot activity history (consumer Copilot at copilot.microsoft.com)
• Microsoft 365 Copilot activity history (when signed in with a personal Microsoft account, not work/school)
• Ad settings and personalised advertising choices
• Expanded people suggestions (contact-derived signals)

What is NOT in the Privacy Dashboard archive

• OneDrive files: separate flow below
• Outlook.com mail: separate export under Outlook.com > Settings > Privacy and data
• Skype chat history: separate request via go.skype.com/export
• Microsoft Teams personal history: separate flow
• Xbox live data: separate Xbox privacy export
• Financial / government ID data: Microsoft explicitly excludes some data classes
• Anything older than 18 months for consumer Copilot activity (default retention)

Path 2: OneDrive file download

OneDrive has two distinct paths: the web download (good for one-time selective exports) and the sync client (good for ongoing bulk archives). Pick based on how much data you have.

• Web download: sign in at https://onedrive.com, navigate to the folder you want, tick checkboxes (Ctrl+A for all in folder), click "Download" in the top nav. Browser saves a ZIP of the selected files.
• Sync client: install OneDrive on Windows (preinstalled) or macOS, sign in, point it at a folder on your local drive. Everything syncs down. Best for accounts with hundreds of GB.
• Files-On-Demand: keep files online-only until you open them. Saves local disk space; files download when accessed.
• Mobile (OneDrive app): per-file "Keep offline" only. Does not make folders or OneNote notebooks available offline.

OneDrive download limits

Microsoft publishes hard caps on the web download. If you exceed them, you have to batch or switch to the sync client.

• 250 GB per-file size limit
• 10,000 total files per download
• 10,000 files per folder
• For already-compressed archives (existing .zip, .mp4, etc.): 10 GB per ZIP and 20 GB overall
• Files protected with IRM or sensitivity labels >4 MB are silently excluded from the ZIP and must be downloaded individually
• OneNote notebooks cannot be downloaded via the web Download button. The ZIP contains a .txt error for them instead. Use the OneNote desktop app to export notebooks.

OneDrive web vs sync client: when to use each

The choice depends on how much data you have and whether you need an ongoing backup.

• Web download: best for one-time selective exports (a folder of photos, a project's files), no client install needed, subject to the published size limits, ZIP contains files only. No version history, sharing permissions, or detailed timestamps.
• Sync client: best for ongoing bulk download, hundreds of GB, full-fidelity local copy including NTFS timestamps. Also backs up Desktop / Documents / Pictures known folders automatically. The sync client is the only practical path for accounts over 100 GB.
• For a complete archive including file metadata: the OneDrive web download is not enough. Use Purview / eDiscovery (business tenants) or accept the metadata gap on personal accounts.

Path 3: Copilot activity history

Copilot prompts and responses are exported separately from the Privacy Dashboard ZIP. They come as a CSV. This is the path you want for AI chat history, prompts, image generations, and image uploads.

1. Sign in at https://account.microsoft.com/privacy.
2. Navigate to Privacy > Empower your productivity > Copilot > Your Copilot app activity history.
3. Choose one of: "Copilot apps". Exports consumer Copilot (copilot.microsoft.com / mobile / desktop chats, prompts, image uploads).
4. Choose: "Copilot in Microsoft 365 apps". Exports Microsoft 365 Copilot activity across Excel, Forms, Loop, OneNote, Outlook, Planner, PowerPoint, Teams, Whiteboard, Word, and Microsoft Copilot Chat.
5. Click "Export all activity history" to download a CSV.
6. The CSV includes prompt text, Copilot response text, image/file uploads (linked), image generations, time/date, and originating surface (web, mobile, Bing, Edge).

Microsoft 365 Copilot: work/school accounts

Microsoft 365 Copilot activity in a work/school (Entra ID) account is a different flow. As of late 2026, Microsoft does not expose a user-facing Export button for M365 Copilot activity in Entra-joined accounts. Only Delete is documented in the support article.

For exporting M365 Copilot artefacts in a business tenant: the supported route is admin-side Microsoft Purview / eDiscovery, not user self-service.

• Sign-in: Entra ID / work account (not personal Microsoft account)
• Entry: https://myaccount.microsoft.com
• Current state: only Delete is documented; Export is not offered in the user UI
• Edits already saved into host documents (PowerPoint slides modified by Copilot, etc.) are preserved by the Delete flow. They are not removed
• For export: ask your IT admin about Purview / eDiscovery

Paths 4-6: Outlook.com, Skype, Teams personal, Xbox

• Outlook.com mail: sign in at outlook.live.com, go to Settings > Privacy and data, request a mailbox export. The result is a .pst-style mailbox file you can import into Outlook desktop or any other mail client.
• Skype history: request via go.skype.com/export. Skype handles this as a separate privacy request form. Delivery time varies.
• Teams personal (non-work): separate export from the Teams app. Settings > Privacy has the request flow.
• Xbox live data: separate Xbox privacy export, not part of the Microsoft account privacy dashboard.

How long it takes and 18-month retention

• Privacy Dashboard archives usually arrive within minutes to hours for typical accounts; larger archives can take longer
• The download link expires: Microsoft treats the archive on the Download-your-data page as a one-time-limited fetch
• Consumer Copilot activity has an 18-month default retention. Older conversations are not in the archive
• Authentified privacy requests through the privacy support form are answered within 30 days per Microsoft's Privacy Statement. This is a different flow than the in-product dashboard
• OneDrive web download is synchronous: no waiting once you click Download

Common pitfalls

Most Microsoft export mistakes fall into one of these patterns.

• Looking for a single "Download everything" button. There is not one. You need at least Privacy Dashboard + OneDrive + Copilot for a full picture.
• Assuming aka.ms/yourdata works: it currently 302-redirects to www.bing.com and is not a working landing page. Send people to account.microsoft.com/privacy directly.
• Trying to download OneNote notebooks via OneDrive web Download. They show as .txt errors in the ZIP. Use the OneNote desktop app instead.
• Forgetting the Privacy Dashboard download link expires. Re-requesting regenerates the archive, so just submit a new request.
• Using Internet Explorer to download multiple files from OneDrive for work/school. IE does not support the multi-file download UI. Use Edge or Chrome.
• Looking for an Export button on M365 Copilot activity in a work/school account. There is none in the user UI as of 2026. Talk to your IT admin about Purview / eDiscovery.

Where to store it

• Store the Privacy Dashboard archive in a folder named microsoft-privacy-2026-09
• Store OneDrive files alongside the rest of your cloud exports, ideally on an external SSD given the typical size
• Keep the Copilot CSV: small, but a record of every prompt and response
• Off-site copy of the Privacy Dashboard archive (sensitive): ProtonDrive (ProtonDrive)
• Long-term archive of OneDrive files: pCloud (pCloud)
• Outlook.com .pst and Skype exports contain communications. Treat them as sensitive and encrypt at rest

Related guides

• Getting Started with Digital Takeout Day (2026)
• Back Up Your Data Exports: Storage, Encryption & Organisation (2026)
• Where to Store Your Data Exports: Cloud Privacy Guide (2026)

FAQ