1. Definition

The Archive Team action allows you to archive an existing Microsoft Team, making it read-only while preserving all channels, conversations, files, and settings. Archiving a team is useful when a project is completed, or a team is no longer actively used but its content must be retained for reference, compliance, or auditing purposes.

Key capabilities include:

Preserves team content: All messages, files, and channels remain intact.
Makes the team read-only: Members cannot post messages or make changes after archiving.
Optional SharePoint site read-only: You can restrict editing access to SharePoint files associated with the team.
Maintains team structure: Owners, members, channels, and settings are preserved for future reference or potential unarchiving.

💡 Example Use Cases

Project Completion Archive a team once a project is finished to preserve all files, messages, and channels while preventing further edits.

Regulatory Compliance Keep records of team conversations and documents intact for auditing purposes by archiving completed teams.

Inactive Teams Cleanup Archive teams that are no longer actively used to declutter the Microsoft Teams environment without deleting valuable content.

Historical Reference Preserve previous project discussions, decisions, and files so new employees or stakeholders can reference them when needed.

SharePoint Access Control Make the associated SharePoint site read-only to prevent accidental edits by team members while maintaining file accessibility for reference.

🔹 Inputs

Connection This represents the authentication between Zenphi and your Microsoft Teams account.
- It allows the action to access the selected team and apply the archive operation securely.
- Ensure the connection has sufficient permissions to manage teams and their associated SharePoint sites.

Team ID Select the team you want to archive from the dropdown list of available teams.
- The Team ID is a unique identifier that ensures the correct team is targeted.
- This is important in organizations with multiple teams, especially if some have similar names.
- Archiving a team preserves all its content (channels, messages, files, and members) but prevents further edits.

Make the SharePoint Site Read-Only for Team Members Optionally restrict editing access to the SharePoint site associated with the team.
- Each Microsoft Team has a connected SharePoint site where all team files are stored.
- By enabling this option, you prevent team members from modifying files on the SharePoint site while still allowing them to view and download content.
- This is useful when the team’s project is complete, and you want to preserve documents and maintain compliance without deleting content.
- Note: Owners may still have administrative permissions depending on SharePoint site settings, but members’ write access will be disabled.

🔹 Outputs

Team ID The unique identifier of the archived team.
- This ID is useful for referencing the team in subsequent actions or flows, such as if you need to unarchive the team later or track archived teams programmatically.
- Ensures you can distinguish this team from others with similar names, providing accuracy in automated workflows.

🔹 Example Scenario: Archiving a Completed Project Team

Situation: Your company recently completed a product launch project managed by the Product Launch Team in Microsoft Teams. The project is finished, but you need to preserve all discussions, files, and documents for future reference, compliance, and auditing. At the same time, you want to prevent team members from accidentally modifying or deleting files in the associated SharePoint site.

Step 1 – Trigger the Flow The flow is triggered on-demand by the project manager once the project is officially closed. This allows immediate archiving without requiring IT intervention.

Step 2 – Archive Team Action Setup

Connection: Use your Microsoft Teams connection with sufficient permissions to manage teams and SharePoint sites.
Team ID: Select the Product Launch Team from the list of available teams.
Make the SharePoint Site Read-Only: Enable this option to restrict editing access for team members while keeping files accessible for reference.

Step 3 – Outcome After Flow Runs

The team is archived: members can no longer post messages or create channels, preserving the conversations and structure.
The associated SharePoint site becomes read-only for members, ensuring documents are safe from accidental edits or deletions.
All channels, messages, files, and team settings are retained for future reference or compliance audits.
The output Team ID confirms the correct team has been archived.

Step 4 – Benefits in Real World

Maintains historical records without cluttering active teams.
Reduces the risk of accidental edits or deletions after project completion.
Ensures compliance and retention of critical project data.
Allows easy unarchiving if future updates or references are required.

🔹 Best Practices

Enable SharePoint Read-Only When Needed If the team’s files must remain accessible but uneditable, enable the Make the SharePoint Site Read-Only option. This preserves important documents while preventing accidental changes.

Communicate with Team Members Notify members before archiving so they are aware that the team will become read-only. This prevents confusion and ensures a smooth transition.

Confirm Completion of Work Ensure all critical tasks, approvals, or document updates are finished before archiving. Once archived, members cannot post messages or modify content.

Use Outputs for Verification Use the Team ID output to confirm that the correct team was archived. This is especially useful in automated flows managing multiple teams.

Consider Archiving in Batches For large organizations, archive multiple completed or inactive teams systematically to maintain a clean Microsoft Teams environment.

Plan for Future Reference Keep a record of archived teams’ names, owners, and IDs for auditing or future unarchiving needs.