Data transformation

Purview Sync automatically transforms Microsoft Purview exports into formats optimized for Relativity, removing the need for manual preparation or conversion. The application retrieves data directly through the Microsoft Graph API and processes it into review-ready formats such as Relativity Short Message Format (RSMF) for Teams conversations and HTML for other supported content types.

The workflow also normalizes and validates the data before passing it to Relativity Processing, so users can rely on a seamless and accurate transfer of information from Purview into Relativity.

As part of the transformation, Purview Sync organizes files by custodian and applies Microsoft-supplied metadata to each item, ensuring consistency, defensibility, and richer context for downstream review.

Processing custodians

Purview Sync automatically organizes all imported files by custodians, with custodian definitions derived from the load file imported from Microsoft Purview. Thus, custodians are defined by their emails in Purview Sync too.

Starting November 2025, Microsoft implemented a fix to the ‘Custodian’ column in the CSV loadfile. Prior to this, the column was empty. Therefore, it is recommended to use review sets created after this date to ensure custodial information is accurate and defensible. For more details, see Considerations.

Custodians are automatically created by Purview Sync. You can find them after clicking into the Documents tab.

When custodian is defined in Microsoft Purview, and present in the load file, their email is displayed in Purview Sync under the name of a job.
When custodian is not defined in Microsoft Purview, job name is displayed in Purview Sync.

Each custodian is associated with a data source that includes the source path where the custodian's files are saved.

Purview Sync import in the Documents tab.

Automatic overlay and using Microsoft fields

Overlay in Purview Sync updates existing records in the review workspace by merging or replacing data from the source with corresponding fields in the workspace, based on the fields already existing in the Microsoft Purview load file.

Microsoft Purview creates an export object containing native files alongside a load file that holds all metadata information. Once Relativity processes the files into the workspace, Purview Sync overlays them with metadata from the load file, assuming that the workspace has the necessary fields created. These fields must match the column names in the load file exactly. Purview Sync will not create them automatically.

When creating the metadata fields in RelativityOne for overlay, we recommend referring to Microsoft documentation. For more information, see Microsoft's documentation.

Relativity Short Messaging File conversion

We automatically convert HTML Teams data into Relativity Short Messaging File (RSMF). For more information about RSMF, see The Relativity Short Message Format .

Teams formats supported by Purview Sync are:

Teams format	Support	Details
Single chat between two users	Supported
Group chat with three or more people	Supported
Messages in Teams and channels	Supported
Threads	Supported
Deleted threads	Supported	In Teams, when a thread is deleted, only the top, or root, message is deleted. The replies retain their structure. In Purview Sync, they are classified as Orphaned Replies and marked deleted.
Deleted and edited messages	Supported
Attachments	Supported
Channels	Supported
Deleted chat	Supported
User leaving team	Supported
User deleted	Supported
Archived channel	Supported
Add removed user back to chat	Supported
Tag in chat	Partially supported	RSMF file is created but tags are not handled correctly.
Tag in channel	Supported	Everything works but nothing indicates it is a tag, the same as in Purview.
Reply in chat	Supported
Channel name change	Supported
Forwarded message	Supported	RSMF is properly generated with user and message. Following the same behavior in Microsoft Purview, it does not indicate that someone forwarded the message.
Chat with picture	Supported
Chat with shared M365 docs	Supported
Links to external sources	Partially supported	RSMF is properly generated, but links are normal text, which is an expected behavior across Relativity.
Chat from audio, video, meeting	Unsupported
Automatically created meeting recording	Unsupported
Scheduled messages	Supported	Relativity generates the data as RSMF with user and message. Following the same behavior in Microsoft Purview, it is not indicated that someone scheduled the message.
Translated messages	Supported	Relativity generates the data as RSMF with user and message. Following the same behavior in Microsoft Purview, only in original language.
Modern attachments	Teams - Supporteds Email - Partially supported	Teams chats: supported. Both teams chats and their linked attachments are imported and converted to RSMF; a proper family relation is created between the parent Teams chat and its child attachment. Emails: partially supported. Both parent email and its linked attachment are imported and converted to RSMF but Purview Sync does not currently establish a family relation between the email and its attachment.
Different alphabets	Unsupported	RSMF file is created, but there is lack of proper UTF8 support.
Loops	Partially supported	Both the Teams chat and its associated Loop file are imported by Purview Sync. The Teams chat is converted into RSMF, while the Loop file remains in HTML format.
Cards	Partially supported	Both the Teams chat and its associated Card file are imported by Purview Sync. The Teams chat is converted into RSMF, while the Card file remains in HTML format.
Whiteboard	Partially supported	Both the Teams chat and its associated Whiteboard file are imported by Purview Sync. The Teams chat is converted into RSMF, while the Whiteboard file remains in HTML format.
Viva Engage (formerly Yammer)	Partially supported	Both the Teams chat and its associated Viva Engage file are imported by Purview Sync. Both remain in HTML format.
Fluid	Unsupported

Copilot formats supported by Purview Sync are:

Teams format	Support	Details
Simple copilot conversation	Supported
Emojis	Supported
Annotations	Supported	Annotated links are visible in text.
Attachments	Supported