+1 480 485 7373
Microsoft Teams
Dynamics 365 storage capacity: what uses your space and how to free it
Dynamics 365 storage capacity is the Dataverse space your tenant is entitled to, split into database, file and log storage. Each tenant gets a base amount plus more for each qualifying licence, shared by all environments. When usage passes the entitlement, Microsoft blocks some admin actions, such as creating or copying environments. The usual fix is to find the few tables that grew, clean them up and set retention rules.
Updated
How Dynamics 365 storage capacity is counted
Dynamics 365 apps built on Dataverse share one storage capacity pool per tenant. Database capacity holds table rows. File capacity holds attachments, notes with files, images and similar files. Log capacity holds audit history and plug-in trace logs.
Your entitlement is a default amount for the tenant plus extra capacity for each qualifying licence, and every environment draws from the same pool. A forgotten full copy sandbox counts just as much as production. The Capacity page in the Power Platform admin center shows the entitlement, the usage per type and the largest tables in each environment.
What usually fills Dynamics 365 storage
How to free Dynamics 365 storage space
- 1
Find the large tables
Open each environment's capacity details and sort tables by size. In most tenants a handful of tables hold most of the space.
- 2
Remove unused environments
Delete old sandboxes and trial copies after confirming nobody needs them; this is often the fastest saving.
- 3
Clean system tables
Use [bulk deletion jobs](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-platform/admin/delete-bulk-records) for completed system jobs, workflow logs and old imports, then schedule them to repeat.
- 4
Cut audit history
Set a retention period that meets your compliance needs and delete logs older than that.
- 5
Move files out
Store documents in SharePoint through the standard document management integration instead of as attachments.
- 6
Keep it clean
Add retention rules for activities and a monthly capacity check to the admin calendar.
What happens when you exceed capacity?
Your environments keep working, and users can still create and edit records. What stops are admin operations that would add data, such as creating a new environment, copying one or restoring from a backup. You usually find out at a bad time, for example when you need a sandbox copy to test a fix.
Microsoft's guide to freeing storage space lists cleanup steps per table. Buying more capacity makes sense when you really need the data, but clean up first. Large data loads, such as a Dynamics 365 data migration, should include a storage estimate before the first rehearsal.
Questions about Dynamics 365 storage capacity
How do I check my Dynamics 365 storage usage?
In the Power Platform admin center, open the Capacity page. It shows the tenant's entitlement and usage for database, file and log storage, and lets you drill into each environment to see its largest tables.
Do sandboxes count toward storage capacity?
Yes. Every environment in the tenant, including sandboxes and copies, draws from the same pool.
Can we buy more Dynamics 365 storage?
Yes. Microsoft sells add-on capacity for database, file and log storage separately. Clean up first, then buy the type you are actually short of.
Does moving attachments to SharePoint lose anything?
Users still open documents from the record, but they now live in SharePoint with its own permissions. Plan the folder structure and check that the right people can reach the library.
Talk to us about your project.
Tell us what you run today and what has to change. A senior consultant replies with a written next step.