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Compare AIP Add-In with Built-In Labeling in M365 Apps

Playbook Overview > Get Started > Step 1 > Step 2 > Step 3 [Compare Solutions] > Step 4 > Step 5

Many of the labeling features supported by the AIP add-in are now supported by built-in labeling. The table below is an adaptation of Feature parity for built-in labeling and the AIP add-in for Office apps and offers additional information to help you prepare your transition from the AIP add-in.

Together, the combination of feature roadmap and change-management effort can help you plan a schedule for your migration. The roadmap indicates how soon the feature would be generally available in the fastest release channel of Office; the effort gives you an estimate on how long it might take your organization to prepare and adopt the feature once it's available.

Note

For a more detailed list of capabilities, minimum versions that might be needed, and configuration information, see Manage sensitivity labels in Office apps.

Feature Roadmap⚓︎

The following categories help you identify the support status for Add-in functionality available in built-in labeling.

Migration Readiness Time Horizon
✅ Supported
General availability in Current Channel
Now. These features are avaiable in a production release channel.
⭐ In Preview
Available in Insider Beta Channel to try now. Provides a 📅 M365 Roadmap tracking item.
0-3 months. These features are available in a public preview and encourage you to start testing now to prepare your organization for their release
🔷 In Development
Development is under way. Keep an eye out for product roadmap updates. Provides a 📅 M365 Roadmap tracking item.
3-6 months depending on your Office release channel. We encourage you to start actively planning your deployment now and recommend that you join a preview ring to begin validation early.
🟨 In Planning
In consideration for an upcoming development cycle, but not yet committed on product roadmap.
6-12 months depending on your Office release channel. We encourage you begin testing all other features that are already supported, in preview, or in development to minimize your adoption time of remaining in planning features.
⚫ Not Planned
Items that are not in consideration for built-in labeling. Submit a Microsoft support ticket for a Design Change Request (DCR) if these are important for your organization.
NA
🟢 Not Needed
Items that are only needed to workaround limitations of an add-in; not needed for built-in labeling.
NA

Change Management Insights⚓︎

Use the ranking scheme below to help you assess how much effort you can expect to transition users to the replacement built-in feature.

Migration Effort
⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪
No change. AIP Add-in functionality is identical in built-in labeling.
🟠⚪⚪⚪⚪
Fully Supported. Minor differences may exist, but does not require configuration changes or proactive end-user education (aka "silent change"). Targeted testing is optional.
🟠🟠⚪⚪⚪
Supported with minor differences. No configuration changes required, but may need updates to training, support docs, or end-user comms. Targeted testing recommended.
🟠🟠🟠⚪⚪
Supported, but requires changes to policy configuration and/or broad testing. Likely needs updates to training, support docs, or end-user comms.
🟠🟠🟠🟠⚪
Supported with alternative solutions available from Microsoft (e.g. AIP Classify & Protect, SPO Auto Labeling). May require changes to policy configuration and/or broad testing. Likely needs updates to training, support docs, or end-user comms.
🟠🟠🟠🟠🟠
Not Supported.

Azure Information Protection Add-in Scenarios⚓︎

Review the list of scenarios and their availability in built-in labeling below. Where available, references to additional resources are provided.

Scenario Reference Migration Readiness Migration Effort
🖥️ Labeling Environment
Choose a labeling client for Office
- Support: 👮 Admin
✅ Supported 🟠🟠🟠⚪⚪
Labeling for modern Office files in Open XML format (e.g. docx)
- Support: 👮 Admin
✅ Supported 🟠⚪⚪⚪⚪
View and apply sensitivity labels in government cloud ✅ Supported ⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪
Admin can scope labels independently for files and emails ✅ Supported 🟠🟠🟠⚪⚪
Labeling for legacy Office files in Microsoft Office 97-2003 format (e.g. doc)
- Support: 👮 Admin
⚫ Not Planned 🟠🟠🟠🟠⚪
Support for labeling using Office perpetual
- Support: 👮 Admin
⚫ Not Planned 🟠🟠🟠🟠🟠
🧑‍💻 Labeling User Experience
Sensitivity Status
- Support: 🧑‍💻 User
✅ Supported 🟠⚪⚪⚪⚪
Sensitivity menu (ribbon)
- Support: 🧑‍💻 User
✅ Supported 🟠⚪⚪⚪⚪
Multilanguage label names and descriptions
- Support: 👮 Admin
✅ Supported ⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪
Sensitivity bar
- Support: 👮 Admin, 🧑‍💻 User
✅ Supported
📣 Office Insiders Blog
🟠🟠⚪⚪⚪
Label Colors ✅ Supported ⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪
⚠️ Labeling Enforcement
Manual labeling (no enforcement)
- Support: 🧑‍💻 User
✅ Supported 🟠⚪⚪⚪⚪
Mandatory labeling: Enforce at file-save
- Support: 👮 Admin
✅ Supported 🟠🟠⚪⚪⚪
Mandatory labeling: Files vs. Emails
- Support: 👮 Admin
✅ Supported 🟠⚪⚪⚪⚪
Downgrade Justification
- Support: 👮 Admin, 🧑‍💻 User
✅ Supported 🟠⚪⚪⚪⚪
Manual Labeling: Assign a sublabel by default when applying parent label
- Support: 👮 Admin
✅ Supported 🟠🟠⚪⚪⚪
Mandatory labeling: Enforcement at app close ➡️ Reference 🔷 In Development
📅 Roadmap Coming soon
🟠⚪⚪⚪⚪
Labeling Automation
Default Labeling: Files
- Support: 👮 Admin
✅ Supported 🟠🟠⚪⚪⚪
Default Labeling: Emails
- Support: 👮 Admin
✅ Supported 🟠🟠⚪⚪⚪
Automatic or recommended labeling of files and emails with sensitive information types
- Support:👮 Admin
✅ Supported 🟠🟠⚪⚪⚪
Automatic or recommended labeling of emails based on attachment labels
- Support: ➡️ AIP Reference
✅ Supported 🟠🟠⚪⚪⚪
🔒 Encryption as an outcome for labeling
Admin-defined permissions
- Support: 👮 Admin
✅ Supported 🟠🟠🟠⚪⚪
User-defined permissions: Files restricted to users and groups
- Support: 👮 Admin
✅ Supported 🟠🟠🟠⚪⚪
User-defined permissions: Do Not Forward for emails
- Support: 👮 Admin
✅ Supported 🟠🟠🟠⚪⚪
User-defined permissions: Files restricted to domain names
- Support: 👮 Admin
✅ Supported 🟠⚪⚪⚪⚪
S/MIME for emails
- Support: 👮 Admin
✅ Supported
📅 M365 Roadmap 100062
🟠🟠⚪⚪⚪
Double Key Encryption
- Support: ➡️ AIP Reference
✅ Supported 🟠🟠🟠⚪⚪
Document Tracking & Revocation for Compliance Admins
- Support: ➡️ AIP Reference
⭐ In Preview 🟠🟠🟠⚪⚪
Document Revocation for End-Users
- Support: ➡️ AIP Reference
⭐ In Preview 🟠🟠🟠⚪⚪
📨 Collaboration with labeled content
Multi-user editing of encrypted files
- Support: 👮 Admin
✅ Supported 🟠🟠🟠⚪⚪
Block/warn/justify before sending sensitive emails
- Support: ➡️ AIP Reference
✅ Supported
📅 M365 Roadmap 100255
🟠🟠🟠⚪⚪
Block/warn/justify before sending unlabeled emails
- Support: ➡️ AIP Reference
🔷 In Development
📅 Roadmap Coming soon
🟠🟠🟠⚪⚪
🏷️ Content Marking
Headers, footers, watermark
- Support: 👮 Admin
✅ Supported 🟠🟠⚪⚪⚪
Dynamic markings
- Support: 👮 Admin
✅ Supported 🟠🟠⚪⚪⚪
Per app visual marking
- Support: 👮 Admin
✅ Supported 🟠🟠⚪⚪⚪
📊 Reporting and Analytics
Disable Auditing
- Support: 👮 Admin
✅ Supported 🟠⚪⚪⚪⚪
Auditing labeling activities
- Support: 👮 Admin
✅ Supported 🟠⚪⚪⚪⚪
Auditing Protection Properties ✅ Supported
📅 M365 Roadmap 98135
🟠⚪⚪⚪⚪
🔀 Migrate from alternative labeling clients
Label by custom properties
- Support: ➡️ AIP Reference
⚫ Not Planned 🟠🟠🟠🟠⚪
Remove external markings
- Support: ➡️ AIP Reference
⚫ Not Planned 🟠🟠🟠🟠⚪
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Additional Resources⚓︎