How to Apply Sensitivity Labels

This is a guide to understand how to apply sensitivity labels to Outlook emails and Office files, as well as how to install the Purview Info Protect (PIP) client to apply sensitivity labels to other documents, and to allow sensitivity labels to be applied through the file explorer.

How to Apply Sensitivity Labels

In Outlook (Email)

1. Open your message in Microsoft Outlook.
2. Select Sensitivity when composing an email on the Message tab or locate the Shield icon in the new window (green by default, indicating UND-Public)
3. Choose the sensitivity label that applies to your email:

• UND-Private → Applies encryption and “Private” label
• UND-Restricted → Encrypts, blocks forwarding/copying, and applies “Restricted” label

In Office Files (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)

1. Open your document in Word, Excel, or PowerPoint.
2. On the Home tab, select Sensitivity or locate the Shield icon beside the document title (green by default, indicating UND-Public).
3. Choose the sensitivity label that applies to your file:

• UND-Private
• UND-Restricted

How to Protect Other File Types with Purview Info Protection (PIP)

In order to classify a document within Windows Explorer through the right-click context menu, Windows requires the PIP Client to be installed separately from Office products.

To Install the PIP Client

1. Go to the Microsoft Purview Information Protection page.
2. Click Download.
3. Choose one of the installation file options with .exe in the name.
4. Click Next.
5. Once the installation file is downloaded, launch the installation file and follow the prompts on the screen to install the client.

Please visit the Extend Sensitivity Labeling on Windows page and scroll down to the Supported file types section to understand which file formats work with PIP protections applied. You can apply the protection through labeling directly to an individual file or to all files in a folder.

To Apply a Label to a File

1. Locate the file within your operating system.
2. Right-click the file and click Show more options then Apply sensitivity label with Microsoft Purview from the drop-down.
3. Click the appropriate label.
4. Click Apply.
5. Click Close.

To Apply a Label to All Applicable Files in a Folder

1. Locate the folder within your operating system.
2. Right-click the file and click Show more options then Apply sensitivity label with Microsoft Purview from the drop-down.
3. Click the appropriate label.
4. Click Apply.
5. Click Show results to ensure the results are as expected.
6. Click Close.

To Change a Label

1. Locate the file or folder within your operating system.
2. Right-click the file and click Show more options then Apply sensitivity label with Microsoft Purview from the drop-down.
3. Click the appropriate label.
4. Click Apply.
5. A window may then appear. In that window, choose the appropriate reason for why you are removing the label. Type any extra information into the text box as appropriate.
6. Click Confirm.
7. Click Close.