specification: FinOps Framework
specificationVersion: '1.0'
schema: https://www.finops.org/framework/
provider: Microsoft SharePoint
providerId: sharepoint
created: '2026-05-04'
# Provenance stamped 2026-08-11: this artifact was written by the API Evangelist
# bulk sweep dated 2026-05-04, not harvested from the provider. See roadmap#35.
method: generated
modified: '2026-05-05'
reconciled: true
tags:
  - SharePoint
  - Microsoft 365
  - FinOps
  - FOCUS
description: FOCUS-aligned FinOps shape for SharePoint Online. Cost is dominated by per-user Microsoft
  365 / SharePoint subscription licensing; storage overages, additional file storage SKUs, and Copilot
  add-ons are layered on top. SharePoint API throttling is enforced in Resource Units (not dollars), so
  RUs serve as an internal capacity meter rather than a billable line. Microsoft invoices SharePoint as
  part of the Microsoft 365 invoice via the customer's licensing channel (EA, CSP, MCA, web direct).
sources:
  - https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/sharepoint/compare-sharepoint-plans
  - https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sharepoint/dev/general-development/how-to-avoid-getting-throttled-or-blocked-in-sharepoint-online
alignedWith:
  framework: FinOps Foundation Framework
  frameworkUrl: https://www.finops.org/framework/
  dataSpec: FOCUS
  dataSpecVersion: '1.3'
  dataSpecUrl: https://focus.finops.org/focus-specification/v1-3/
publisherName: Microsoft Corporation
serviceCategory: Collaboration / Document Management SaaS
billingModel:
  pricingCategory: Per-User Subscription
  billingFrequency: Monthly
  billingCurrency: USD
  chargeCategories:
    - Purchase
focusColumns:
  ServiceName: Microsoft SharePoint
  ServiceCategory: Collaboration / Document Management SaaS
  ProviderName: Microsoft
  PublisherName: Microsoft Corporation
  InvoiceIssuerName: Microsoft Corporation
  BillingCurrency: USD
meters:
  - name: licensed_users
    description: Per-user license count (drives the bulk of SharePoint subscription cost)
    unit: seat
    aggregation: max
    dimensions:
      - sku
  - name: copilot_addon_users
    description: Microsoft 365 Copilot add-on seats ($30/user/month)
    unit: seat
    aggregation: max
    dimensions:
      - base_sku
  - name: site_storage
    description: Site collection storage consumed (drives storage add-on purchases above pooled allocation)
    unit: GB
    aggregation: sum
    dimensions:
      - site
  - name: graph_resource_units
    description: Microsoft Graph Resource Units consumed by integrations (operational meter for throttling,
      not directly billed)
    unit: resource-unit
    aggregation: sum
    dimensions:
      - app
      - tenant
  - name: api_requests
    description: Raw SharePoint REST / CSOM / Graph requests (operational meter)
    unit: request
    aggregation: sum
    dimensions:
      - app
      - api_type
principles:
  - name: Visibility
    description: Use the Microsoft 365 admin center license-usage reports plus the SharePoint admin center
      storage and activity reports for the licensing side. For API consumption, instrument apps to log
      Graph Resource Units and track 429/503 rates against the published per-app per-tenant RU limits.
  - name: Allocation
    description: Allocate license cost by department / cost center via Entra (Azure AD) group attributes.
      Storage attribution maps cleanly to site collections — tag site collections with owning team metadata.
      Multi-Geo deployments require per-geo allocation since usage measurement isn't shared.
  - name: Optimization
    description: Right-size licenses against active-user reports; reclaim inactive seats. Prefer Microsoft
      Graph over CSOM/REST in integrations (lower RU cost). Use delta queries with tokens (1 RU instead
      of 2). Decorate traffic with proper User-Agent and AppID to avoid soft prioritization penalties.
      Run bulk-scanning workloads off-peak.
  - name: Accountability
    description: IT / Workplace Engineering owns the M365 license bundle; integration-platform / app
      owners are accountable for staying inside per-app RU limits. Finance reviews the consolidated
      Microsoft 365 invoice; security reviews tenant-level throttling and external-sharing telemetry
      monthly.
maintainers:
  - FN: Kin Lane
    email: kin@apievangelist.com