Microsoft Business Apps legal terms,
minus the legal-ese

The real data promises live in the DPA — not here

The Data Protection Addendum is where Microsoft's actual commitments about how it handles your data sit: GDPR obligations, processor responsibilities, sub-processors, and security. The Product Terms define per-product licensing. You agreed to both even if you never opened them.

Copilot has its own separate rulebook

Copilot features are governed by a distinct set of Terms for Microsoft Generative AI Services, layered on top of your normal agreement. And some Copilot features that plug into other Microsoft services ("Copilot Integration Services") pull in yet another layer of Supplemental Terms of Service.

Preview features play by weaker rules

Anything marked "Preview" runs under supplemental preview terms — generally "as-is", no SLA, and subject to change or removal without notice. Microsoft's normal data protection obligations may also be reduced for preview features.

There's also a separate Communication Services Preview terms for features involving real-time communications.

Bing Search quietly switches you to consumer terms

Use of Bing Search inside the products is governed by the Microsoft Services Agreement (the consumer MSA) and the Microsoft Privacy Statement — a different, more consumer-style agreement than your enterprise contract.

SLAs give you credits — not refunds or downtime compensation

The Service Level Agreements cover uptime and connectivity for GA services only (previews are excluded). When Microsoft misses the SLA, your remedy is service credits applied to a future billing period — not cash refunds, not compensation for business loss.

You must proactively claim them, typically within 30 days of the incident. Exclusions include planned maintenance and issues caused by customer configurations or third-party integrations.

Where your data lives — and how to prove it

The Trust Center covers security, privacy, and compliance. The Service Trust Portal is where the receipts are — audit reports, GDPR documentation, and compliance guides. There's also a data-residency explorer for product availability by geography and where customer data is stored.

Government & sovereign clouds = their own terms

Dynamics 365 US Government (GCC) has a separate Service Description — commercial GA features aren't automatically available there. And Dynamics 365 / Power Platform in China are operated by 21Vianet — a Chinese company, not Microsoft — under entirely different terms.

Pricing terms are per-product — there's no single price sheet

Each product has its own "offer details" page carrying that product's pricing and conditions: Dynamics 365, Power BI, Power Apps, Power Automate, and Copilot Studio each have separate documents.

Every app ships its own software licence

The mobile apps (iOS / Android / Windows), desktop tools like Power BI Desktop and Power Automate Desktop, SDKs, and on-premises builds each carry their own software licence terms and third-party notices — separate from the cloud service terms.

Programs, trials & LCS bring add-on terms

Customer programs run under the Customer Programs Agreement. Trials have their own supplemental terms. And Lifecycle Services (LCS) — the admin portal used with Dynamics 365 Finance and Supply Chain Management — is governed by separate Combined Terms.