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Dataverse File Storage - Repeated Table Growth

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We're seeing recurring Dataverse file storage growth in our Development environment and are curious if others have encountered something similar. 
 
What we're seeing (since May):
  • File storage grows by roughly 3-4 GB within a few weeks.
  • Microsoft support runs a cleanup process, which reduces storage temporarily for a day or two.
  • Storage then steadily grows back to previous levels.
  • This occurs even when there are no solution imports/exports and little to no active development.
What's puzzling:
  • Production remains relatively stable.
  • Development appears to have significantly higher Web Resource storage than expected.
  • The reported growth doesn't align with our actual development activity or attachment usage.
What we've tried:
  • Multiple Microsoft support tickets.
  • Microsoft cleanup scripts.
  • Log retention and cleanup efforts.
  • Reviewing attachment and environment usage.
Has anyone experienced similar unexplained Dataverse file storage growth?
 
Are there specific system tables, WebResources, or Microsoft-managed processes that can cause this behavior?
 
Any recommendations for identifying the true source of file storage consumption would be appreciated.
 
Thanks in advance for any insights.
I have the same question (0)
  • RC-16071649-0 Profile Picture
    2 on at
    Hello, did anyone have any thoughts on this one?  Thanks! 
  • WarrenBelz Profile Picture
    156,182 Most Valuable Professional on at
    Responding as no one else has - I am no expert on this subject, but below is a summary of some searches I did
     
    Solution import artifacts (most common)
    Even if you haven't imported solutions recently, previous solution operations can leave behind temporary artifacts.
    Potential contributors include:
    • Solution package extraction files
    • Temporary import/export files
    • Managed solution upgrade remnants
    • Rollback packages after failed imports
    Normally these should be cleaned up automatically, but there have been cases where cleanup jobs fail or become stuck, requiring Microsoft intervention.
     
    Web Resources
    You mentioned Development has significantly more Web Resource storage than Production, which is unusual.
    Things to check:
    • Are solutions repeatedly importing identical web resources?
    • Are web resources being recreated instead of updated?
    • Are old solution layers accumulating?
    • Are unmanaged customizations creating additional layers?
    The actual web resource records themselves are typically small, but multiple versions and solution layering can increase storage unexpectedly.
     
    Plug-in Assembly storage
    If developers frequently deploy plug-ins using:
    • Power Platform Tools
    • Plugin Registration Tool
    • CI/CD pipelines
    Dataverse stores assemblies in the database, and previous versions can accumulate.
    Check:
    • PluginAssembly table
    • PluginPackage (if using package deployment)
     
    File columns and Notes
    Even when users aren't actively uploading files, automated processes may be.
    Review:
    • Annotation (Notes)
    • FileAttachment
    • ActivityMimeAttachment
    • Email attachments
    Power Automate flows, integrations, and testing often create attachments that go unnoticed.
     
    AI Builder / Document Processing
    If your environment has ever used:
    • AI Builder
    • Document Intelligence
    • Image processing
    • OCR
    Temporary files can accumulate depending on the feature and cleanup status.
     
    Power Platform Pipelines
    If you're using deployment pipelines, intermediate packages may temporarily consume storage.
    Usually these are cleaned automatically, but there have been cases where cleanup jobs become delayed.

     
    Environment Copy operations
    Has the Development environment ever been refreshed from Production?
    Environment copies can leave behind storage artifacts that aren't immediately reclaimed.

     
    Audit Logs
    Audit logs consume database storage, not file storage.
    Many administrators investigate auditing first, but it generally isn't the cause of file storage growth.

     
    Async operation artifacts
    Long-running asynchronous operations can create temporary files.
    Check whether there are unusually high counts in:
    • AsyncOperation
    • ImportJob
    • ExportJob
    Although these are generally database records, associated temporary files may contribute to file storage.

    How to identify what's actually consuming storage
    The best place to start is the Power Platform Admin Center.
    Navigate to: Environment → Capacity → Dataverse → File
    Then drill into the table-level usage.
    If available, compare Development against Production.
    You're looking for tables that are several GB larger than expected.
    Common tables worth examining include:
    • Annotation
    • ActivityMimeAttachment
    • FileAttachment
    • WebResourceBase
    • PluginAssembly
    • ImportJob
    • Solution
    • ExportJob

    Compare Development vs Production
    Since Production is stable, compare:
    • Number of solutions
    • Number of unmanaged layers
    • Web Resource count
    • Plugin Assembly count
    • Total Notes
    • File column records
    Often the comparison immediately highlights the outlier.

    Use the Capacity API
    The Capacity pages in the admin center don't always provide enough detail.
    Microsoft support has access to internal storage breakdowns that customers cannot see. If you're opening another support case, ask specifically for:
    • A per-table Dataverse file storage breakdown
    • Which tables are responsible for the 3–4 GB increase between cleanup operations
    • Which background cleanup jobs are being run
    • Why the storage returns within 24–48 hours after cleanup
    This is more actionable than a generic "run cleanup" request.

    One thing that stands out
    The pattern you described:
    • Storage grows by 3–4 GB
    • Microsoft runs a cleanup
    • Storage immediately drops
    • Growth resumes at a fairly constant rate
    • No corresponding development activity
    strongly suggests a background Microsoft-managed process is repeatedly generating temporary file artifacts rather than user-created content.
    If the growth were due to genuine files, notes, or solution imports, you would typically see corresponding user activity or identifiable records. The cyclic nature points more toward an automated process or cleanup issue.
    At this stage, I would ask Microsoft Support to move beyond running cleanup scripts and instead identify which specific Dataverse table or internal storage category is growing over time. Once that table is identified, it's much easier to determine whether the cause is solution metadata, web resources, plug-in packages, attachments, or an internal platform issue.

     
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  • Suggested answer
    SebS Profile Picture
    4,867 Super User 2026 Season 1 on at

    On top what   said and this may not apply to every setup, but if you are a large organisation enabling agents, check whether conversation transcripts and related logging are also enabled.

    Each employee interaction with an agent can create a record in the Conversation Transcripts Dataverse table, often within the Default environment.


     

    These records can be relatively large, so I would monitor:

    • Record growth
    • Dataverse storage consumption
    • Retention settings
    • Access to transcript data

    If employees use AI frequently, this table can grow much faster than expected.

    Other related to file storage would be: 

    Microsoft documented an April 2026 change to how solution-aware tables and metadata are reported in Dataverse. Some storage previously classified under database capacity is now reported as file capacity, and Microsoft notes that WebResourceBase may fluctuate during internal storage transitions.

    As the increase started around May and WebResourceBase appears to be the main contributor, it may be worth asking Microsoft whether this environment is still undergoing that reclassification or internal migration.

    I would also check whether any Microsoft-managed solutions are being updated automatically and compare the WebResourceBase record count and modified dates before and after the storage increase.

    Agent conversation transcripts are worth monitoring separately, but they are stored as text records and would be more likely to increase database storage than WebResource file storage.

     

  • SebS Profile Picture
    4,867 Super User 2026 Season 1 on at

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