What is item-level restore?
Item-level restore, also called granular restore, is the recovery of a single object from inside an application's data: one email or mailbox, one database or table, one directory account, one document in a collaboration site. The application stays online, and only the chosen item is brought back.
How does item-level restore differ from file-level restore?
File-level restore returns files as the file system sees them. An application's objects are not files. A mailbox lives inside a database file together with thousands of others, and restoring that whole file would roll every mailbox back. Item-level restore understands the application's internal format, opens the database from the backup and extracts just the object requested.
Which applications is it used for?
Support depends on the backup software having an explorer or plug-in for each application.
| Application | Typical items |
|---|---|
| Directory services | User, group or computer accounts, attributes, group policy |
| Mail servers and Microsoft 365 mail | Messages, folders, whole mailboxes |
| Databases | Individual databases, tables, point-in-time states |
| SharePoint and OneDrive | Documents, versions, lists, sites |
| Teams | Channel files, posts, team settings |
What does the backup need to contain?
Item-level restore relies on a consistent copy of the application's data, which means the backup has to be application-aware. For databases, restoring to an exact moment also needs the transaction logs. For cloud services such as Microsoft 365, the backup product reads items through the service's interfaces and stores them in its own repository. Teams and SharePoint restores covers that case.
What affects how fast an item comes back?
Locating the item is often the slowest step, so search across restore points matters. The restore itself reads a small amount of data from scattered positions, which favours repositories with good random read performance. For cloud services, the provider's own rate limits apply on the way back in. Large requests, such as a whole site, behave more like a bulk restore than an item-level one.
Frequently asked questions
Is item-level restore the same as granular restore?
Yes. The two terms are used interchangeably.
Does the application have to be stopped for an item-level restore?
No. The item is extracted from the backup and written back while the application runs.
Can an item be restored to a different mailbox or database?
Usually. Most tools allow restoring to the original location, to another location or exporting the item to a file.