https://[Moderator note: Personally Identifiable Information removed]my.sharepoint.com/_layouts/15/PolicyViolationThrottle.htm#1033 - Microsoft Q&A

I wanted to add my recent experience for anyone else who encounters /_layouts/15/PolicyViolationThrottle.htm#1033, particularly on a Microsoft 365 Developer Program tenant.

I opened a Microsoft support case after both SharePoint Online and OneDrive became inaccessible. SharePoint PowerShell also returned HTTP 429.

After approximately two weeks of investigation and escalation, Microsoft Support ultimately confirmed that:

• The restriction applied specifically to SharePoint Online and OneDrive.
• The tenant had been restricted because Microsoft detected activity it considered inconsistent with the intended use of Microsoft 365 services. But were unable to identify what this activity was.
• The restriction was permanent.
• There was no supported process to unblock the tenant.
• There was no appeal or escalation path, and Microsoft advised that even escalation through Unified Support would not reverse the decision.
• Microsoft would not disclose the specific activity, thresholds, signals, or criteria that triggered the restriction.
• There was no supported way to access or export the SharePoint or OneDrive data once the restriction had been applied.
• Other workloads such as Entra ID, Exchange Online and Teams were not affected.
• Microsoft's recommended solution was to create a new Microsoft 365 tenant or Developer Program tenant.

This is worth noting because the current answer above suggests that Microsoft Support can review and potentially lift this type of block. At least in my case, on a Developer Program tenant, that was not the outcome. Support explicitly advised that the enforcement decision was final and that they were not authorised to provide details of what triggered it. I was unable to recover any data from the blocked tenant.

The most difficult part is that, because Microsoft would not identify the activity involved, there is no actionable guidance on what behaviour should be changed or avoided to prevent the same thing happening again.

My recommendation if you encounter PolicyViolationThrottle.htm#1033 is still to raise a support request, because Microsoft needs to confirm the status of your particular tenant. However, if this is a Developer Program tenant, be aware that the end result may be a permanent SharePoint/OneDrive restriction rather than temporary throttling.

I hope this saves someone else some time and, more importantly, helps set expectations about what this error can mean.

Hi @Ayan Mukherjee,

Thank you for reaching out.

The error page you’re seeing (/_layouts/15/PolicyViolationThrottle.htm#1033) means SharePoint Online has temporarily blocked access because it detected activity that violates Microsoft’s Acceptable Use Policy or exceeds usage limits. This is a tenant‑level block, not something you can fix from your browser or device.learn.microsoft+2

What this usually means

• Your tenant (or your account within it) has been flagged for unusual or high‑volume activity (e.g., large migrations, heavy automation/Power Automate flows, scripts, or suspected abuse).learn.microsoft+2
• Microsoft has applied a throttling or policy block that shows up as the PolicyViolationThrottle.htm#1033 page when you try to access SharePoint/OneDrive links.learn.microsoft+1

Please Contact your Microsoft 365 / SharePoint admin

If this is a work or school account:

Tell your IT/admin team you’re getting: “Access Denied: This page has been blocked as it violates the Acceptable Use Policy” with URL /_layouts/15/PolicyViolationThrottle.htm#1033.

• Ask them to:
  • Open a support ticket with Microsoft via the Microsoft 365 admin center (Support > New service request) and reference the Acceptable Use Policy / throttle block.
  Provide the exact URL you’re hitting and the timestamp(s) you saw the error.
  • Request an audit of recent high‑volume activity (migrations, scripts, Power Automate flows, third‑party apps) tied to your tenant or user.

Only Microsoft support and your tenant admin can review and lift this kind of block.

The Global Admin should create a service request with Microsoft support to get advanced technical assistance and diagnostics. For detailed instructions on how to get support, please refer to Get support - Microsoft 365 admin.     

If you’re unsure who the Global Admin is within your organization, you can find guidance on locating them here: How do I find my Microsoft 365 admin? - Microsoft Support.    

In the meantime

• Avoid repeated login attempts or running heavy scripts/flows against SharePoint/OneDrive, as this can prolong throttling.
• If you have multiple devices or browsers, try again after 15–30 minutes; sometimes throttling is temporary, but policy blocks usually require admin/support intervention.

Thank you for your patience and understanding. 

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