Data Retention Policies
Screenshot of the Retention Policies page with purge statistics
What Is This Page?
The Retention Policies page allows you to manage the automatic cleanup of operational data. Configure how long the system should keep logs, telemetry, and background job data before they are permanently deleted to optimize storage and maintain performance.
When to Use This Page
- Comply with privacy regulations — Set data storage limits for GDPR or company policies
- Optimize database performance — Prevent tables from growing too large
- Manage storage costs — Reduce disk usage by purging old telemetry
- Auto-cleanup — Automate the deletion of temporary operational data
- Environmental hygiene — Keep development or staging environments lean
What You Can Do Here
1. View Retention Policies
The dashboard shows an overview of all active purging rules and their current impact.
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Entity Type | The type of data being managed (Logs, Telemetry, etc.) |
| Retention Days | How many days of data are kept before purging |
| Cutoff Date | The exact date before which all records will be deleted |
| Status | Whether the policy is active and if a purge is pending |
| Actions | Edit or delete the policy |
2. Purge Statistics
The top of the page displays summary cards for each managed entity:
- Pending: Number of records currently eligible for deletion.
- Clean: Indicates no records currently exceed the retention threshold.
- Retention Level: Displays the active policy duration for quick reference.
3. Preview Dry Run
Click “Preview Dry Run” to see exactly what would happen if the purge ran right now.
- Calculates records to be deleted across all policies.
- Does NOT delete any data.
- Useful for verifying impact before applying strict policies.
4. Create/Edit Policy
- Click “Create Policy” or Edit on an existing one.
- Select Entity Type (if creating new):
- System Logs — Operational logs of admin actions and errors.
- Telemetry Records — Usage data received from products.
- Webhook Deliveries — History of outgoing webhook attempts.
- Job Execution Logs — Records of background task results.
- Set Retention Days (1 to 365 days).
- Click Save Policy.
Permanent Records (NEVER Purged)
To maintain platform integrity and legal compliance, the following data is excluded from auto-purge policies:
- Audit Trails — Complete, immutable history of state changes.
- Licenses & Activations — Core functional data required for product validation.
- Products & Generators — Configuration and logic definitions.
- Customers & Contracts — Relationships and entitlement records.
Common Workflows
Workflow 1: Implementing a 90-Day Log Policy
Goal: Keep system logs for exactly 3 months for security auditing, then delete to save space.
Steps:
- Click Create Policy.
- Select Entity Type: “System Logs”.
- Set Retention Days: “90”.
- Click Save Policy.
- Click Preview Dry Run to see how many logs > 90 days old will be removed in the next cycle.
Workflow 2: Aggressive Telemetry Cleanup for Staging
Goal: In development/staging, keep only the most recent usage data.
Steps:
- Find the “Telemetry Records” policy.
- Click Edit.
- Change Retention Days to “7”.
- Save.
- The system will now clear all telemetry older than one week on the next scheduled job.
Troubleshooting
Problem: Can’t change the Entity Type when editing.
Solution: For data integrity, the entity type is locked once a policy is created. To change it, Delete the existing policy and create a new one with the correct type.
Problem: Dry run shows 0 records even with old data.
Solution: Check the “Retention Days” value. If it is set higher than the oldest record (e.g., set to 365 but the platform has only existed for 30 days), no data will be eligible for purging.
Technical Details
- Scheduled Execution: Purge jobs typically run once daily (usually at midnight).
- Environment Isolation: Policies are applied globally to the current environment only.
- Irreversibility: Once purged, data cannot be recovered unless you have an external database backup.
Related Pages
- System Logs — View the data being managed by these policies
- Settings → Audit Trails — View the permanent history that is never purged
- Background Jobs — Monitor the status of the purge tasks
How to Access
Navigation: Admin Portal → Settings → Retention Policies
URL: /admin/retention-policies
Permission Required: Super Admin role