Data retention settings

Data retention settings

EmailConnect provides flexible data retention controls to help you balance data availability with privacy requirements and storage costs. Configure these settings at /settings#retention.

Understanding data retention

Data retention determines how long EmailConnect stores:

  • Processed email metadata
  • Webhook delivery logs
  • Failed webhook attempts
  • Email processing history

Why data retention matters

Privacy compliance

  • Meet GDPR requirements for data minimization
  • Automatically delete old customer data
  • Reduce liability from storing unnecessary information

Storage optimization

  • Lower storage costs by removing old data
  • Improve query performance on active data
  • Keep your account lean and efficient

Business requirements

  • Maintain audit trails for the required period
  • Balance debugging needs with privacy
  • Comply with industry-specific regulations

Configuring retention settings

Access retention settings

  1. Navigate to Settings (/settings)
  2. Click on the "Retention" tab
  3. Choose your retention period
  4. Save changes

Available retention periods

Free plan:

  • 7 days (default and maximum)

Basic plan:

  • 7 days (default)
  • 14 days
  • 30 days

Pro plan:

  • 7 days
  • 14 days
  • 30 days (default)
  • 60 days
  • 90 days

Enterprise plan:

  • All standard options plus
  • 180 days
  • 365 days
  • Custom periods available

What gets retained

Email metadata

  • Subject, sender, recipient
  • Processing timestamp
  • Size and attachment count
  • Delivery status

Webhook logs

  • Delivery attempts and timestamps
  • HTTP response codes
  • Response times
  • Retry attempts

What doesn't get stored

  • Email body content (unless explicitly configured)
  • Attachment contents (only metadata)
  • Raw email data
  • Personal identifying information beyond email addresses

Retention lifecycle

Day 0: Email received

  • Email processed and webhook triggered
  • Metadata stored in database
  • Delivery logged

During retention period

  • Full access to logs and history
  • Debugging information available
  • Retry options for failed webhooks

After retention period

  • Data automatically deleted
  • No manual intervention needed
  • Deletion is permanent and irreversible

Best practices by use case

Transactional emails

Recommendation: 30-60 days

  • Sufficient for debugging issues
  • Covers most dispute periods
  • Balances cost and utility

Support tickets

Recommendation: 14-30 days

  • Quick resolution expected
  • Lower privacy concerns
  • Reduces storage needs

Financial notifications

Recommendation: 90-365 days

  • Regulatory requirements
  • Audit trail needs
  • Dispute resolution periods

Marketing automation

Recommendation: 7-14 days

  • High volume, low individual value
  • Quick feedback loops
  • Cost optimization priority

Changing retention settings

Immediate effect

  • New emails follow new retention period
  • Existing data maintains original retention

Retroactive changes

  • Shortening retention doesn't delete existing data immediately
  • Data expires based on original retention setting
  • Extending retention only affects new data

Compliance considerations

GDPR compliance

  • Set shortest practical retention period
  • Document your retention policy
  • Ensure automatic deletion works

Industry regulations

  • Financial services: May require longer retention
  • Healthcare: Check HIPAA requirements
  • E-commerce: Consider payment dispute periods

Data subject requests

  • Retention settings don't override deletion requests
  • Manual deletion available via API
  • Contact support for bulk deletions

Monitoring data usage

Retention dashboard

View in your settings:

  • Current retention setting
  • Data volume by age
  • Upcoming deletions
  • Storage trends

Alerts and notifications

  • Warning before high-volume deletions
  • Monthly retention reports
  • Storage quota notifications

Advanced retention strategies

Multi-domain approaches

Different retention per use case:

  • transactions.domain.com: 90 days
  • notifications.domain.com: 7 days
  • support.domain.com: 30 days

Archival options (Enterprise)

  • Export data before deletion
  • Backup to your own storage
  • Compliance archives

API-based management

// Get current retention setting
GET /api/v1/settings/retention

// Update retention period
PUT /api/v1/settings/retention
{
  "days": 30
}

Cost optimization

Storage costs by retention

  • 7 days: Baseline cost
  • 30 days: ~4x baseline
  • 90 days: ~12x baseline
  • 365 days: ~50x baseline

Optimization tips

  1. Start with shortest reasonable period
  2. Increase only when needed
  3. Use different domains for different retention needs
  4. Monitor actual data access patterns

Faq

Can I recover deleted data?

No, deletion is permanent. Plan retention accordingly.

Does retention affect webhook delivery?

No, webhooks are delivered immediately. Retention only affects historical logs.

Can I export data before deletion?

Yes, use the API to export data. Enterprise plans have automated export options.

How precise is deletion timing?

Data is deleted within 24 hours of retention expiry.

Configure your retention settings thoughtfully to balance business needs, compliance requirements, and cost optimization.