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:

  • 2 hours (default and maximum)

Pro plan:

  • Customizable from 1 minut to 365 days

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
  • 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

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

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.