Data Retention

Data retention settings allow you to control how long your data is kept in the system. After the specified retention period, data is automatically deleted to help you manage storage and comply with data protection regulations.

What is Data Retention?

Data retention determines how long the following types of data are stored:

• Call recordings - Audio files from your phone calls
• Calls - Call history and metadata
• Webhooks - Webhook delivery records
• WhatsApp conversations - Messages and conversation history

Configuring Data Retention

Administrator Access Required

This feature is only available to users with Administrator or Super Administrator roles.

Setting the Retention Period

1. Navigate to the Settings page in your account
2. Find the Data Retention section
3. Enter the number of days you want to keep your data (0 to 1095 days)
   • 0 days: Minimum retention of 2 hours
   • Maximum: 1095 days (3 years)
4. Changes are saved automatically after you enter the value

Understanding the Retention Period

• The retention period is measured in days
• Data older than your specified period will be automatically deleted
• Setting the retention period to 0 means data will be deleted after a minimum grace period of 2 hours
• The system runs a cleanup process every 2 hours with a 2-hour grace period to ensure data is not accidentally deleted

Automatic Deletion

The system automatically deletes expired data in the following order:

1. Call recordings stored in the system
2. Third-party call data (if applicable)
3. Webhooks, calls, and WhatsApp conversations

Important

Once data is deleted, it cannot be recovered. Make sure your retention period is appropriate for your needs before setting it.

Use Cases

Short Retention Period (0-30 days)

Suitable for:

• Temporary testing or development
• Situations where data privacy is critical
• When you don't need historical records

Medium Retention Period (31-180 days)

Suitable for:

• Standard business operations
• Maintaining recent history for reference
• Balancing storage costs with data access needs

Long Retention Period (181-1095 days)

Suitable for:

• Legal or compliance requirements
• Long-term analytics and reporting
• Industries requiring extended record keeping

Best Practices

1. Review your legal requirements - Check if your industry has specific data retention requirements
2. Consider your business needs - Think about how long you need to access historical data
3. Balance costs and needs - Longer retention means more storage costs
4. Regular reviews - Periodically review your retention settings to ensure they still meet your needs

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I recover deleted data?

No, once data is automatically deleted based on your retention settings, it cannot be recovered. Make sure to export any important data before it reaches the retention limit.

How often does the system delete data?

The cleanup process runs every 2 hours and deletes data that has exceeded your retention period plus a 2-hour grace period.

Will changing my retention period affect existing data?

Yes, if you reduce your retention period, data that now falls outside the new period will be deleted in the next cleanup cycle. If you increase the period, existing data will be kept longer.

What happens if the deletion process fails?

The system is designed to handle failures gracefully. If deletion fails for a specific record (such as external recordings), it will continue with other records. Critical failures trigger email alerts to administrators.

Does this affect my backups?

No, data retention settings only affect data stored in the active system. System backups follow separate retention policies managed by your service provider.

Need Help?

If you have questions about data retention:

• Contact your account administrator to discuss the appropriate retention period for your organization
• Reach out to support if you need assistance with configuration