# Data retention

> How long Emailit keeps message contents, activity, logs and analytics on each plan, how to set custom windows, and what stops working after deletion.

Emailit keeps four kinds of email data for a limited time, then deletes it permanently. This page explains each data type, the default windows on each plan, how to choose your own windows, and what you can't do once data is gone.

## Data types

These names match **Workspace → Settings → Data retention**.

| Type | What it covers | Where you see it |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Message contents** | Raw email bodies and headers | **Show Preview** on an email, attachments, and the API's body, raw and attachment endpoints |
| **Message activity** | Delivery records, opens, clicks and message metadata | The Emails list and email details, deliveries, loads and clicks |
| **Logs** | API and SMTP request logs, plus delivery-attempt and webhook logs | **Email API → Logs**, **Email API → Events** and a webhook's **Requests** tab |
| **Analytics** | Aggregated sending statistics and reports | **Email API → Analytics** |

Retention doesn't apply to contacts, audiences, templates, domains, suppressions or settings. They're kept until you delete them. Email verification results expire separately, 30 days after they're created.

## Plan defaults

| | Pay as you go | Pro | Business | Custom |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Message contents kept | 7 days | 30 days | 30 days | Flexible |
| Message activity kept | 30 days | 365 days | 365 days | Flexible |
| Request logs kept | 7 days | 30 days | 30 days | Flexible |
| Analytics kept | 365 days | Forever | Forever | Flexible |

**Forever** means Emailit doesn't delete that data type on a schedule. On Custom plans, retention is agreed with the Emailit team.

Retention follows the workspace's current plan. When you upgrade, the longer windows apply from then on, but data already deleted under the old plan doesn't come back.

## Custom retention

With the Data retention add-on, you can set your own window for each data type, from 1 to 365 days. Windows can be longer or shorter than the plan default, so you can also use the add-on to keep less data.

1. **Activate the add-on.** Go to **Workspace → Billing** and, under **Add-ons**, select **Activate** on **Data retention**. It costs $50 a month per workspace. See [Add-ons](/docs/billing/add-ons/#data-retention).

2. **Open Data retention.** Go to **Workspace → Settings → Data retention**. Each selector shows the current plan default, for example **Plan default (7 days)**.

3. **Choose windows.** For each type, pick **Plan default** or 1, 3, 7, 14, 30, 60, 90, 180 or 365 days.

4. **Save.** Select **Save**. You see "Data retention updated".

Only admins can change retention. Without the add-on, the page shows "Custom data retention is not available", names your plan and disables the selectors, and your plan defaults apply. Picking **Plan default** again removes your custom value for that type.

An [AppSumo data retention license](/docs/billing/appsumo/#data-retention-license) unlocks the same settings.

## How deletion works

Emailit runs its retention cleanup once a day. Each run permanently deletes data older than the window for that type. Shortening a window deletes older data at the next run, and nothing can restore it.

> **Kept for compliance:** Bounced and suppressed message data is always retained for compliance purposes, regardless of these settings.

## What stops working after deletion

| After this is deleted | What changes |
| --- | --- |
| **Message contents** | Email details still show the status, recipients and events, but **Show Preview** has nothing to show. The API returns no body, attachments or raw message. **Retry** and **Forward** fail with `422`, for example "Email raw content has been purged and can no longer be retried." |
| **Message activity** | The email no longer appears in the Emails list, the API or campaign drill-downs. |
| **Logs** | Request logs, events and webhook request history for that period are gone, so you can't inspect or replay those webhook requests. |
| **Analytics** | Charts can't show the deleted period. Date ranges older than your analytics window are shortened to fit it. |

If you need email content for longer, store it on your side when you send, or listen to [webhooks](/docs/webhooks/) and keep the events you need.

## GDPR and deletion requests

Short retention windows reduce the personal data Emailit stores for you. To act on a data subject request:

- Delete the person's contact and subscriber records in the dashboard or with the [Contacts API](/docs/api-reference/contacts/). Deleting a contact removes it from every audience.
- Keep a suppression entry if they must never be emailed again. See [Suppressions](/docs/suppressions/).
- For message data that hasn't reached its retention window yet, email [support@emailit.com](mailto:support@emailit.com) with the workspace ID and the email address concerned.

See [Security and compliance](/docs/security/) for more on how Emailit handles your data.

## Related

- [Limits and quotas](/docs/limits/)
- [Add-ons](/docs/billing/add-ons/)
- [Email details](/docs/logs/email-details/)

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Source: https://emailit.com/docs/data-retention/