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Retaining Deleted Files

Retention controls how long Files.com keeps a backup copy of a file after it is deleted. Deleted files are not immediately purged; they are held for a configured number of days, during which a Site Administrator can restore them.

Retention supports compliance with data protection regulations and internal policies by keeping deleted records available for inspection or recovery. It also gives Site Administrators a way to recover from accidental deletions caused by automation rules, API scripts, or users — including off-boarding cases where an employee deletes files before leaving.

Configuring Retention Settings

Site Administrators set the number of days that deleted files remain recoverable using the Retain backup copies of files after deletion setting. The value defines the maximum number of days your site will retain deleted files before they are permanently removed from storage. The default is 30 days.

Setting the value to 0 removes files immediately upon deletion and disables your ability to restore them. We do not recommend this configuration. To retain deleted files indefinitely, set the value to 99999.

The setting applies retroactively to all previously deleted files. After you change it, the system can take up to 24 hours to remove any files that no longer fall within the updated retention window.

The storage used for retaining deleted files counts toward your site's total storage usage.

Retention of Deleted Files keeps backup copies of deleted files for a defined number of days before they are permanently removed. A retained file is not visible in its original folder; you must explicitly restore it to bring it back.

Archive Removed Files takes a different approach. It automatically places deleted or overwritten files into the archive path without any restore step, which makes it the best option for retaining versions and maintaining an accessible history.