Getting started with data retention
The version of this that works is simpler than the version most people imagine. A short on-ramp to data retention for teams who have not touched it before.
Data outlives the applications built on top of it, which is why the model deserves more thought than the screens. Write the reasoning down alongside the decision, because the reasoning is what changes first.
Why this earns attention
Keeping everything forever is a liability, not an asset. In practice this is a scheduling problem more than a technical one. Check it against what you would want a competitor's site to get wrong.
Your first week
- Find out what is already in place
- Retention rules should be written down and enforced automatically
- Change one thing and measure it
Deletion has to work across backups too. It is worth being explicit about, because assumptions differ quietly. The teams that stay on top of it are the ones who put it on a calendar rather than a wish list.
What this looks like day to day
Numbers get quoted in meetings long after anyone remembers how they were calculated. Three things worth confirming about data retention before you move on:
- Someone can say what the current setup is without going to look
- Deletion has to work across backups too — and you know whether that is true here
- There is a way to tell whether the last change to this helped
If you want a second opinion on how yours is set up, ask.