# How should I design a database retention and archive policy?

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HELP CENTER · FAQ Databases 1 min read
# How should I design a database retention and archive policy?
A retention policy defines how long each class of data remains available, when it moves to cheaper storage, and when it is securely deleted. Base the schedule on product needs, legal obligations, and recovery objectives, then make the rules enforceable and auditable.
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Databases

## Classify data by purpose
Group records by their purpose and sensitivity, such as active account data, operational events, financial records, and user uploads. Each class can have different access controls, retention periods, and deletion requirements.
Identify which records must remain queryable for everyday product behavior and which are retained only for reporting, disputes, or compliance. This avoids treating every historical row as equally valuable.
## Automate lifecycle handling
Choose archive thresholds and deletion dates explicitly. Use scheduled jobs or database lifecycle features to move eligible records, and make those operations idempotent so retries do not create duplicate archives or skip records.
Keep a documented restore path and test it. Deleting source data before confirming the archive is readable, complete, and protected can turn a cost-saving process into permanent data loss. [← Back to Databases FAQs](https://help.iagenify.com/faqs/databases)