Understanding case and file retention in Clearance

How retention works in Clearance

Retention policies determine how long cases and files are kept in Clearance before they are automatically deleted.

Retention settings can apply to both cases and files. When files are stored in a case, their retention is evaluated according to the applicable retention rules for those files. The sections that follow explain how file retention is calculated and what happens when a case is closed.

In most situations, retention is calculated from the date a file is uploaded to Clearance, not from the date a case is closed.

For files that have not been assigned a category, the retention period begins on the upload date. When the retention period expires, the file is automatically moved to the recycle bin.

Files stored in a case use whichever retention policy provides the longer retention period:

• The case category retention policy
• The uncategorized retention policy

After a case is closed, Clearance evaluates each file based on its upload date. As a result, files in the same case might reach the end of their retention periods at different times and be deleted individually rather than when the case is closed.

What happens when retention expires

When a case or file reaches the end of its retention period, it is not immediately removed from the system. Instead, it is moved to the recycle bin, where it remains available for review or restoration before it is permanently deleted.

The lifecycle of retained content typically follows this sequence:

• Content is uploaded to Clearance
• The retention period begins.
• The retention period expires.
• The content moves to the recycle bin.
• The content can be reviewed or restored, if permitted.
• The content is permanently removed.

Content configured to be retained indefinitely does not reach the retention-expiration stage unless the retention configuration is changed.