Policy Statement
State the purpose and governing principles for retention and deletion.
4.8
on G2
Free Cybersecurity & Privacy Template
Policy for retention, deletion, and archival of data
Use this template to policy for retention, deletion, and archival of data.
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Category | Cybersecurity & Privacy |
| Owner | [Team or owner] |
| Version | [Version number] |
| Effective Date | [Date] |
| Review Cycle | [Monthly / Quarterly / Annual / Event-based] |
| Status | [Draft / In Review / Approved] |
State the purpose and governing principles for retention and deletion.
| Item | Details | Owner | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| [Item or requirement] | [Describe the relevant detail, evidence, or decision] | [Owner] | [Open / Complete] |
| [Item or requirement] | [Describe the relevant detail, evidence, or decision] | [Owner] | [Open / Complete] |
[Add context, assumptions, exceptions, evidence links, screenshots, calculations, or reviewer comments.]
Define covered systems, data categories, environments, and exclusions.
| Item | Details | Owner | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| [Item or requirement] | [Describe the relevant detail, evidence, or decision] | [Owner] | [Open / Complete] |
| [Item or requirement] | [Describe the relevant detail, evidence, or decision] | [Owner] | [Open / Complete] |
[Add context, assumptions, exceptions, evidence links, screenshots, calculations, or reviewer comments.]
Provide retention periods by data category and legal basis.
| Item | Details | Owner | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| [Item or requirement] | [Describe the relevant detail, evidence, or decision] | [Owner] | [Open / Complete] |
| [Item or requirement] | [Describe the relevant detail, evidence, or decision] | [Owner] | [Open / Complete] |
[Add context, assumptions, exceptions, evidence links, screenshots, calculations, or reviewer comments.]
Describe deletion, anonymization, backup expiry, and owner responsibilities.
| Item | Details | Owner | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| [Item or requirement] | [Describe the relevant detail, evidence, or decision] | [Owner] | [Open / Complete] |
| [Item or requirement] | [Describe the relevant detail, evidence, or decision] | [Owner] | [Open / Complete] |
[Add context, assumptions, exceptions, evidence links, screenshots, calculations, or reviewer comments.]
Explain how holds suspend deletion and who can approve them.
| Item | Details | Owner | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| [Item or requirement] | [Describe the relevant detail, evidence, or decision] | [Owner] | [Open / Complete] |
| [Item or requirement] | [Describe the relevant detail, evidence, or decision] | [Owner] | [Open / Complete] |
[Add context, assumptions, exceptions, evidence links, screenshots, calculations, or reviewer comments.]
List logs, tickets, approvals, and reports used to prove compliance. Use precise retention periods and clear operational ownership.
| Item | Details | Owner | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| [Item or requirement] | [Describe the relevant detail, evidence, or decision] | [Owner] | [Open / Complete] |
| [Item or requirement] | [Describe the relevant detail, evidence, or decision] | [Owner] | [Open / Complete] |
[Add context, assumptions, exceptions, evidence links, screenshots, calculations, or reviewer comments.]
Document review conclusions, approvals, unresolved items, and next review date.
| Role | Name | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Preparer | [Name] | [Date] | [Notes] |
| Reviewer | [Name] | [Date] | [Notes] |
| Approver | [Name] | [Date] | [Notes] |
Template Structure
Use this cybersecurity & privacy template as a starting point, then customize each section to match your internal workflow, evidence, and signoff needs.
State the purpose and governing principles for retention and deletion.
Define covered systems, data categories, environments, and exclusions.
Provide retention periods by data category and legal basis.
Describe deletion, anonymization, backup expiry, and owner responsibilities.
Explain how holds suspend deletion and who can approve them.
List logs, tickets, approvals, and reports used to prove compliance. Use precise retention periods and clear operational ownership.
Write a data retention policy for [organization or system]. Structure with these Markdown sections:
State the purpose and governing principles for retention and deletion.
Define covered systems, data categories, environments, and exclusions.
Provide retention periods by data category and legal basis.
Describe deletion, anonymization, backup expiry, and owner responsibilities.
Explain how holds suspend deletion and who can approve them.
List logs, tickets, approvals, and reports used to prove compliance.
Use precise retention periods and clear operational ownership.
Customer data is retained only as long as needed to provide contracted services, meet legal obligations, and support security investigations.
Covers production workspace content, account records, audit logs, support tickets, and backups.
| Data Category | Retention Period | Owner |
|---|---|---|
| Workspace content | Contract term plus 30 days | Customer Success |
| Audit logs | 1 year | Security |
| Support tickets | 3 years | Support Ops |
| Backups | 35 days rolling | Infrastructure |
Workspace content is queued for deletion after contract termination and customer confirmation. Backups expire through lifecycle policy.
Legal may suspend deletion for litigation, investigation, or regulatory request. Holds must include scope and review date.
Record a walkthrough, training session, or process demonstration. Docsie AI turns it into structured documentation using this template as the starting framework.
Use the template manually, or let Docsie generate the first draft from source footage.
Periodic user access review for systems and privileged roles
Notification plan for privacy or security breaches
DPIA for high-risk processing of personal data
Runbook for handling privacy and data subject requests
Evidence collection plan for SOC 2 audit controls
Request and approval record for security policy exceptions
Template FAQ
Common questions about using and generating a data Retention Policy.
Q: What is a data Retention Policy?
A: A data Retention Policy is a structured document for policy for retention, deletion, and archival of data.
Q: Can I download this data Retention Policy as Word or PDF?
A: Yes. This page includes free downloads in DOCX, PDF, and Markdown formats so you can edit, share, or import the template into your documentation system.
Q: Can Docsie generate this from a video?
A: Yes. Upload a process walkthrough, training recording, or screen capture to Docsie, then use this template structure to generate a first draft automatically.