Manage retention rules and holds

As a Vault user, you should check your retention rules and holds periodically. Ensure that Vault is helping you meet your organization's business and legal requirements.

Warning: When you modify or delete holds and retention rules, you can allow services to purge data that users expect to keep. Data that isn't protected by other holds or retention rules might be immediately and permanently purged. Learn more.

Manage default retention rules

Default retention rules provide global preservation and purge policies for each service. They apply to user data when custom retention rules or holds don't apply.

1. Sign in to vault.google.com.
2. Click Retention.
3. On the Default Rules tab, review the default rules. Verify that they're set the way you want.
   • If the duration and action value is No default retention, then no default retention rule is set for that service.
   • If the status is Off, then the data for that service is covered by another service's default retention rule, if any. A default rule that's off might have a duration that's "Not set" or a number of days. These default retention rules apply only when retention for that setting is turned on.
4. You can edit or unset a default retention rule:
   • To edit a default retention rule, click Edit  and make your changes. Then click Save.

     Note: If you shorten the retention duration or unset a default rule, you might allow the service to purge data you want to keep. Proceed with caution.

   • To unset a default retention rule, point to the rule and click Delete. Click Delete again to confirm.

Manage custom retention rules

Custom retention rules control how long specific types of data are retained.

Verify or edit a custom rule

1. Sign in to vault.google.com.
2. Click RetentionCustom Rules.
3. Review the custom rules. You can filter the list to a specific service, condition, and other rule properties.
4. To edit a custom rule, click the rule and make your changes.

   Note: Your updates are applied as soon as you save them. You risk losing data that users expect to keep. Proceed with caution.

5. Click Save.

Delete a custom retention rule

1. Sign in to vault.google.com.
2. Click RetentionCustom Rules.
3. To delete a single rule, point to the rule and click Delete.
4. To delete many rules:
   1. Check the box next to each rule you want to delete.
   2. At the top, click Delete.
5. Confirm that you want to delete the rule and click Delete.

Manage holds

Holds are placed on specific users, organizational units, groups, Chat spaces, or shared drives. Holds retain data indefinitely and take precedence over default retention rules and any custom retention rules. For details, see Get started with holds in Google Vault.

Edit a hold

1. Sign in to vault.google.com.
2. Click Matters and click the matter with the hold you want to edit. If you don't know which matter has the hold, you can find the hold through Reports:
   1. On the Vault home page, click Reports.
   2. To find holds on an organizational unit, click Domain Holds.
   3. To find holds on a user, click User Holds.
   4. To find holds on groups, click Group Holds.
3. Click the hold you want to edit.
4. Click Edit hold. Make your changes.

   Note: When you edit a hold, the data might be immediately purged if no retention rules or other holds apply. Proceed with caution.

5. Click Save.

Delete a hold

1. Sign in to vault.google.com.
2. Click Matters and click the matter with the hold you want to edit. If you don't know which matter has the hold, you can find the hold through Reports:
   1. On the Vault home page, click Reports.
   2. To find holds on an organizational unit, click Domain Holds.
   3. To find holds on a user, click User Holds.
   4. To find holds on groups, click Group Holds.
3. Check the box next to the hold you want to delete.
4. At the top, click Delete.

   Note: When you delete a hold, the data might be immediately purged if no retention rules or other holds apply. Proceed with caution.

5. Confirm that you want to delete the hold and click Delete.

Review which users are on hold

1. Sign in to vault.google.com.
2. Click Reports.
3. Click User Holds. Any users who are on hold appear in the list.
4. Click the hold to see what matter the hold belongs to.