Data retention policy

📌 Task: Create & Monitor Data Extensions with Different Retention Policies 🚀

By ElearningIT

Feb 18, 2025

Your objective is to:

✅ Create three separate Data Extensions (DEs).

✅ Apply a different retention policy on each DE.

✅ Monitor & analyze the impact over time.

🔹 Step 1: Create Three Data Extensions (DEs)

1️⃣ Navigate to: Email Studio > Subscribers > Data Extensions.

2️⃣ Click "Create" → Select Standard Data Extension.

3️⃣ Define the fields for all DEs using the structure below:

Field Name

Data Type

Length

Primary Key

SubscriberKey

Text

50

✅ Yes

Name

Text

50

❌ No

Email

EmailAddress

254

❌ No

Phone

Phone

50

❌ No

SignupDate

Date

-

❌ No

4️⃣ Create three Data Extensions with unique names:

DE_IndividualRetention (For Individual Record Retention)

DE_AllRecordsRetention (For All Records Retention)

DE_FullDeletion (For Data Extension & Records Retention)

5️⃣ Import at least 100 records in each DE (via CSV or manual entry).

🔹 Step 2: Apply Different Retention Policies

Go to Data Extension Settings > Retention Policy and configure as follows:

Data Extension Name

Retention Type

Settings

Data Extension Name

Retention Type

Settings

DE_IndividualRetention

Individual Records

Deletes specific rows after 30 days

DE_AllRecordsRetention

All Records

Clears all data but keeps structure every 60 days

DE_FullDeletion

Data Extension & Records

Deletes entire DE after 90 days

🔹 Step 3: Monitor & Analyze Over Time 📊

1️⃣ Track data changes daily or weekly in each DE.

2️⃣ Note when records start disappearing (Individual vs. All Records).

3️⃣ Confirm when DE_FullDeletion is permanently removed after 90 days.

4️⃣ Check Email Studio reports to ensure data is retained/deleted as expected.

🚀 Expected Results

✔ DE_IndividualRetention → Records older than 30 days will be deleted, but DE remains.

✔ DE_AllRecordsRetention → All records will be cleared after 60 days, but DE remains.

✔ DE_FullDeletion → The entire DE will be deleted after 90 days.

 DE_IndividualRetention →

DE_AllRecordsRetention → 

DE_FullDeletion → 

Note: All DE has 1 day of retention