Data Retention controls how long Docbox retains print job data, metadata, and supporting records before they are automatically removed from the system. You can access Data Retention via Control Panel > System Settings > Data Retention.
Only Administrators can access Data Retention.
Click Save Settings to apply any changes. Click Reset Changes to discard unsaved edits and restore the form to the last saved values.
Changes to retention settings take effect immediately and apply to all existing records. Reducing a retention period does not just affect new jobs - it will also remove data from jobs already on the system that fall outside the new period. This cannot be undone. Review all values carefully before saving.
The page opens with a Docbox Data Storage overview showing current disk usage, followed by the settings themselves. These are divided into three areas: the print job lifecycle, housekeeping tables, and file system. Each has its own retention periods which you can configure to meet your organisation's data protection and storage requirements.
Administrators who need to understand the user-facing impact of these settings - including what users will see in the dashboard when data has been removed - should refer to How Docbox Handles Your Data.
Docbox Data Storage
Before reviewing the retention periods below, the Docbox Data Storage panel shows how much of your allocated storage is currently in use. Since retention settings exist to keep this figure under control, it's a useful first check on whether the current settings are doing their job.
The bar shows space used as a proportion of total space, with the exact figures for space used, space free and total space shown beneath it.
The bar is blue while usage is below 90%. At 90% and above, it turns red to warn you that available space is running low. If you see this, review the retention periods on this page, or the Minimum free disk space setting under Operational Controls, which automatically halves retention thresholds once free space drops below a configured level.
Print Job Lifecycle
Print jobs are removed in three staged phases. Each retention period is measured from the date the print job completed. The phases must be configured in order — the PDF retention period must be less than or equal to the metadata retention period, which must be less than or equal to the print job record retention period.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Phase 1 - PDF retention | Days before printed PDFs and their catalogue entries are removed from disk. Default: 28 days. |
| Phase 2 - Metadata retention | Days before recipient details and document title are removed. Default: 28 days. |
| Phase 3 - Print job record | Days before the print job record itself is deleted. Default: 393 days. |
How retention periods are calculated
The date against which each retention period is measured depends on the status of the print job:
| Job Status | Date Used |
|---|---|
| Completed | Date the job was printed |
| Quarantined / Cancelled | Date the job was submitted |
| Errored | Date the job was last updated |
Housekeeping Tables
Day-based deletion thresholds for the supporting tables that Docbox uses to record system activity.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Login audit retention | Days to retain login audit history. |
| Event log retention | Days to retain event log entries. |
| Notification retention | Days to retain user notifications. |
| User login link retention | Days to retain expired user login links. |
| User token retention | Days to retain expired user tokens. |
| Clear-down queue retention | Days to retain processed clear-down queue entries. |
File System
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Working files retention | Days before print batch working directories are removed from disk. |
Operational Controls
The Operational Controls panel is collapsed by default. Click the + icon to expand it.
These controls affect cleardown throughput and the disk-space safety net. Incorrect values can lead to either runaway data growth or excessive data deletion. These settings should not be changed without a full understanding of their impact. If in doubt, contact CFH before making any changes.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Minimum free disk space (GB) | If free disk space drops below this threshold, all retention day thresholds are halved (with a minimum floor of 14 days) to accelerate deletion and recover space. Set to 0 to disable this safety net. |
| By-date threshold batch limit | The maximum number of rows deleted per DELETE statement. This guards against table locking during cleardown. |
| By-date threshold iteration limit | The maximum number of DELETE iterations per cleardown cycle per table. |