Manage Vault Data Retention Settings

Overview

A vault's data retention period is the length of time it is kept before it is automatically deleted. Retention applies to the vault and everything inside it — its files and folders, queries, and review tables.

This article explains how retention periods are configured, which actions reset a vault's retention timer, how to request a custom retention period for a client matter, and what happens when a vault reaches the end of its retention period.

Key Concepts

Vault Retention vs. Workspace Retention vs. Client Matter Retention

• Your organization’s Vault retention period applies to all vaults in your workspace and their contents, including files and folders, material that is linked to or synced into a vault, and any queries and review tables that have been added to the vault.
• Your organization’s Workspace retention period applies to queries, review tables, and other artifacts that are created outside of a Vault (for example, threads). Threads started from a vault are saved to your personal history by default and follow workspace retention until you add them to the vault. Refer to Understanding Retention Policies for more information on workspace data retention.
  Your organization’s client matter retention period applies to Vaults associated with a client matter and can be enabled by your Harvey CSM upon request.

Vault Retention Mode Options

Your organization's vault retention mode determines when a vault's retention countdown starts. There are two different mode options:

• On vault creation: When this mode is selected, the vault is deleted once a set amount of time passes after it was created.
• On vault update: When this mode is selected, the vault is deleted once a set amount of time passes with no updates. Each qualifying action resets the retention countdown, so an actively used vault stays in Vault longer. Jump to What Counts as a Vault Update? for the actions that reset it.

Order of Precedence

Retention can be set at the workspace level, the vault level, and the client-matter level. When more than one retention setting applies to a vault, the most specific one takes precedent:

1. Workspace retention applies by default.
2. Vault retention overrides workspace retention, if set.
3. Client-matter retention overrides both workspace retention and vault retention, if set.

Note that, under this hierarchy, existing client-matter–level exceptions stay in place even if the workspace or Vault retention is later changed.

For example, if your Vault retention period is 7 days from the last update, but the associated client matter is set to 30 days, the vault is retained for 30 days after its last update.

What Counts as a Vault Update?

If your organization’s vault retention is set to “on vault update,” the following actions reset a vault’s retention countdown.

Actions that trigger an update:

• Queries: Moving a thread to the vault, or creating, deleting, renaming, or updating a query that has already been added to the vault

  • Threads: Adding follow-up messages, regenerating content, editing, or creating new revisions
  • Review: Adding, editing, re-running, or deleting columns
• Files & Folders: Adding, modifying, renaming, moving, or deleting files or folders
• Vault Details: Updating the vault title
• Sharing & Access: Adding or removing users, changing access levels

Actions that do NOT trigger an update:

• Using the vault as a knowledge source for queries that are not attached to the vault
• Viewing a vault without making changes
• Searching its contents
• Favoriting a vault query in your history
• Providing feedback (thumbs up/down) in threads or Review cells
• Exporting a query
• Scheduled, automatic syncs from a Document Management System (DMS)

Check a Vault's Retention Period

To check when a vault will be automatically deleted, open the vault and select the Panel icon in the top-right corner. This opens the Vault’s details panel, where you can check the deletion date.

What Happens When a Vault Expires

Before expiration

A vault that is expiring in less than seven days shows a warning banner within the vault and a red dot next to its name on the Vault homepage.

If vault email notifications are enabled for retention-based deletion, users also receive reminder emails 7 days and 1 day before expiration.

At expiration

When a vault reaches the end of its retention period, it is automatically deleted and moves to the Recycle Bin (Command Center → Reporting → Vaults).

After expiration

A workspace admin can recover the vault from the Recycle Bin for 30 days, or permanently delete it sooner. Note that vaults synced via DMS will need to be resynced once they are recovered from the recycle bin.

After 30 days, the vault and everything inside it is permanently deleted. For steps on recovering a deleted vault, see Managing Vaults.

If a vault is restored, its retention period starts over. For example, under a 90-day retention policy, a restored vault remains in Vault for another 90 days before it is automatically deleted again.

FAQs