How does data retention work?

This article provides an overview of the Data Retention feature in the software. This feature allows administrators to manage the retention and deletion of chatbot conversations and individual messages. It is designed to help customers comply with data management policies, ensuring that old data is deleted according to customizable timeframes. Additionally, this feature supports manual deletion of conversations and messages, with full audit capabilities for tracking deletions. Below, you will find all the relevant details regarding the functionality and settings of the Data Retention feature.

In this article, you will learn more about:

• Overview of the Data Retention feature
• How to set up a Data Retention policy
• Manual deletion of conversations and messages
• Important considerations regarding data retention

Overview of the Data Retention feature

The Data Retention feature under the chatbot settings provides administrators with the ability to set retention periods for chatbot conversations and individual messages. This enables businesses to comply with data privacy policies, such as GDPR, by ensuring that outdated data is deleted automatically. The feature can be enabled or disabled on a customer-by-customer basis through the data retention feature toggle. Initially, the feature will be off by default, but can be manually enabled for select customers upon request. The feature is available from the side menu under Settings > Chatbot, where administrators can configure the data retention policy.

How to set up a data retention policy

Step 1: Access the data retention settings

Navigate to Settings > Chatbot, then scroll down to the Data Retention Policy section. Here, the data retention toggle is automatically set to off, meaning data is kept indefinitely unless otherwise specified.

Step 2: Set the retention period

Administrators can turn on the toggle and specify the retention period in months. Data older than the selected period will be automatically deleted. Each retention policy is applied per chatbot, meaning different chatbots within the same tenant can have distinct retention settings.

Step 3: Confirm and save the retention policy

After setting the retention period, administrators will be prompted with a pop-up to confirm that they understand that the data will be fully deleted after a two-week grace period. Once confirmed, an email notification is sent to all administrators informing them of the change.

Once the retention policy is set, data older than the specified period will begin to be deleted starting two weeks after the notification is sent. This grace period allows administrators time to adjust the policy if needed. This delay ensures administrators have enough time to reconsider the policy before the data is permanently removed.

Manual deletion of conversations and messages

Manual deletion of conversations

Administrators and analysts can manually delete individual chatbot conversations. To delete a conversation, simply navigate to the Conversations section under Analytics, select a conversation, and click the Delete button located under the metadata section. A pop-up will confirm the action, and once deleted, the conversation is permanently removed from the system. The audit trail will log the deletion, showing who deleted the conversation and when it occurred. The Delete button can be found below the Archive button in the metadata section.

Manual deletion of individual messages

Similarly, individual messages within a conversation can also be deleted manually. Each user message has a delete icon at the top right of the message. Clicking this icon opens a confirmation pop-up. Once confirmed, the message will be anonymized, and the deletion will be logged in the audit trail, showing who deleted the message and when. To delete a message, click the trash icon in the top right of the message. The deletion will be tracked and displayed in the conversation details.

Please note

Additionally, all notifications related to data retention policy changes will be sent in English, regardless of the customer's locale or language settings. Customers should carefully review and set appropriate retention periods to ensure compliance with data privacy regulations like GDPR, as improper settings could impact historical data availability.