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Article Data Retention and Export Settings

Overview

FieldPulse provides configurable data retention and export controls to help organizations manage storage costs, comply with regional privacy regulations, and maintain data portability. These settings are managed at the account level by users with Admin or Super Admin permissions.

Accessing Data Retention Settings

  1. Navigate to Settings → Administration → Data Management.
  2. Select the Retention & Export tab.

Automatic Archiving

Configure when completed work orders, invoices, and customer records are automatically archived. Archived data remains searchable but is excluded from active dashboards and standard reports.

Data TypeDefault RetentionConfigurable Range
Completed Work Orders2 years90 days – 7 years
Invoices & Payments7 years1 – 10 years
Customer RecordsIndefinite1 year – Indefinite
Audit Logs1 year90 days – 3 years
Mobile Sync Logs90 days30 days – 1 year

Data Deletion Policies

Soft Delete vs. Hard Delete — When a user or work order is deleted, FieldPulse performs a soft delete by default. The record is hidden from standard views but retained for the configured period. Hard deletion permanently removes data and cannot be undone.

To enable automatic hard deletion of soft-deleted records after a retention period:

  1. Enable Automatic Permanent Deletion in Data Management settings.
  2. Set the Hard Delete Delay (minimum 30 days; recommended 90 days for compliance audit trails).

Data Export and Portability

Self-Service Export

Admins can generate export packages containing:

  • All work orders and associated data
  • Customer and contact records
  • Inventory transactions
  • User activity logs
  • Form responses and attachments

To initiate an export:

  1. Go to Settings → Administration → Data Export.
  2. Select Request Data Export.
  3. Choose the date range and data types.
  4. Confirm your email address for notification.

Exports are prepared asynchronously. You will receive email notification when the package is ready for download (typically within 4 hours). Download links expire after 7 days.

Scheduled Exports

Recurring exports can be configured for integration with external data warehouses or backup systems. Supported formats: CSV, JSON, and Parquet.

GDPR and Regional Compliance

FieldPulse includes preset retention profiles for GDPR (EU), CCPA (California), and PIPEDA (Canada). These profiles automatically configure:

  • Customer data retention limits
  • Right-to-deletion workflows
  • Export formatting for portability requests

To apply a compliance profile, select Apply Regional Template and choose your jurisdiction.

Storage Management

Account storage usage is displayed in the Data Management panel. When approaching your plan limit, you may:

  • Reduce retention periods for non-financial data
  • Archive photos and attachments to external storage
  • Contact support to discuss storage expansion

Audit and Verification

All retention policy changes are logged to the Audit Logs. A summary report of data deleted under automatic policies is generated monthly and sent to account admins.

See Also

  • Audit Logs: Viewing Account Activity
  • Managing User Roles and Permissions
  • Exporting Data to CSV
  • in reply to Fatima Al-Rashid

    Thank you for the clarification, Fatima. You are correct that the DPA remains the administrator's responsibility. I have submitted a documentation update to include a prominent note about third-party compliance obligations in the Integrations section.

    Regarding sector-specific requirements: the configurable range extends to 10 years for financial data, which should accommodate most regulatory frameworks. Organizations with unusual requirements should contact support for a custom retention schedule.

  • It is worth noting that the GDPR profile does not automatically configure data processing agreements (DPAs) with any integrated third parties. From a governance perspective, administrators should ensure that downstream vendors such as QuickBooks or Salesforce are separately compliant with Article 28 obligations.

    Additionally, the 30-day minimum for hard deletion may be insufficient for organizations subject to sector-specific retention requirements (e.g., healthcare, financial services). I would recommend documenting your retention schedule rationale in the event of a regulatory inquiry.