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Data Retention

Manage how long information is stored within Custr and automatically remove data that is no longer required.


Overview

The Data Retention feature allows administrators to control how long different types of information are stored within Custr.

By default, all new sites are configured to retain data indefinitely. However, administrators can apply retention periods to specific data types, helping organisations meet their own GDPR, compliance and data governance requirements.

Once a retention period has been configured, Custr will automatically remove data that exceeds the selected period as part of the scheduled retention process.

Key features include:

  • Site-wide default retention periods

  • Individual retention periods for specific data types

  • Permanent audit logging of all changes

  • Administrator email notifications when settings are updated

  • Retention lock to prevent accidental changes

  • Validation rules to prevent conflicting retention settings

Please note that data retention settings are managed individually for each site.
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Accessing Data Retention Settings

To access your site’s retention settings:

  1. Navigate to Site

  2. Select Data Retention

  3. Review or update the required retention periods

  4. Click Save Changes

You may be required to confirm your password before changes can be applied.
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Understanding Retention Periods

The following retention periods are available:

  • 7 Days

  • 14 Days

  • 1 Month

  • 3 Months

  • 6 Months

  • 12 Months

  • 3 Years

  • Indefinitely

Retention periods determine how long information will remain stored before becoming eligible for deletion.
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Retention processing runs each night automatically.
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Retention Categories


Visitor Data

Check-in and check-out information, including:

  • Visitor names

  • Companies

  • Hosts

  • Vehicle registrations

  • Custom question responses

  • Visit history


Visitor Photos

Photos captured during visitor check-in or check-out.


Staff Data

Staff attendance information, including:

  • Check-in and check-out history

  • Attendance records

  • Responses captured during attendance workflows


Staff Photos

Photos captured during staff check-in or check-out.



Student Data (Education Only)

Student attendance and movement information captured within Custr.



Resident Data (Care Only)

Resident sign-in and sign-out activity captured within Custr.



Signed Documents

Signed visitor documents and acknowledgements collected during the check-in process.



Feedback (Anonymise After)

Removes personally identifiable information from feedback responses while retaining:

  • Feedback scores

  • Comments

  • Reporting data

This allows organisations to retain feedback statistics without retaining personal information.



Feedback (Delete After)

Permanently deletes feedback responses after the selected period.



Deliveries

Delivery and parcel records captured within the Deliveries module.



Delivery Photos

Photos associated with delivery and parcel records.



Item History

Historical check-in and check-out activity recorded within the Items module.
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Setting a Default Retention Period

If you would like all retention categories to use the same starting period:

  1. Navigate to Site > Data Retention

  2. Click Set Default Retention Period

  3. Select your chosen retention period

  4. Click Set

This will apply the selected retention period across all available categories.


You can then customise individual categories if required.
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Setting Individual Retention Periods

To configure a retention period for a specific data type:

  1. Navigate to Site > Data Retention

  2. Locate the category you would like to update

  3. Select a retention period from the dropdown menu

  4. Click Save Changes

  5. Confirm your password when prompted

The new retention period will be applied during the next scheduled retention process.
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Retention Validation Rules

To help prevent configuration issues, some retention settings are linked together.

The following rules apply:

Setting

Cannot exceed

Visitor Photos

Visitor Data

Signed Documents

Visitor Data

Staff Photos

Staff Data

For example:

  • Visitor Data = 3 Months

  • Visitor Photos = 6 Months

This configuration would not be allowed because the photos cannot be retained longer than the visitor data they relate to.
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Review Data Retention Changes

Before retention settings are saved, Custr will display a review screen showing:

  • The settings that have changed

  • Previous and new retention periods

  • Important information about data deletion

  • A summary of the impact of the change

Administrators must acknowledge that deleted data cannot be recovered before continuing.
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Retention Lock

The Retention Lock helps prevent accidental changes to your retention settings.

When enabled:

  • Retention settings become read-only

  • Administrators cannot make changes until the settings are unlocked

  • Existing retention schedules continue to run normally

To unlock the settings:

  1. Navigate to Site > Data Retention

  2. Click Unlock

  3. Make your required changes

  4. Save the updated settings

  5. Optionally re-enable the lock

Please note that the Retention Lock does not stop retention processing or data deletion.
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Audit Log

Every change made to your retention settings is permanently recorded in the Audit Log.
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The audit log includes:

  • Who made the change

  • What was changed

  • The previous value

  • The new value

  • The date and time of the update

Audit log entries cannot be edited or removed.
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Administrator Notifications

Whenever retention settings are updated:

  • All site administrators receive an email notification

  • The email includes a summary of the changes made

  • The audit log is updated automatically

This helps ensure retention changes remain visible and traceable across your organisation.
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Important Information

Before configuring retention settings, please note:

  • Retention processing runs each night automatically

  • Data exceeding the configured retention period becomes eligible for deletion

  • Deleted data cannot be recovered

  • Deleted data is removed from secure backups within 28 days

  • Increasing the retention period does not restore previously deleted data

  • It is your organisation’s responsibility to retain any reports or exports required for compliance purposes

We recommend reviewing your organisation’s data retention policies before making changes.
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Frequently Asked Questions

Will data be deleted immediately after I save a retention change?

No. Retention processing runs each night automatically and will apply the updated settings during the next scheduled cycle.
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Can I recover data that has already been deleted?

No. Once data has been deleted through the retention process, it cannot be recovered.


​What happens if I increase a retention period?

Increasing the retention period will prevent future records from being deleted as quickly. However, it will not restore any data that has already been removed.


​Does the Retention Lock stop retention processing?

No. The Retention Lock only prevents settings from being edited. Retention schedules continue to operate as normal.


​Are retention settings shared across multiple sites?

No. Retention settings are configured individually for each site.

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