"Retain items for a specific Period" Vs "Only Delete items when they each a certain age" inside Retension policies

Question

We have the options to define those 2 retention polices for a SharePoint communication site,

One using "Retain items for a specific Period" :-

while the other uses "Only Delete items when they each a certain age" as follow:-

so what is the exact differences between the 2 retention policies? where the 2 policies have 7 years as the period and based on the item creation data? any advice, on the differences between the 2?

Answer 1

Hi @john john Pter

Thank you for posting this query!

The difference between the two retention policies you're considering for a SharePoint communication site primarily revolves around how they handle data retention and deletion over time. Here's a breakdown of the two policies:

Retain items for a specific period -

• Purpose - This policy is designed to ensure that items (documents, files, etc.) are kept for a minimum specified period. During this time, the items cannot be deleted, even if a user tries to do so.
• Functionality - Once the retention period (e.g., 7 years) is over, the items can be deleted. However, this policy does not automatically delete items; it just prevents deletion during the retention period.
• Use Case - This is useful for compliance purposes where you must guarantee that data is preserved for a certain duration but do not necessarily need it to be deleted immediately after.

Only delete items when they reach a certain age -

• Purpose - This policy is oriented towards automatic deletion of items once they reach a specified age.
• Functionality - Items are automatically deleted after the retention period (e.g., 7 years) is reached. This policy ensures that data does not stay longer than needed, potentially reducing storage costs and minimizing data clutter.
• Use Case - Useful for managing data lifecycle, especially when data is only valuable or required for a certain period, after which it should be removed.

Key Differences:

• Automatic Deletion: "Only delete items when they reach a certain age" automatically deletes items after the specified period, whereas "Retain items for a specific period" does not automatically delete items after the period ends.
• Retention Assurance: "Retain items for a specific period" ensures items cannot be deleted during the retention period, providing a safeguard against premature deletion.

Recommendation:

• Choose "Retain items for a specific period" if your primary goal is to ensure items are not deleted before a specific period for compliance or auditing purposes.
• Choose "Only delete items when they reach a certain age" if your goal is to manage data lifecycle by ensuring items are removed after they are no longer needed.

Ultimately, the choice depends on your organization's data management strategy and compliance requirements.

For more details, please refer: Common settings for retention policies and retention label policies

I hope this information helps. Please do let us know if you have any further queries.

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