> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.orq.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Data retention

> Understand how long Orq.ai retains observability data per subscription plan, what the retention policy covers, and how automatic deletion works.

Data retention defines how long **Orq.ai** keeps observability data before automatic deletion. Retention is tied to the subscription plan and cannot be changed from the UI.

## Retention periods

| Plan | Default retention |
| - | - |
| Free | 14 days |
| Pay as you go | 30 days |
| Custom | Up to 365 days (configured via subscription) |

The retention period applies per workspace.

## What is covered

The following data types are deleted automatically after the retention period expires:

* **Traces and spans**: trace records, span details, and associated metadata
* **Logs**: OpenTelemetry log entries ingested through the platform
* **Insights**: summaries, embeddings, insight annotations, and assignment records
* **Threads, messages, and responses**: conversation data from the Responses API
* **Audit logs** (Enterprise plans): organization activity records (see [Audit Logs](/ai-studio/organization/audit-logs) for details)

## What is not covered

The following data types persist until manually deleted:

* **Datasets**: dataset definitions and entries
* **Media and file attachments**: files uploaded through the platform. Delete via [`DELETE /v2/files/{file_id}`](/reference/files/delete-a-file)
* **Evaluator results**: evaluation scores from the analytics engine
* **Annotations**: annotation records on spans

When a trace expires, annotations referencing that trace become orphaned. The annotation queue shows a count of items whose trace no longer exists.

There is no per-user deletion for traces: deleting an [Identity](/ai-studio/observability/identities) removes the identity record but leaves its traces in place, and traces are removed only when the retention period expires.

## Custom retention

Custom plans can request a specific retention period up to 365 days. Contact the account manager or [support](mailto:support@orq.ai) to adjust the retention window.

## Related pages

* [Data Compliance and Privacy](/ai-studio/organization/data-compliance): GDPR, SOC 2 Type 2, and data handling practices
* [Audit Logs](/ai-studio/organization/audit-logs): organization activity tracking and retention
* [trust.orq.ai](https://trust.orq.ai): real-time security and compliance status


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