A data retention policy defines how long your business keeps different kinds of records and how they are securely destroyed once they are no longer needed. Keeping everything forever increases your risk and storage costs; deleting things too soon can leave you exposed during an audit or dispute. A written schedule settles the question in advance.
This data retention policy template makes that straightforward. You answer plain-English questions about retention periods for financial records, employee files, customer data, email, and backups, plus who can issue a legal hold and how documents are destroyed. CraftAClause then drafts a clear retention schedule and disposal procedure tailored to your business.
The template covers the record categories most small businesses deal with — financial and tax records, contracts, HR and hiring files, customer data, email, and security logs — along with secure disposal methods and a process for legal holds that pause deletion when needed. Instead of guessing, you get a documented schedule you can point to and follow consistently.
Answer the questions below, review the draft, and export a policy your team can operate against. Retention requirements change, so CraftAClause keeps every version and reminds you to review the schedule so it stays aligned with how you actually run the business.
Note: retention periods can carry legal and tax implications. Use this template as a practical baseline and confirm specific requirements with a qualified professional where needed.
Your answers shape the final document. A typical Data Retention Policy built with CraftAClause includes:
No blank page. CraftAClause asks plain-English questions and drafts the policy from your answers — here's a sample:
It reduces risk and storage costs, and it gives you a consistent, defensible answer during an audit or dispute about why records were kept or destroyed. A written schedule beats ad-hoc decisions.
A legal hold pauses the normal deletion schedule for records that may be relevant to litigation or an investigation. The template includes who in your business can issue one.
Yes. You choose the periods through the questions, and the draft reflects your selections. Confirm any legally mandated periods with a professional.
Join the private beta and build policies your small business can actually keep up to date.