Online Tool Store
Data Retention Policy Generator
Draft a data retention policy listing data categories, retention periods, the reason for each, and how deletion actually happens.
🔒 This tool runs entirely in your browser. Your files are never uploaded to a server.
Security & Privacy
Data Retention Policy Generator
Frontend preview — no upload or external service.
Draft policy
Nine categories with periods and justifications: billing records held for the statutory accounting period, marketing contacts until consent is withdrawn, server logs 90 days, backups 35 days with a documented restore-and-delete process.
How the Data Retention Policy Generator works
- Choose the categories of data you actually hold — the exercise of listing them is often the most useful part.
- Set a period per category with a stated reason; "we might need it" is not one.
- Write down how deletion happens, including backups, because that is where policies quietly fail.
FAQ
Why does every period need a reason?
Because storage limitation principles in laws like GDPR require data to be kept no longer than necessary for a stated purpose. A period with no justification is difficult to defend and impossible to review.
What about backups?
This is where most retention policies break. Deleting a record from the live database leaves it in backups until those rotate out. The policy should state the backup retention window and treat it as part of the total.
Is a generated policy enough?
No. It is a structure and a prompt to make the decisions. Retention periods are legal and sector-specific, and the finished policy needs review by someone who knows your jurisdiction and industry.
How we compare
| Feature | Online Tool Store | A command-line tool | A paid audit service |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reason recorded per period | ✓ | Often missing | Yes |
| Backup rotation addressed | ✓ | ✗ | Sometimes |
| No consultancy fee | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Legal sign-off | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
Data Retention Policy Generator makes you state a reason and a backup window for every category — the two things that turn a policy into something enforceable.