---
title: "Data retention controls"
canonical: "https://canmyagentuse.com/features/data-retention-controls"
contentKind: "feature"
locale: "en"
description: "Configure or document how long covered product data is retained and how it can be deleted."
llmSummary: "Retention controls cover prompts, files, outputs, tool data, memory, logs, feedback, and backups; deleting a visible conversation alone is a narrower claim."
publishedAt: "2026-08-28T00:00:00.000Z"
updatedAt: "2026-08-28T00:00:00.000Z"
verifiedAt: "2026-08-28"
tags: ["security","privacy","retention","deletion"]
---

# Data retention controls

Retention controls cover prompts, files, outputs, tool data, memory, logs, feedback, and backups; deleting a visible conversation alone is a narrower claim.

- HTML: https://canmyagentuse.com/features/data-retention-controls
- JSON: https://canmyagentuse.com/api/v1/features/data-retention-controls.json
- Markdown: https://canmyagentuse.com/features/data-retention-controls.md

Terminology basis: **Common product term** — https://docs.x.ai/grok-bot/approvals-security-and-privacy.

## Current support at a glance

Data retention controls: 3 supported, 3 partial, 0 unsupported, 25 unreviewed across 31 cataloged products.

- Reviewed current products: 6 of 31
- Supported: 3
- Partial: 3
- Unsupported: 0
- Unreviewed: 25
- Not applicable: 0

Unknown or unreviewed means insufficient published evidence; it does not mean unsupported.

This row asks what is retained, for how long, by whom, and how deletion works. The visible conversation is only one object; prompts, uploads, tool results, memory, generated files, feedback, telemetry, safety logs, caches, search indexes, and backups can have different lifetimes.

Evidence should record default and configurable periods, plan and workspace scope, deletion initiation and completion timelines, administrator versus user controls, legal or abuse-monitoring exceptions, backup expiry, account-deletion behavior, and APIs or exports that let an organization verify completion.

## Catalog context

- Category: [security-privacy](/categories/security-privacy.md)
- Terminology basis: Common product term
- Aliases: retention policy, delete chat data, zero retention, data lifecycle
- Family: [Security and privacy](/features/data-security-controls.md)
- Siblings: [Audit logs](/features/audit-logs.md), [Data residency](/features/data-residency.md), [Encryption key management](/features/encryption-key-controls.md), [Offline operation](/features/local-only-mode.md), [Organization policy controls](/features/admin-policy-controls.md), [Secrets management](/features/secrets-management.md), [Training data controls](/features/training-data-controls.md)

## Compatibility assertions

Unknown means insufficient published evidence; it does not mean unsupported.

### ChatGPT (web)

- Harness: [ChatGPT](/harnesses/chatgpt-web.md)
- current: **Unknown**
- preview: **Unknown**

### Claude (web)

- Harness: [Claude](/harnesses/claude-web.md)
- current: **Supported**
  - Target: hosted-observation — 2026-08-28 Claude Enterprise documentation observation; observed 2026-08-28
  - Environment: enterprise-managed
  - Constraint (plan): Enterprise Owner or Primary Owner can configure chat and project retention with a 30-day minimum; data is retained indefinitely by default when no custom period is set
  - Constraint (runtime): activity resets the applicable timer; expired chats, projects, and artifacts are permanently deleted at midnight UTC, and configuration changes are audited
  - Evidence: [Anthropic Help Center — Configure custom data retention controls](https://support.claude.com/en/articles/10440198-configure-custom-data-retention-controls-for-enterprise-plans) — documented; observed 2026-08-28
  - Qualification note 2: Evidence checked 2026-08-28: Claude Enterprise Owners can configure conversation and project retention with a 30-day minimum; retention is activity-based, defaults to indefinite when unset, deletes chats, projects, and artifacts at the boundary, and records changes in audit logs.
- preview: **Unknown**

### Gemini (web)

- Harness: [Gemini](/harnesses/gemini-web.md)
- current: **Supported**
  - Target: hosted-observation — 2026-08-28 Gemini Apps privacy documentation observation; observed 2026-08-28
  - Environment: hosted-default
  - Constraint (auth): applies to signed-in personal accounts; work and school account retention is controlled by Google Workspace administrators
  - Constraint (policy): activity auto-deletes after 18 months by default and can be changed to 3, 18, or 36 months or indefinite; manual item, range, or all-time deletion is supported
  - Constraint (policy): Keep Activity-off and temporary chats are retained 72 hours; human-reviewed data can remain up to three years and other Google services have separate retention
  - Evidence: [Google — Manage and delete Gemini Apps activity](https://support.google.com/gemini/answer/13278892?hl=en) — documented; observed 2026-08-28
  - Evidence: [Google — Gemini Apps Privacy Hub](https://support.google.com/gemini/answer/13594961) — documented; observed 2026-08-28
  - Qualification note 4: Evidence checked 2026-08-28: Gemini Apps personal accounts default to 18-month activity deletion and allow 3, 18, 36 months, indefinite retention, or manual deletion. Keep Activity-off and temporary chats remain for 72 hours, while human-reviewed material can remain for up to three years.
- preview: **Unknown**

### Copilot (web)

- Harness: [Copilot](/harnesses/copilot-web.md)
- current: **Unknown**
- preview: **Unknown**

### Grok (web)

- Harness: [Grok](/harnesses/grok-web.md)
- current: **Unknown**
- preview: **Unknown**

### Grok Bot (desktop)

- Harness: [Grok Bot](/harnesses/grok-bot-desktop.md)
- current: **Partial**
  - Target: hosted-observation — 2026-08-28 Grok Bot desktop documentation observation; observed 2026-08-28
  - Environment: hosted-default
  - Constraint (policy): operators can separately remove routines, connectors, shared files, browser sessions, Bots, and the account; deleting one Bot does not remove account-shared computer state
  - Constraint (runtime): configurable retention periods, backup expiry, legal exceptions, and verified deletion-completion timelines are not established by the reviewed page
  - Evidence: [xAI — Grok Bot approvals, security, and privacy](https://docs.x.ai/grok-bot/approvals-security-and-privacy) — documented; observed 2026-08-28
  - Qualification note 1: Evidence checked 2026-08-28: xAI documents steps to remove Grok Bot routines, connectors, shared files, and Bots, but deleting a Bot does not remove shared-computer files or browser sessions and backend retention follows applicable Cursor terms. No configurable retention period or verified completion timeline is documented on the reviewed page.

### Perplexity (web)

- Harness: [Perplexity](/harnesses/perplexity-web.md)
- current: **Unknown**
- preview: **Unknown**

### Le Chat (web)

- Harness: [Le Chat](/harnesses/le-chat.md)
- current: **Unknown**
- preview: **Unknown**

### Devin (web)

- Harness: [Devin](/harnesses/devin-web.md)
- current: **Unknown**
- preview: **Unknown**

### Replit Agent (web)

- Harness: [Replit Agent](/harnesses/replit-agent.md)
- current: **Unknown**
- preview: **Unknown**

### ChatGPT (desktop)

- Harness: [ChatGPT](/harnesses/chatgpt-desktop.md)
- current: **Unknown**
- preview: **Unknown**

### Claude (desktop)

- Harness: [Claude](/harnesses/claude-desktop.md)
- current: **Supported**
  - Target: hosted-observation — 2026-08-28 Claude Enterprise documentation observation; observed 2026-08-28
  - Environment: enterprise-managed
  - Constraint (plan): Enterprise Owner or Primary Owner can configure organization chat and project retention with a 30-day minimum; data is retained indefinitely by default when no custom period is set
  - Constraint (runtime): activity resets the applicable timer; expired chats, projects, and artifacts are permanently deleted at midnight UTC, and configuration changes are audited
  - Evidence: [Anthropic Help Center — Configure custom data retention controls](https://support.claude.com/en/articles/10440198-configure-custom-data-retention-controls-for-enterprise-plans) — documented; observed 2026-08-28
  - Qualification note 2: Evidence checked 2026-08-28: Claude Enterprise Owners can configure conversation and project retention with a 30-day minimum; retention is activity-based, defaults to indefinite when unset, deletes chats, projects, and artifacts at the boundary, and records changes in audit logs.
- preview: **Unknown**

### Cursor (desktop)

- Harness: [Cursor](/harnesses/cursor.md)
- current: **Partial**
  - Target: hosted-observation — 2026-08-28 Cursor privacy documentation observation; observed 2026-08-28
  - Environment: local-default
  - Constraint (policy): Privacy Mode uses ZDR agreements with model providers; encrypted file-content caches are temporary and their server-side keys exist only for the request
  - Constraint (runtime): codebase indexing may persist embeddings and metadata, and abuse-triggered data may follow provider investigation retention
  - Constraint (policy): user-configurable retention periods, backup expiry, and verified deletion completion are not established by the reviewed page
  - Evidence: [Cursor — Data Use and Privacy Overview](https://cursor.com/data-use) — documented; observed 2026-08-28
  - Qualification note 5: Evidence checked 2026-08-28: Cursor Privacy Mode uses ZDR agreements for model providers and temporary encrypted file-content caches, but indexing may persist embeddings and metadata and safety investigations follow provider retention policies. No user-configurable retention period is documented on the reviewed page.
- preview: **Unknown**

### OpenWork Desktop (desktop)

- Harness: [OpenWork Desktop](/harnesses/openwork-desktop.md)
- current: **Unknown**

### Copilot Chat (desktop)

- Harness: [Copilot Chat](/harnesses/vscode-copilot.md)
- current: **Unknown**
- preview: **Unknown**

### Chrome WebMCP origin trial (desktop)

- Harness: [Chrome WebMCP origin trial](/harnesses/chrome-webmcp-preview.md)
- current: **Unknown**

### Windsurf (desktop)

- Harness: [Windsurf](/harnesses/windsurf.md)
- current: **Unknown**
- preview: **Unknown**

### Zed Agent (desktop)

- Harness: [Zed Agent](/harnesses/zed-agent.md)
- current: **Unknown**
- preview: **Unknown**

### Continue (desktop)

- Harness: [Continue](/harnesses/continue.md)
- current: **Unknown**
- preview: **Unknown**

### Cline (desktop)

- Harness: [Cline](/harnesses/cline.md)
- current: **Unknown**
- preview: **Unknown**

### JetBrains AI (desktop)

- Harness: [JetBrains AI](/harnesses/jetbrains-ai.md)
- current: **Unknown**
- preview: **Unknown**

### Warp (desktop)

- Harness: [Warp](/harnesses/warp.md)
- current: **Unknown**
- preview: **Unknown**

### Claude CLI (cli)

- Harness: [Claude CLI](/harnesses/claude-cli.md)
- current: **Partial**
  - Target: hosted-observation — 2026-08-28 Claude Code documentation observation; observed 2026-08-28
  - Environment: local-default
  - Constraint (plan): server retention is 5 years for opted-in consumer improvement, 30 days for opted-out consumers and standard commercial use, and qualified Enterprise organizations may receive separately enabled ZDR
  - Constraint (runtime): local plaintext session transcripts are kept for 30 days by default and can be adjusted with cleanupPeriodDays
  - Constraint (policy): feedback submissions, safety processing, remote sessions, cloud providers, and local artifacts have separate paths and retention rules
  - Evidence: [Anthropic — Claude Code data usage](https://code.claude.com/docs/en/data-usage) — documented; observed 2026-08-28
  - Qualification note 3: Evidence checked 2026-08-28: Claude Code documents different server retention by account and preference, optional qualified Enterprise zero-data-retention, a local plaintext transcript cache retained 30 days by default, and a configurable local `cleanupPeriodDays`.
- preview: **Unknown**

### ChatGPT CLI (cli)

- Harness: [ChatGPT CLI](/harnesses/chatgpt-cli.md)
- current: **Unknown**
- preview: **Unknown**

### Codex CLI (cli)

- Harness: [Codex CLI](/harnesses/codex-cli.md)
- current: **Unknown**
- preview: **Unknown**

### OpenCode (cli)

- Harness: [OpenCode](/harnesses/opencode.md)
- current: **Unknown**
- preview: **Unknown**

### Gemini CLI (cli)

- Harness: [Gemini CLI](/harnesses/gemini-cli.md)
- current: **Unknown**
- preview: **Unknown**

### Aider (cli)

- Harness: [Aider](/harnesses/aider.md)
- current: **Unknown**
- preview: **Unknown**

### Goose (cli)

- Harness: [Goose](/harnesses/goose.md)
- current: **Unknown**
- preview: **Unknown**

### Copilot CLI (cli)

- Harness: [Copilot CLI](/harnesses/copilot-cli.md)
- current: **Unknown**
- preview: **Unknown**

### Amp (cli)

- Harness: [Amp](/harnesses/amp-cli.md)
- current: **Unknown**
- preview: **Unknown**