Configure retention rules in Adobe Acrobat Sign

Define how long agreements and related data are retained before they are automatically deleted.

Retention rules allow administrators to control how long agreements and associated data are stored in Adobe Acrobat Sign after they reach a terminal state. This helps organizations automate data cleanup and align document lifecycle with internal compliance policies.

Before you begin

• You must be an account-level or group-level administrator to configure retention rules.

Configuration

Availability

• Acrobat Standard and Acrobat Pro: Not supported.
• Acrobat Sign Solutions: Supported.
• Acrobat Sign for Government: Supported.

Configuration scope

Retention rules can be configured at the account and group levels.

Group-level settings override account-level settings.

• Default behavior - If no retention rule is configured, agreements are retained until they are manually deleted or removed through other processes.
• Impact on in-flight agreements - Retention rules are applied when an agreement is recorded in a terminal state. Agreements that are already in progress are not affected until they reach a terminal state.

To access this setting

Account-level:

• Navigate to Account Settings > Data Governance.

Group-level:

1. Navigate to Admin > Groups.
2. Select a group.
3. Select Group Settings > Data Governance.

Create a retention rule

When a new rule is created, it becomes the active rule. Previously active rules remain in the list with an end date and continue to govern agreements that were already assigned to them.

Configure group-level overrides

Group-level rules override account-level rules for users in the group. If no group-level rule is defined, the account-level rule is applied.

• Create a rule using the same steps as the account-level configuration.
• (Optional) Enable Retain all agreements for this group to prevent automatic deletion.
  • Use this option to escape the account-level setting when the group's agreements must be retained.

If a user moves between groups, the retention rule applied is based on the group the user belongs to when the agreement is recorded in a terminal state.

How the setting works

When an agreement enters a terminal state:

• The active retention rule is applied and associated with the agreement.
  • The applied retention rule is associated with the agreement to ensure the correct rule is enforced at the time of deletion.
• The system calculates the deletion date based on the defined retention period.
• The agreement is deleted when the retention period expires, provided the rule remains enabled.

Terminal-state processing may be delayed by up to 12 hours during peak times, which can delay when the retention period begins.

To understand how timing affects retention, see the data governance overview page.

Best practices

• Define retention rules before sending agreements to ensure consistent policy application.
• Use group-level rules to support different retention requirements across teams.
• Review rules periodically to confirm they align with current compliance requirements. 

Things to know

• Retention rules are applied when an agreement is recorded in a terminal state.
• Only one retention rule is active at a time for newly terminal agreements. When a new rule is created, it becomes the active rule and applies to all agreements that are recorded in a terminal state going forward. Previously active rules continue to apply to agreements that were already assigned to them and do not need to be disabled.
• The applied rule is based on the group the sending user belongs to at the time the agreement reaches its terminal state.
• Terminal-state processing may be delayed by up to 12 hours during peak times, delaying the start of retention policies.
• If no rule is defined, agreements are retained indefinitely.
• Disabling a rule prevents deletion for all agreements that have adopted that rule and have not yet been deleted.

Related articles

• Overview of data retention rules
• Manage retention rules
• Delete agreements using data governance and GDPR tools.