Data retention
How long a service keeps your data after it has been used.
Document stays on the machine. Only people with access to that machine can see it.
Document travels to the company’s servers. What happens next depends on your plan and settings: stored for a while, used for training, or deleted after the answer.
The app looks the same either way. The settings and the contract are where the difference lives.
The fuller definition
Data retention describes how long information remains stored and under what deletion or preservation rules.
Go deeper
- Your computer
- Model running on it
- Answer stays on it
Confidentiality depends on the machine and anything else connected to it.
- Your computer
- Provider's servers
- Storage, logs, possibly training
- Answer returned
Confidentiality depends on the contract, the account tier, and the settings in force.
Neither route is safe by default. The question is the same for both: who can see the material, where is it kept, and for how long.
A concrete example
A service may apply different retention periods to uploaded files, chat history, and operational logs.
The distinction that matters
Deleting a visible conversation does not by itself establish the timing of removal from every backup or log.
Related terms
Confidentiality
Keeping private material from people who may not see it. Check who can read, store, or share what you put into a tool.
Reliability & securityData residency
Which country the data is stored and processed in.
Reliability & securityAudit log
A record of what the system did, when, and on whose instructions.
Where it is taught
Test an AI workflow on work you can assessSource and further reading
Anthropic · Evaluating AI agentsThe definition and example are written for this library. The link gives background, official documentation or legal authority as labelled. Legal scope depends on the jurisdiction and current text; product features depend on release and settings.