Zero data retention
Also: ZDR, zero retention
A promise from the provider not to keep your prompts and files after answering.
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
Zero data retention is a contractual or product setting under which a provider does not store prompts and outputs after processing, beyond what is needed to deliver the response.
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 firm's enterprise agreement states that submitted documents are not retained by the provider or used for training.
The distinction that matters
ZDR covers the provider's storage. It says nothing about your own logs, the application layer, or connected tools.
Related terms
Data retention
How long a service keeps your data after it has been used.
Reliability & securityConfidentiality
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.
Where it is taught
Map where information goes before using a toolSource 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.