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Retention Policies Overview

Mail-Rulez's retention system provides automated email lifecycle management, helping you maintain a clean, organized inbox while preserving important messages. This comprehensive guide covers everything from basic concepts to advanced retention strategies.

Why Use Retention Policies?

Email accumulates quickly, leading to:

  • Storage Issues: Mailboxes reaching capacity limits
  • Performance Problems: Slow email client performance
  • Organization Challenges: Difficulty finding important messages
  • Compliance Requirements: Need to delete old sensitive data

Retention policies solve these problems automatically.

How Retention Works

Two-Stage Deletion Process

Mail-Rulez uses a safe, two-stage approach:

Screenshot: Retention process diagram

Stage 1: Move to Trash

  • Emails moved to trash folder
  • Still recoverable if needed
  • Held for configured period
  • Can be restored easily

Stage 2: Permanent Deletion

  • After trash retention period expires
  • Emails permanently removed
  • Frees storage space
  • Cannot be recovered

This approach prevents accidental data loss while ensuring eventual cleanup.

Key Benefits

  • Automated: No manual deletion required
  • Safe: Two-stage process prevents accidents
  • Flexible: Different policies for different needs
  • Recoverable: Restore from trash if needed
  • Efficient: Maintains optimal performance

Retention System Components

Screenshot: Retention overview dashboard

1. Folder-Based Policies

Apply retention rules to entire folders:

  • Processed emails folder (30 days)
  • Junk folder (7 days)
  • Vendor emails (60 days)
  • Custom folder policies

2. Rule-Based Policies

Link retention to processing rules:

  • Receipts kept for 1 year
  • Newsletters kept for 30 days
  • Project emails kept for 6 months

3. Retention Scheduler

Automated execution engine:

  • Runs daily retention checks
  • Processes policies in order
  • Logs all actions
  • Handles errors gracefully

4. Recovery System

Restore accidentally deleted emails:

  • Browse trash contents
  • Search by sender/subject
  • Bulk restore options
  • Full audit trail

Getting Started with Retention

Prerequisites

Before setting up retention:

  1. ✓ Email accounts configured and active
  2. ✓ Folder structure established
  3. ✓ Basic understanding of your email patterns
  4. ✓ Backup system in place (recommended)

Quick Start Steps

  1. Access Retention Settings

    • Navigate to Retention in main menu
    • View current policies (initially empty)

  2. Create Your First Policy

    • Start with Junk folder (safest)
    • Set short retention (7 days)
    • Enable two-stage deletion

  3. Test the Policy

    • Run manual execution
    • Check preview results
    • Verify trash contents

  4. Enable Scheduler

    • Start automated processing
    • Monitor initial runs
    • Adjust as needed

Common Retention Scenarios

Scenario 1: Basic Email Cleanup

Goal: Keep inbox manageable without losing important emails

Recommended policies:

  • Junk Folder: 7 days retention, 7 days in trash
  • Processed Folder: 30 days retention, 14 days in trash
  • Vendor Folder: 60 days retention, 30 days in trash

Scenario 2: Storage-Constrained Account

Goal: Aggressively manage storage while preserving essentials

Recommended policies:

  • Junk: 3 days retention, 3 days in trash
  • Processed: 14 days retention, 7 days in trash
  • Large Attachments Rule: 30 days retention
  • Newsletters: 7 days retention

Scenario 3: Compliance Requirements

Goal: Meet data retention regulations

Recommended approach:

  • Financial Emails: 7 years retention
  • Customer Data: Follow regulations
  • General Email: 90 days retention
  • Sensitive Data: Shorter retention

Scenario 4: Project-Based Retention

Goal: Keep project emails during active period

Strategy:

  • Create project-specific folders
  • Set retention based on project timeline
  • Archive completed projects
  • Delete after retention period

Best Practices

Start Conservative

  • Begin with longer retention periods
  • Gradually reduce as comfort grows
  • Monitor trash folder initially
  • Ensure backups are working

Regular Reviews

  • Monthly: Check policy effectiveness
  • Quarterly: Adjust retention periods
  • Annually: Review overall strategy
  • As needed: Update for new requirements

Safety Measures

  • Always use two-stage deletion
  • Keep trash retention ≥ 7 days
  • Test policies before automation
  • Maintain recent backups

Performance Optimization

  • Shorter retention = better performance
  • Process during off-hours
  • Limit policies per account
  • Monitor execution times

Integration with Other Features

With Processing Rules

  • Add retention to any rule action
  • Different retention per rule
  • Override folder policies
  • Fine-grained control

With Lists

  • Whitelist senders = longer retention
  • Blacklist = immediate deletion
  • Vendor list = moderate retention

With Backup System

  • Backup before major retention changes
  • Archive important emails first
  • Restore from backup if needed

Monitoring and Maintenance

Retention Dashboard

Monitor system activity:

  • Policies executed today
  • Emails deleted/moved
  • Storage space recovered
  • Error summary

Audit Logs

Track all retention actions:

  • What was deleted
  • When it occurred
  • Which policy applied
  • Who authorized it

Performance Metrics

  • Average execution time
  • Emails processed per minute
  • Storage saved per month
  • Policy efficiency ratings

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Emails Not Being Deleted

  • Check policy is active
  • Verify scheduler is running
  • Review email age calculation
  • Check folder permissions

Deleted Too Much

  • Check trash folder first
  • Restore if still available
  • Review policy settings
  • Adjust retention periods

Performance Problems

  • Reduce batch sizes
  • Process fewer folders
  • Increase execution interval
  • Optimize IMAP connection

Next Steps

Ready to implement retention? Continue with:

  1. Folder-Based Policies - Set up folder retention
  2. Rule-Based Policies - Link retention periods to email processing rules
  3. Scheduler Configuration - Automate execution
  4. Recovery Procedures - Restore deleted emails from trash folders

Quick Reference

Recommended Retention Periods

| Folder/Type | Retention | Trash | |-------------|-----------|-------| | Junk/Spam | 7 days | 7 days | | Processed | 30 days | 14 days | | Vendor/Marketing | 60 days | 30 days | | Receipts | 1 year | 30 days | | Financial | 7 years | 90 days | | Projects | Variable | 30 days |

Scheduler Settings

  • Default Schedule: Daily at 2 AM
  • Batch Size: 1000 emails
  • Timeout: 30 minutes
  • Retry Count: 3 attempts

Safety Checklist

  • [ ] Backups configured and tested
  • [ ] Two-stage deletion enabled
  • [ ] Trash retention ≥ 7 days
  • [ ] Policies tested manually first
  • [ ] Monitoring alerts configured