How long email records are kept
1pm keeps a record of every email it sends for you: who it went to, when, and whether it was delivered. For some emails it also keeps the text of the message. These records are kept for a set time and then removed. Once a record is removed it cannot be recovered.
How long each record is kept
| Record | Kept for | What happens after |
|---|---|---|
| Lead conversations (the text of messages in a lead thread) | 36 months | The message text is cleared. The thread still shows each message's date, direction and recipient. |
| Log entries (who, when, delivery result) | 24 months | The entry is deleted and drops off the Email Activity list. |
| Client email text (invoices, quotes, confirmations, appointments, automation emails) | 12 months | The message text is cleared. The document itself is not affected. |
Lead conversations are kept longest because replies from a lead arrive through 1pm, not your own mailbox, so the thread in 1pm is the only copy.
Crew emails and account notices (share links, RSVP invites, document prompts, rejection notices, alerts about your account) are logged, but their text is never stored. In Email Activity they show delivery history with no message body. To see what one said, open the template or automation that sent it.
When the clock starts
Each window counts from the date the email was sent or received, not the event date. A confirmation sent in January for an event in December is measured from January.
When records are removed
A nightly job removes records once they pass their window. A record may stay a little longer than its window, but it is never removed early.
What is not affected
These stay for as long as your account does:
- Invoices, quotes, confirmations and credit notes. Emailing a document does not put it on the email clock.
- Files and attachments. See Where files are stored.
- Contacts, including their email addresses.
- Leads. Only the text of old emails in the thread is cleared. The lead's status, dates, value and history remain.
- Notes on a lead, and any calls, texts and meetings you log on it.
- The suppression list. Addresses that hard-bounced or reported spam stay blocked so 1pm does not email them again.
Keeping a copy for longer
- Export the log. In Email Activity, select Export CSV to download the entries in your current filter, including the delivery result and message id. See Checking what emails went out.
- Export your account. The full account export includes email records and message text. See Exporting your data.
- Download the document. For client-facing emails, download the invoice, quote or confirmation as a PDF and file it with your records. That copy does not expire.
If you need a record for a compliance file, export it around the time the email is sent.
Account deletion
Deleting an account removes all of its email records, whatever their age. See Removing inactive accounts and Deleting your 1pm account.
Our Privacy Policy is the authoritative statement of these retention periods.
Related
- Checking what emails went out
- Exporting your data
- Removing inactive accounts
- Deleting your 1pm account
- Your rights over your data if you need a record removed sooner