Submission retention
Delete a form's submissions automatically after a number of days or on a date, so you keep data only as long as you need it.
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Set it up
Open Settings, the Submissions tab. Under Delete submissions, pick:
| Option | What it does |
|---|---|
| Never | Submissions stay until you delete them. The default. |
| After | Each submission is deleted when it is this many days old. |
| On a date | Every submission of the form is deleted on that date, including ones that arrive later. |
Deletion runs once a day. A rule you set keeps running if you downgrade, because it is a promise to your respondents. You can clear it on any plan.
What is deleted
Deletion removes the answers, uploaded files, signatures, PDFs, and the request the submission answered, with everything the request held. It cannot be undone. To keep a copy, export first, or connect Google Sheets.
Requests
A completed, expired, or canceled request is deleted when its time passes the window, with its answers, files, documents, recipient details, and history. A pending request is never deleted. You can also delete a request yourself.
Requests that ended without an answer
An expired or canceled request without answers is deleted 30 days after it ended, on every plan, whether or not you set a rule.
Partial submissions
Unfinished responses and their files are deleted 30 days after their last save, on every plan. A rule with a date also deletes partials.
Forms that sit unused on Free follow a separate rule; see Limits & quotas.