The Data Retention Manager allows you to create rules for automatic deletion or anonymization of data after a specific timeframe. Once these rules are applied, the data will be permanently deleted or anonymized according the settings.
Automatic data processing can be highly beneficial for data management, as manually tracking the responses can be a tedious task. This tool provides an ideal solution by automating this process for you. Additionally, Spotler FeedbackPro offers helpful suggestions when configuring these rules.
Be careful before proceeding
This feature is not recommended for beginning users of Spotler FeedbackPro. Please read all information in this article carefully and be aware of the potential consequences before proceeding. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact the Customer Success team for help.
💡Anonymization vs. Permanent deletion of data
Why choosing anonymization over permanent deletion? By anonymizing data, the conversion numbers are still available in your reports and won't affect the results and scores. Please note that anonymized data can't be recovered.
Why choosing permanent deletion over anonymization? If data is no longer needed, choose permanent deletion to make sure this data won't affect your report scores and results. Please note that the data will be deleted forever, data recovery is not possible.
Different Data Retention Manager rule types
When configuring Data Retention Manager rules, there are four distinct activation methods: Invites, Response, Metadata and Question. For all methods, you must select a survey to which the rule will apply and define a duration. However, the setup process for Metadata and Question differs from that of Invites and Response. Please ensure you follow the specific instructions for each method to correctly configure your data retention rules.
| Variable | Use when you want to: |
| Invites | Delete or anonymize invites of a survey or multiple surveys after a specific time period. Note: never delete or anonymize invite data within the deduplication period set in the survey's rules. |
| Response | Delete or anonymize responses of a survey or multiple surveys after a specific time period. |
| Metadata | Delete or anonymize responses that come with specific metadata after a given time period. Note: deleting metadata can affect your reporting. If you use specific metadata fields in your reports, we recommend retaining them for a longer period. |
| Question | Delete or anonymize a question from a survey after a specific time period. |
How to set up a Data Retention Manager rule?
- In the menu, go to the Data Retention Manager module. Make sure that you select the correct tab of the different rules types: Invites, Response, Metadata or Question.
- Click on the + Create rule button.
- A pop-up appears and at the top of it, you will already see a suggested rule you could apply.
- Select the survey to which you want to apply this rule, and define the time period for the rule to be activated.
- Next you choose the action: whether you want to anonymize or delete the data.
- For the rule type Question you will be asked to choose an action for each question of the survey.
- Once everything is configured correctly, click on the Save settings button and you're done.