How do I set up a new Acrobat Enterprise Policy Retention rule?

First, you must be an account or group administrator for your Adobe Acrobat enterprise. Access the administrative settings where retention policies are managed (often found in an Enterprise Admin Guide or security policy section). Define the retention period, choosing how many days (1 to 5475, or 15 years) documents should be kept. Specify if the policy uses password or certificate protection for added security. Apply this policy to documents that have reached their final, unchangeable state.

What is the difference between an Acrobat Enterprise Policy Retention and a regular user's 'protect document' option?

Feature Acrobat Enterprise Policy Retention Regular User 'Protect Document'. Who sets it Account/group administrator Individual user Scope Applies to all documents for an account/group, often automatically Applies to a single document at a time Purpose Ensures company-wide compliance and data governance (how long to keep files) Protects a specific document from unauthorized access or changes Visibility Admin-level settings, not seen by most users Directly accessible in the user interface

Campaign Retention Rules in Adobe Acrobat — How-to & AI prompts

AI prompts

1 way to ask · copy any one

DBecome — “help me grow”We keep everything and it creates risk and search paralysis. Recommend a defensible retention…+

We keep everything and it creates risk and search paralysis. Recommend a defensible retention and naming scheme that satisfies counsel, makes archives searchable, and reduces storage bloat. Explain one governance step (owner, cadence, enforcement) that will actually be followed by the team.

when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed.

How to do it

the tool · the steps · what to avoid

1
Sign in to the Adobe Admin Console with your administrator account.
2
Navigate to the Acrobat Sign product settings for your organization.
3
Select the section for data governance or retention policies.
4
Choose the option to create or edit retention rules.
5
For each document type or category, define a new retention rule by specifying the document type, category, or business need.
6
Set the custom retention period (in days, months, or years) for each rule according to your organization's requirements.
CautionRetention periods are enforced automatically; expired documents will be deleted and cannot be recovered.
7
Save each retention rule and ensure it is enabled.
8
Review all active retention rules to confirm correct application to the intended document types.
Best practiceFor complex organizations, consider grouping similar document types under a single rule to simplify ongoing management.

In the appWith the API

Retention rules can be managed in the Admin Console under Acrobat Sign settings, allowing you to set different durations for each document category.

The Acrobat Sign REST API supports retention policy management via the /agreements and /retention endpoints for automated rule configuration.

Glossary

words on this page

Retention PolicyA set of rules that decides how long documents are kept and how they are handled.ExampleOur company's retention policy states that all invoices must be kept for seven years.

Terminal StateThe final stage of a document, after which no more changes are expected.ExampleOnce approved and archived, the contract reached its terminal state, meaning no further edits were allowed.

ComplianceFollowing the rules or laws about how something should be done.ExampleEnsuring compliance means all invoices meet the company's financial record-keeping standards.

Who does this

3 roles

Compliance AdministratorIT Systems AdministratorRecords Manager

FAQ

about this task

Acrobat Enterprise Policy Retention is a system for administrators to set rules about how long documents are stored and how they are protected. It's important because it helps companies follow legal requirements, keep sensitive information safe, and manage data efficiently by automatically archiving or deleting files after a set time.

First, you must be an account or group administrator for your Adobe Acrobat enterprise.
Access the administrative settings where retention policies are managed (often found in an Enterprise Admin Guide or security policy section).
Define the retention period, choosing how many days (1 to 5475, or 15 years) documents should be kept.
Specify if the policy uses password or certificate protection for added security.
Apply this policy to documents that have reached their final, unchangeable state.

If your company needs to follow HIPAA rules, Acrobat Enterprise Policy Retention helps by letting administrators set specific retention periods for sensitive documents, like patient records. You can also ensure these documents are protected with passwords or certificates, which helps meet the strict security and privacy requirements of HIPAA by controlling access and storage duration.

Feature	Acrobat Enterprise Policy Retention	Regular User 'Protect Document'
Who sets it	Account/group administrator	Individual user
Scope	Applies to all documents for an account/group, often automatically	Applies to a single document at a time
Purpose	Ensures company-wide compliance and data governance (how long to keep files)	Protects a specific document from unauthorized access or changes
Visibility	Admin-level settings, not seen by most users	Directly accessible in the user interface

Normal Acrobat users cannot change Campaign Retention Rules because these rules are set at an enterprise level by administrators. This ensures that all documents across the company follow strict legal and internal policies for how long they are kept and how they are protected, maintaining consistent compliance and security for everyone.

Campaign Retention Rules

When to use it

AI prompts

How to do it

Glossary

The real tasks

Who does this

FAQ

Sources