How do I set up a new Retention Policy in Acrobat for my team?

First, log in as an administrator for your account or group. Go to the 'Security Policies' section in the admin settings. Create a new policy and choose if it uses a password or certificate. Set the number of days you want documents to be kept. Apply this policy to documents when they are finished and no longer changing.

How do Acrobat's Retention Policies compare to basic document protection features?

Feature Retention Policies Basic Document Protection. Purpose Sets how long documents are kept or deleted. Restricts who can view, print, or edit a document. User Type Set by account/group administrators only. Set by any user on individual documents. Scope Applies to document lifecycle, often system-wide. Applies to immediate access and modification. Visibility Not seen by regular users, admin-only forms. Visible to users in 'Protect' menus.

Define Retention Policy in Adobe Acrobat — How-to & AI prompts

AI prompts

1 way to ask · copy any one

AExecute — “help me do it”Create and apply a [retention and naming policy] for [campaign documents] so audits can trace…+

Create and apply a [retention and naming policy] for [campaign documents] so audits can trace files, and roll it out for all campaigns starting this [quarter].

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
Open Adobe Acrobat and sign in with your enterprise account credentials.
2
Locate the PDF document(s) subject to your organization's retention policy.
3
Right-click the file and select the option to move or copy it to your designated retention folder or workspace, as defined by your organization's policy.
Best practiceOrganizing documents in clearly labeled retention folders helps ensure compliance and simplifies audits.
4
If required, access File > Properties to view or add document metadata and custom fields for the appropriate retention period or policy identifier.
NoteSome organizations require metadata or custom fields to be set for retention tracking.
5
Go to Tools > Protect and set file permissions or password protection if your retention policy requires restricted access.
CautionEnsure you have the necessary permissions to modify document security settings.
6
Save and close the document to ensure all changes are applied.

In the appWith the API

You can use Acrobat's document properties to add retention metadata or notes for future reference.

This runs in the Acrobat app - there is no separate API for this task.

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.

The real tasks

the one, listed here

Create and enforce a retention and naming policy for campaign documents so audits are painless.

FAQ

about this task

First, log in as an administrator for your account or group.
Go to the 'Security Policies' section in the admin settings.
Create a new policy and choose if it uses a password or certificate.
Set the number of days you want documents to be kept.
Apply this policy to documents when they are finished and no longer changing.

The 'terminal state' means a document's final version. It is the point when a document is complete and no longer needs changes. Retention policies are applied to documents once they reach this final, unchanging state.

Defining Retention Policies is important for several reasons. It helps your company follow laws like HIPAA or PCI DSS, which require data to be kept for certain times. It also helps manage storage space by automatically deleting old files. This ensures you only keep what is needed and helps maintain data security.

Feature	Retention Policies	Basic Document Protection
Purpose	Sets how long documents are kept or deleted.	Restricts who can view, print, or edit a document.
User Type	Set by account/group administrators only.	Set by any user on individual documents.
Scope	Applies to document lifecycle, often system-wide.	Applies to immediate access and modification.
Visibility	Not seen by regular users, admin-only forms.	Visible to users in 'Protect' menus.

Yes, Acrobat is designed to work with Microsoft Purview Information Protection. This means you can use your existing Purview policies to manage document retention and security within Acrobat. It helps keep your data governance consistent across different systems, making it easier to meet compliance needs.

Define Retention Policy

When to use it

AI prompts

How to do it

Glossary

The real tasks

Who does this

FAQ

Sources