How do I set up a new retention policy for my company's documents?

First, log in as an administrator for your account or group. Next, navigate to the administrative section for retention settings. Then, create a new reusable security policy. Finally, define the retention period and security type, then apply it to your documents.

What is the difference between setting retention for an account versus a group?

Feature Account-Level Admin Group-Level Admin. Scope of Control Manages retention for the entire organization or main account. Manages retention for a specific team or department within the organization. Policy Impact Policies affect all documents and users under the main account. Policies affect only documents and users belonging to that specific group. Flexibility Sets broad, company-wide rules. Sets more specific rules tailored to a group's unique needs.

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

AI prompts

2 ways to ask · copy any one

AExecute — “help me do it”Apply the archival retention policy to the AP folder: encrypt archived [payables] older than…+

Apply the archival retention policy to the AP folder: encrypt archived [payables] older than [years=7], set access so only [roles=Audit and AP managers] can open, and move them to [folder=Archive/Payables/2019-2019].

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

BImprove — “do it better”Design the payables archive so audits can find records but staff can’t misuse them: create…+

Design the payables archive so audits can find records but staff can’t misuse them: create encrypted archives for documents older than [years=7], set role-based access for [roles=Audit and AP managers], document retention periods and retrieval request steps, and add an audit log that records every access and retrieval request.

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.

Reusable Policy SetA group of security rules that can be used many times for different documents or groups.ExampleApplying a reusable policy set ensures consistent security settings across all confidential reports.

The real tasks

the one, listed here

Design retention and access rules so old payables paperwork is archived but still available for audits.

FAQ

about this task

First, log in as an administrator for your account or group.
Next, navigate to the administrative section for retention settings.
Then, create a new reusable security policy.
Finally, define the retention period and security type, then apply it to your documents.

A document's 'terminal state' means it is finished and will not be changed anymore. Retention policies start counting the storage time from this point. This ensures that active documents are not accidentally deleted.

Enterprise Policy Retention helps by allowing administrators to set specific retention periods for sensitive documents, like patient records, that align with HIPAA requirements. You can also apply password or certificate-based security to these policies to protect the data. The system is designed to support compliance with standards like HIPAA, ensuring your documents are handled correctly.

Reusable policy sets save time and ensure consistency across your organization. Instead of setting rules for each document, you create a set of rules once and apply it to many documents or groups. This reduces errors and makes it easier to manage security and retention for all your files.

Feature	Account-Level Admin	Group-Level Admin
Scope of Control	Manages retention for the entire organization or main account.	Manages retention for a specific team or department within the organization.
Policy Impact	Policies affect all documents and users under the main account.	Policies affect only documents and users belonging to that specific group.
Flexibility	Sets broad, company-wide rules.	Sets more specific rules tailored to a group's unique needs.

Design Payables Retention Rules

When to use it

AI prompts

How to do it

Glossary

The real tasks

Who does this

FAQ

Sources