How do I define a new Enterprise Policy Retention rule?

Log in as an account or group administrator. Navigate to the policy management section in your admin console. Select 'Create New Policy' and choose between password- or certificate-based security. Set the desired retention duration (e.g., 365 days for one year). Apply the policy to the relevant user groups or document types.

What is the difference between Enterprise Policy Retention and standard document protection features?

Feature Enterprise Policy Retention Standard Document Protection. Scope Organization-wide, set by admin Individual document, set by user Purpose Data governance, compliance, long-term retention Temporary access control, basic security Control Level Account/group admin, reusable policies Document owner, one-time settings Visibility Admin console only Acrobat app menus (e.g., 'Protect')

Set Retention And Access Rules in Adobe Acrobat — How-to & AI prompts

AI prompts

1 way to ask · copy any one

CDecide — “help me choose”A compliance audit is scheduled in [deadline=four weeks] and I need archived site documentation…+

A compliance audit is scheduled in [deadline=four weeks] and I need archived site documentation accessible. Our current folder is a mix of originals and later revisions with no retention tags. I worry auditors will question version integrity. Lay out the minimal retention and access rules I can implement immediately, say which files I must freeze as originals, and give the short folder-readme text to put at the root explaining where originals and revisions live.

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 using your administrator credentials.
2
Navigate to the storage management section in the Admin Console.
3
Select the option to manage individual user folders from the available storage management options.
4
Locate and select the retention policy option.
5
Choose whether to retain inactive user folders permanently or set a custom retention period (e.g., 30, 90, 365 days).
CautionSetting a shorter retention period will result in automatic deletion of user content after the specified time.
6
Confirm and save your retention policy settings.

In the appWith the API

You can view and manage retention settings for both active and inactive user folders directly in the Admin Console under Storage.

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.

Who does this

3 roles

IT AdministratorEnterprise Storage ManagerCompliance Officer

FAQ

about this task

Log in as an account or group administrator.
Navigate to the policy management section in your admin console.
Select 'Create New Policy' and choose between password- or certificate-based security.
Set the desired retention duration (e.g., 365 days for one year).
Apply the policy to the relevant user groups or document types.

Enterprise Policy Retention helps organizations control how long their documents are stored and who can access them. This is important for meeting legal requirements, protecting sensitive information, and managing data effectively over time.

If your company needs to comply with HIPAA, Enterprise Policy Retention is crucial because it allows you to define specific rules for how patient data (PDFs) are retained and accessed. You can set strict access controls using password or certificate protection and ensure documents are kept for the required period, then securely archived or deleted. This helps maintain the privacy and security standards mandated by HIPAA for protected health information.

Enterprise Policy Retention settings are not visible in the regular Acrobat application because they are administrative functions. These policies are designed to be set by IT or account administrators at an organizational level, not by individual users. This ensures consistent data governance and security across all documents for a company, preventing users from accidentally changing important rules.

Feature	Enterprise Policy Retention	Standard Document Protection
Scope	Organization-wide, set by admin	Individual document, set by user
Purpose	Data governance, compliance, long-term retention	Temporary access control, basic security
Control Level	Account/group admin, reusable policies	Document owner, one-time settings
Visibility	Admin console only	Acrobat app menus (e.g., 'Protect')

Set Retention And Access Rules

When to use it

AI prompts

How to do it

Glossary

The real tasks

Who does this

FAQ

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