How do I set up a new Retention Policy in Adobe Acrobat?

First, log in as an administrator for your account or group. Go to the admin settings and find the section for 'Retention Policies'. Choose to create a new policy and define how long files should be kept. You can also choose security options like passwords or certificates for the policy.

What is the difference between a password-based and a certificate-based security policy for retention?

Feature Password-Based Security Certificate-Based Security. Access Control Requires a specific password to open or change the document. Requires a digital certificate to open or change the document. Management Easier for smaller groups, relies on users remembering passwords. More secure and scalable for larger organizations, managed by IT infrastructure. Security Level Good for basic protection, but can be compromised if passwords are weak or shared. Higher level of security, often used for sensitive data and regulatory compliance.

Weak Retention Execution in Adobe Acrobat — How-to & AI prompts

AI prompts

1 way to ask · copy any one

DBecome — “help me grow”Review the last 24 terminated-employee files and identify where retention and access rules were…+

Review the last 24 terminated-employee files and identify where retention and access rules were not applied. Recommend one change in process and one technical control that would make our retention auditable, including how to verify compliance quarterly without adding heavy work to HR coordinators.

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
Log in to the Adobe Admin Console with administrator credentials.
2
Navigate to the Acrobat Sign section in the Admin Console.
3
Access the retention policies or equivalent settings area for Acrobat Sign.
4
Review the list of active retention rules and verify that the expected rules are enabled and configured for the correct user groups or document types.
CautionRetention rules only apply to agreements and data as defined in the rule configuration; misconfigured scopes may cause rules to be skipped.
5
Check the status of each retention rule to ensure none are disabled or expired.
6
For agreements or data not being deleted as expected, search for the specific user or document in question and review its retention status.
Best practiceIf you suspect a rule is not applying, filter by rule status and affected users to quickly identify mismatches or exceptions.
7
If a retention rule is not being applied, edit the rule and verify all conditions (such as user, group, document type, and retention period) are correct.
8
Save any changes and reapply the rule if necessary.
9
If issues persist, disable and then re-enable the affected retention rule to force a policy refresh.
Best practiceSome admins report that toggling the rule status can resolve stuck retention processing, especially after bulk user changes.
10
If data is still not deleted as expected, consult the audit logs or activity reports in the Admin Console to check for errors or skipped actions related to retention.
11
Contact Adobe Enterprise Support if you identify unresolved errors or if the retention engine is not processing according to documented policy.

In the appWith the API

Retention policy issues often stem from misconfigured rule scopes or inactive rules—review each rule's settings carefully in the Admin Console.

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

Our records retention policy exists but execution is sloppy; I want a durable system we can defend in an audit.

FAQ

about this task

First, log in as an administrator for your account or group.
Go to the admin settings and find the section for 'Retention Policies'.
Choose to create a new policy and define how long files should be kept.
You can also choose security options like passwords or certificates for the policy.

Enterprise Policy Retention helps organizations meet legal and business requirements by automatically managing how long documents are stored. It ensures that files are kept for the right amount of time and helps with compliance standards like HIPAA or ISO 27001.

In this situation, an administrator can create a Retention Policy set to 10 years. This policy will then be applied to your contracts when they are finalized (reach their terminal state). This ensures that all contracts are automatically kept for the required duration without manual tracking, helping your company meet its legal obligations.

Coordinating with IT is crucial because they manage the technical infrastructure and security for your organization's data. They can ensure that the retention policies are correctly implemented across systems, integrate with existing IT policies, and help maintain overall data security and compliance, preventing potential issues.

Feature	Password-Based Security	Certificate-Based Security
Access Control	Requires a specific password to open or change the document.	Requires a digital certificate to open or change the document.
Management	Easier for smaller groups, relies on users remembering passwords.	More secure and scalable for larger organizations, managed by IT infrastructure.
Security Level	Good for basic protection, but can be compromised if passwords are weak or shared.	Higher level of security, often used for sensitive data and regulatory compliance.

Weak Retention Execution

When to use it

AI prompts

How to do it

Glossary

The real tasks

Who does this

FAQ

Sources