File Retention Policy
We keep your files only as long as necessary. Here is exactly how long.
| File Type | Retention Period |
|---|---|
| Temporary processing files | Deleted automatically after your session ends, or within 24 hours of processing |
| Vault files | Retained until you delete them or close your account |
| Secure Send files | Deleted when the link expires (set by sender; default 7 days) |
| Files after account deletion | Permanently deleted within 30 days of account closure |
Temporary Processing Files
When you use any PDFRealm tool (compress, merge, OCR, convert, etc.), your file is uploaded to our servers for processing. These temporary files are not stored permanently. They are automatically deleted as soon as your session ends, or within 24 hours of processing — whichever comes first.
Vault Files
If you have a PDFRealm account and choose to save a file to your Vault, that file is retained securely in encrypted storage (Backblaze B2, AES-256) until:
- You manually delete the file from your Vault, or
- You close / delete your account
Secure Send Files
Files shared via Secure Send are temporarily stored with an expiration timer. The expiration period is set by the sender at the time of sharing (default: 7 days). When the link expires, the file is permanently and automatically deleted from our servers.
Account Deletion
When you delete your PDFRealm account, all Vault files associated with your account are scheduled for permanent deletion. This process completes within 30 days of account closure. Once deleted, files are not recoverable. We do not retain backups of deleted files beyond the deletion window.
Questions?
For questions about your files or data, contact [email protected] or see our Security page.