Data Retention
How long Protu keeps your data and what happens when it’s deleted.
Overview
Section titled “Overview”We retain data to provide our service and meet legal obligations. This page explains what we keep, for how long, and how deletion works.
Active Workspaces
Section titled “Active Workspaces”While your workspace is active, we retain:
Assessment data
Section titled “Assessment data”- All assessment responses
- Generated insights
- Personal profiles
This data is kept indefinitely while the workspace is active, ensuring you always have access to historical insights.
Hiring data
Section titled “Hiring data”- Role information
- Candidate records
- Hiring decisions
- Pipeline history
Historical hiring data is preserved for reference, even after roles are closed and archived.
Team data
Section titled “Team data”- Team configurations
- Employee assignments
- Team Intelligence snapshots
- Membership history
Team data remains available for analysis and comparison.
User data
Section titled “User data”- Account information
- Login history
- Activity logs
Needed to provide the service and maintain security.
Specific Retention Periods
Section titled “Specific Retention Periods”Some data has defined retention periods:
| Data type | Retention period |
|---|---|
| Audit logs | 7 years |
| Session data | 90 days |
| Email delivery logs | 90 days (1 year for failures) |
| Magic link tokens | Until expiry + 30 days |
| Deleted roles | 14 days before permanent deletion |
| Deleted workspace | 30 days before permanent deletion |
| Backup data | Up to 180 days (backup rotation) |
| Closed role candidate access | 30 days after role closure |
| Employee insights links | 72 hours per link |
| Candidate insights links | 30 days |
Archived Data
Section titled “Archived Data”When you archive roles or teams:
| What changes | What stays the same |
|---|---|
| Data becomes read-only | All information is preserved |
| Can’t invite new people | Insights remain viewable |
| Can’t modify settings | Historical data available for reference |
Archive undo window
Section titled “Archive undo window”Roles: You have 24 hours to undo an archive. After 24 hours, archival is permanent (the role remains viewable but cannot be restored to active status).
Teams: Archives can be restored at any time.
Auto-archive
Section titled “Auto-archive”Hired roles are automatically archived after 30 days to keep your active view clean. The data is preserved; it just moves to your archive.
Archiving is not deletion. It’s long-term storage for completed hiring records and dissolved teams.
How Deletion Works
Section titled “How Deletion Works”The deletion process
Section titled “The deletion process”When you delete data in Protu:
- Soft delete: Data is marked as deleted but retained temporarily
- Recovery period: You can restore within 30 days
- Hard delete: Data is permanently removed after the recovery period
What can be deleted
Section titled “What can be deleted”| Item | Can delete? | Recovery period |
|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Yes | 30 days |
| Employees | Yes (deactivate first) | 30 days |
| Roles | Yes (soft delete) | 14 days |
| Roles (archived) | No | Permanent historical record |
| Teams | Archive only | Restorable indefinitely |
| Workspace | Owner request only | 30 days |
What we retain after deletion
Section titled “What we retain after deletion”Even after deletion, we may retain:
| Data | Reason |
|---|---|
| Audit logs | Required for compliance (anonymised where possible) |
| Aggregate statistics | No personal data, used for service improvement |
| Backup copies | Until backup rotation completes (typically 30 days) |
Your Data Rights
Section titled “Your Data Rights”Request a copy
Section titled “Request a copy”You can request a copy of your personal data at any time.
For workspace data: Contact support@protu.io from your Owner or Admin email.
For candidates/employees: Contact your company first, as they manage your records. For direct requests to Protu, email support@protu.io.
Request deletion
Section titled “Request deletion”You have the right to request deletion of your personal data, subject to:
- Legal retention requirements
- Legitimate business needs
- Technical feasibility
We process deletion requests within 30 days as required by GDPR.
How to make a request
Section titled “How to make a request”Include in your email:
- Your name and email address
- Your company name
- What you’re requesting (copy, deletion, correction)
- Any relevant details
For full details, see Privacy & GDPR.
Workspace Closure
Section titled “Workspace Closure”If you close your Protu workspace:
| Timeline | What happens |
|---|---|
| Immediately | Access revoked for all users |
| 30 days | Data retained for recovery |
| After 30 days | Data permanently deleted |
During the 30-day window, you can contact support to restore the workspace.
Only Owners can request workspace closure. Contact support@protu.io to initiate this process.
Legal Holds
Section titled “Legal Holds”In certain circumstances (legal proceedings, regulatory requirements), we may be required to preserve data beyond normal retention periods.
When a legal hold applies:
- Normal deletion is suspended
- Data is preserved as required
- We notify you when legally permitted
Candidate Data After Role Closure
Section titled “Candidate Data After Role Closure”When a role closes (Hired or Cancelled):
| Candidate type | Access period |
|---|---|
| All candidates | Retain access to their own insights for 30 days |
| Hired candidate | Converted to employee; ongoing access |
| Not selected | 30-day access, then link expires |
After 30 days, candidates can no longer access their insights from that role. Their data remains in your workspace for your reference.
Employee Data After Leaving
Section titled “Employee Data After Leaving”When an employee leaves your organisation:
- Deactivate them in Protu (Settings → Employees)
- Their profile becomes read-only
- Historical contribution to Team Intelligence is preserved
- They can no longer access their insights
- You can permanently delete if needed (30-day recovery applies)
Deactivating preserves data for compliance and historical reference. You can permanently delete their record if your organisation’s data policies require it.