Setup your audit retention

task brazil Updated Sep 10, 2026 1 min read setup-audit-retention.md

Raw file servicenow.com

Use the Retention option to automate and simplify the deletion of audit data as per your requirement.

Before you begin

Role required: security_admin

Procedure

Navigate to All > Audit Management Console.
Select the table from the list you want to update the retention policy.

Note: By default, you land on the Columns tab at the end of this step.
Select the Retention tab to update the retention policy for the selected table audit data.

A modal showing the retention option shows up.
Enable the Automatically Purge Audit Records toggle.
Select the duration from the Duration dropdown menu.

Select Yes if you want to proceed with the selected duration. You can also select Cancel if you want to select a different duration.

Note: Logs older than your set duration will be purged and can't be restored.

The Retention Policy modal shows up confirming the selected duration.
Select Generate Estimate to view the approximate number of audit records that are older than your selected duration.

For information about generate estimate, see Enable an audit deletion estimate
Select Save to update the retention policy for the selected table.
To disable deletion of Audit records of a table, disable the Automatically Purge Audit Records toggle and select Save.

Note: The audit records that were previously deleted due to the selected retention duration are permanently unavailable.

54 lines · 2.1 KB Wrap lines

---
title: Setup your audit retention
description: Use the Retention option to automate and simplify the deletion of audit data as per your requirement.
locale: en-US
canonical_url: https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/platform-security/setup-audit-retention.html
release: brazil
topic_type: task
last_updated: "2026-09-10"
reading_time_minutes: 1
breadcrumb: [Audit Management Console, Configuring auditing for a table, Auditing]
---

# Setup your audit retention

Use the Retention option to automate and simplify the deletion of audit data as per your requirement.

## Before you begin

Role required: security\_admin

## Procedure

1. Navigate to **All** &gt; **Audit Management Console**.

2. Select the table from the list you want to update the retention policy.

**Note:** By default, you land on the Columns tab at the end of this step.

3. Select the Retention tab to update the retention policy for the selected table audit data.

A modal showing the retention option shows up.

4. Enable the Automatically Purge Audit Records toggle.

5. Select the duration from the Duration dropdown menu.

Select **Yes** if you want to proceed with the selected duration. You can also select **Cancel** if you want to select a different duration.

**Note:** Logs older than your set duration will be purged and can't be restored.

The Retention Policy modal shows up confirming the selected duration.

6. Select **Generate Estimate** to view the approximate number of audit records that are older than your selected duration.

For information about generate estimate, see [Enable an audit deletion estimate](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/brazil/markdown/platform-security/configure-audit-deletion-estimation.md)

7. Select **Save** to update the retention policy for the selected table.

8. To disable deletion of Audit records of a table, disable the Automatically Purge Audit Records toggle and select **Save**.

**Note:** The audit records that were previously deleted due to the selected retention duration are permanently unavailable.