--- title: Data retention in InfluxDB 3 Enterprise description: InfluxDB 3 Enterprise enforces database and table retention periods at query time and, to optimize storage, routinely deletes expired data. url: https://docs.influxdata.com/influxdb3/enterprise/reference/internals/data-retention/ estimated_tokens: 9448 product: InfluxDB 3 Enterprise version: enterprise --- # Data retention in InfluxDB 3 Enterprise InfluxDB 3 Enterprise enforces database and table retention periods at query time. Any points with timestamps beyond a retention period are filtered out of query results, even though the data may still exist in storage. - [Database retention period](#database-retention-period) - [Table retention period](#table-retention-period) - [Retention period duration formats](#retention-period-duration-formats) - [Set database retention period](#set-database-retention-period) - [Update retention periods](#update-retention-periods) - [Retention period precedence](#retention-period-precedence) - [When does data actually get deleted?](#when-does-data-actually-get-deleted) ## Database retention period A **database retention period** is the duration of time that a database retains data. Retention periods are designed to automatically delete expired data and optimize storage without any user intervention. By default, data does not expire. When you [create a database](/influxdb3/enterprise/admin/databases/create/), you can optionally set a retention period. Retention periods can be as short as an hour or infinite (`none`). [Points](/influxdb3/enterprise/reference/glossary/#point) in a database with timestamps beyond the defined retention period (relative to now) are not queryable, but may still exist in storage until [fully deleted](#when-does-data-actually-get-deleted) . Database retention periods serve as the default retention period for all tables in the database, unless a table has its own retention period defined. ## Table retention period In addition to database-level retention periods, InfluxDB 3 Enterprise supports **table-level retention periods**. A table retention period overrides the database retention period for that specific table. This allows you to: - Keep different types of data for different durations within the same database - Apply shorter retention periods to high-volume, low-value data - Apply longer retention periods to critical data that needs extended retention ## Retention period duration formats Retention periods are specified as [duration](/influxdb3/enterprise/reference/glossary/#duration) values using a numeric value plus a duration unit. The retention period value cannot be negative or contain whitespace. ### Valid duration units | Unit | Description | | --- | --- | | h | hour | | d | day | | w | week | | mo | month (30 days) | | y | year (365 days) | Minute (`m`) and second (`s`) units are not supported for retention periods. #### Retention period constraints - **Minimum for data retention**: The practical minimum retention period is 1 hour (`1h`). - **Zero-duration periods**: Setting a retention period to `0` (for example, `0d` or `0h`) is allowed but marks all data for immediate deletion at query time. *This differs from InfluxDB 1.x and 2.x where `0d` meant infinite retention.* - **Infinite retention**: Use `none` to set an infinite retention period. ### Example retention period values | Value | Description | | --- | --- | | 1h | 1 hour | | 24h | 24 hours (1 day) | | 7d | 7 days | | 4w | 4 weeks (28 days) | | 1mo | 1 month (30 days) | | 90d | 90 days | | 1y | 1 year (365 days) | | none | Infinite - data never expires | You can combine multiple duration units in a single value: | Value | Description | | --- | --- | | 30d12h | 30 days and 12 hours (30.5 days) | | 2w3d | 2 weeks and 3 days (17 days) | | 1y6mo | 1 year and 6 months (545 days) | ### Set database retention period Use the [`influxdb3 create database` command](/influxdb3/enterprise/reference/cli/influxdb3/create/database/) or the [/api/v3/configure/database](/influxdb3/enterprise/api/database/#operation/PostConfigureDatabase) HTTP API endpoint to create a database with a retention period: **influxdb3 CLI:** ```bash # Create a database with a 30-day retention period influxdb3 create database --retention-period 30d DATABASE_NAME # Create a database with infinite retention influxdb3 create database --retention-period none DATABASE_NAME # Create a database with a 90-day retention period using authentication influxdb3 create database \ --retention-period 90d \ --token AUTH_TOKEN \ DATABASE_NAME ``` **HTTP API:** ```bash # Create a database with a 30-day retention period curl --request POST "localhost:8181/api/v3/configure/database" \ --header "Content-Type: application/json" \ --header "Authorization: Bearer AUTH_TOKEN" \ --data '{ "db": "DATABASE_NAME", "retention_period": "30d" }' # Create a database with infinite retention curl --request POST "localhost:8181/api/v3/configure/database" \ --header "Content-Type: application/json" \ --header "Authorization: Bearer AUTH_TOKEN" \ --data '{ "db": "DATABASE_NAME", "retention_period": "none" }' # Create a database with a 90-day retention period curl --request POST "localhost:8181/api/v3/configure/database" \ --header "Content-Type: application/json" \ --header "Authorization: Bearer AUTH_TOKEN" \ --data '{ "db": "DATABASE_NAME", "retention_period": "90d" }' ``` Replace the following: - `DATABASE_NAME`: the name of the database - `AUTH_TOKEN`: your [admin token](/influxdb3/enterprise/admin/tokens/) ### Set table retention period Use the [`influxdb3 create table` command](/influxdb3/enterprise/reference/cli/influxdb3/create/table/) or the [/api/v3/configure/table](/influxdb3/enterprise/api/table/#operation/PostConfigureTable) HTTP API endpoint to create a table with a retention period: **influxdb3 CLI:** ```bash # Create a table with a 7-day retention period influxdb3 create table \ --tags sensor_id,location \ --retention-period 7d \ --database DATABASE_NAME \ --token AUTH_TOKEN \ TABLE_NAME # Create a table with field definitions and retention period influxdb3 create table \ --tags room,sensor_id \ --fields temp:float64,hum:float64 \ --retention-period 30d \ --database DATABASE_NAME \ --token AUTH_TOKEN \ TABLE_NAME ``` **HTTP API:** ```bash # Create a table with a 7-day retention period curl --request POST "localhost:8181/api/v3/configure/table" \ --header "Content-Type: application/json" \ --header "Authorization: Bearer AUTH_TOKEN" \ --data '{ "db": "DATABASE_NAME", "table": "TABLE_NAME", "tags": ["sensor_id", "location"], "retention_period": "7d" }' # Create a table with field definitions and retention period curl --request POST "localhost:8181/api/v3/configure/table" \ --header "Content-Type: application/json" \ --header "Authorization: Bearer AUTH_TOKEN" \ --data '{ "db": "DATABASE_NAME", "table": "TABLE_NAME", "tags": ["room", "sensor_id"], "fields": [ {"name": "temp", "type": "float64"}, {"name": "hum", "type": "float64"} ], "retention_period": "30d" }' ``` Replace the following: - `DATABASE_NAME`: the name of the database - `TABLE_NAME`: the name of the table to create - `AUTH_TOKEN`: your [admin token](/influxdb3/enterprise/admin/tokens/) ## Update retention periods InfluxDB 3 Enterprise allows you to update database retention periods after creation using the [`influxdb3 update database` command](/influxdb3/enterprise/reference/cli/influxdb3/update/database/). **influxdb3 CLI:** ```bash # Update a database retention period to 60 days influxdb3 update database --retention-period 60d DATABASE_NAME # Clear a database retention period (set to infinite) influxdb3 update database --retention-period none DATABASE_NAME # Update with authentication influxdb3 update database \ --retention-period 90d \ --token AUTH_TOKEN \ DATABASE_NAME ``` **HTTP API:** ```bash # Update a database retention period to 60 days curl --request PATCH "localhost:8181/api/v3/configure/database/DATABASE_NAME" \ --header "Content-Type: application/json" \ --header "Authorization: Bearer AUTH_TOKEN" \ --data '{ "retention_period": "60d" }' # Clear a database retention period (set to infinite) curl --request PATCH "localhost:8181/api/v3/configure/database/DATABASE_NAME" \ --header "Content-Type: application/json" \ --header "Authorization: Bearer AUTH_TOKEN" \ --data '{ "retention_period": "none" }' # Update a database retention period to 90 days curl --request PATCH "localhost:8181/api/v3/configure/database/DATABASE_NAME" \ --header "Content-Type: application/json" \ --header "Authorization: Bearer AUTH_TOKEN" \ --data '{ "retention_period": "90d" }' ``` Replace the following: - `DATABASE_NAME`: the name of the database - `AUTH_TOKEN`: your [admin token](/influxdb3/enterprise/admin/tokens/) InfluxDB 3 Enterprise does not currently support updating table retention periods after creation. Table retention periods can only be set when creating the table. ## Retention period precedence When both database and table retention periods are defined, the **table retention period takes precedence** for that specific table. This allows fine-grained control over data retention within a database. ### Examples #### Example: Table retention shorter than database retention ```bash # Database with 90-day retention influxdb3 create database --retention-period 90d mydb # Table with 7-day retention (overrides database retention) influxdb3 create table \ --tags sensor_id \ --retention-period 7d \ --database mydb \ metrics ``` In this example: - Data in the `metrics` table expires after 7 days - Data in other tables in `mydb` expires after 90 days #### Example: Table retention longer than database retention ```bash # Database with 30-day retention influxdb3 create database --retention-period 30d mydb # Table with 1-year retention (overrides database retention) influxdb3 create table \ --tags device_id \ --retention-period 1y \ --database mydb \ audit_logs ``` In this example: - Data in the `audit_logs` table expires after 1 year - Data in other tables in `mydb` expires after 30 days #### Example: Database retention updated after table creation ```bash # Original database with 30-day retention influxdb3 create database --retention-period 30d mydb # Table with 7-day retention influxdb3 create table \ --tags sensor_id \ --retention-period 7d \ --database mydb \ metrics # Update database retention to 90 days influxdb3 update database --retention-period 90d mydb ``` After the update: - Data in the `metrics` table still expires after 7 days (table retention unchanged) - Data in other tables in `mydb` now expires after 90 days (affected by database update) ## When does data actually get deleted? InfluxDB 3 Enterprise routinely deletes expired data to optimize storage. The retention enforcement service runs periodically and: 1. **Identifies expired data**: Finds data with timestamps beyond the retention period 2. **Deletes expired files**: Permanently removes Parquet files containing only expired data 3. **Optimizes mixed files**: For files containing both expired and non-expired data, the system may compact and rewrite files to remove expired data The timing of physical deletion depends on: - The retention enforcement service schedule - The compaction strategy configured for your installation - The ratio of expired to non-expired data in Parquet files Even though expired data may still exist in storage temporarily, it will never appear in query results. Retention period enforcement at query time ensures expired data is always filtered out. #### Related - [Create a database](/influxdb3/enterprise/admin/databases/create/) - [Create a table](/influxdb3/enterprise/admin/tables/create/) - [influxdb3 create database](/influxdb3/enterprise/reference/cli/influxdb3/create/database/) - [influxdb3 create table](/influxdb3/enterprise/reference/cli/influxdb3/create/table/) - [influxdb3 update database](/influxdb3/enterprise/reference/cli/influxdb3/update/database/) - [Create database API](/influxdb3/enterprise/api/database/#operation/PostConfigureDatabase) - [Create table API](/influxdb3/enterprise/api/table/#operation/PostConfigureTable) - [Update database API](/influxdb3/enterprise/api/database/#operation/update_database) [internals](/influxdb3/enterprise/tags/internals/) [retention](/influxdb3/enterprise/tags/retention/)