Overview
This policy explains how long Simply Asking retains your data and how you can request deletion. We believe in transparency about your data and your control over it.
Data Retention Periods
Active Account Data
While your account is active, we retain:
| Data Type | Retention Period | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Account information | Duration of account | Service delivery |
| Documents & content | Until you delete them | Knowledge base functionality |
| Chat history | Until you delete it | Conversation continuity |
| Search queries | 90 days | Service improvement |
| Activity logs | 90 days | Security & troubleshooting |
Task Runs & Automations
When you or a scheduled automation asks the assistant to carry out a piece of work, we keep a record of what it did so you can review it afterwards.
| Data Type | Retention Period | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Task threads | Until you delete them | Keep a task's history in one place |
| Task run records | 180 days | Review what ran, what it cost, and when |
| Step-by-step activity timeline | Deleted with its task run | Show how an answer was reached |
| Record of actions taken | Deleted with its task run | Show which actions ran and which you approved |
| Your instructions during a run | Deleted with its task run | Apply a mid-run instruction or a stop |
| Approval decisions | Deleted with its task run | Prove an action was approved before it ran |
| Automation definitions | Until you delete the automation | Run the schedule you set up |
Everything in a task run's history is deleted together with the run itself. Deleting an automation removes its schedule; task runs it already produced follow the 180-day period above. Daily spending counters are aggregate numbers per organization and contain no task content.
After Document Deletion
When you delete a document:
| Stage | Timeline | What Happens |
|---|---|---|
| Soft delete | Immediate | Document hidden, recoverable for 30 days |
| Hard delete | 30 days | Document permanently removed from production |
| Backup removal | Up to 90 days | Removed as backups naturally expire |
Derived knowledge: When a document is deleted, the search index entries, extracted entities, and pending (unconfirmed) fact candidates derived from it are removed along with it. Confirmed business facts (statements that a person in your organization explicitly reviewed and approved) are organization-level records that carry their own human approval, so they are retained even if the source document is later deleted. You can retract any confirmed fact at any time, and all confirmed facts are permanently deleted when your organization's account is deleted.
After Account Cancellation
When you cancel your subscription:
| Stage | Timeline | What Happens |
|---|---|---|
| Grace period | 30 days | Data preserved, can reactivate |
| Data deletion | After grace period | All data queued for destruction |
| Complete removal | Up to 60 days total | Removed from all systems including backups |
Data We Must Retain
Some data must be retained for legal or regulatory reasons:
| Data Type | Retention Period | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Financial transaction records | 7 years | Tax and accounting requirements |
| Security incident logs | 3 years | Legal compliance |
| Consent records | 7 years | GDPR/regulatory proof |
This data is retained in secure, access-restricted systems and is not used for any other purpose.
How to Delete Your Data
Delete Individual Items
Documents:
- Navigate to your Document Library
- Select the document(s) you want to delete
- Click "Delete" and confirm
- Recoverable for 30 days, then permanently deleted
Chat History:
- Go to the chat interface
- Click on chat settings
- Select "Clear chat history"
Delete Your Entire Account
Self-Service:
- Go to Account Settings
- Navigate to Privacy section
- Click "Delete My Account"
- Confirm your password
By Request:
Email legal@simplyasking.io with subject "Account Deletion Request"
Export Your Data First
Before deleting your account, you can export all your data:
- Go to Account Settings - Privacy
- Click "Export My Data"
- Select what to include (documents, chat history, activity logs)
- Download your data package (ZIP file)
- Link valid for 7 days
Export includes:
- All your documents in original formats
- Document metadata (JSON/CSV)
- Chat history (JSON)
- Activity logs (CSV)
Your Deletion Rights
GDPR (EU/EEA)
You have the right to erasure under GDPR Article 17.
- Use the GDPR Data Management page
- Or email legal@simplyasking.io
- Processed within 30 days
- Confirmation provided upon request
CCPA/CPRA (California)
California residents can request deletion of personal information.
- Processed within 45 days
- Extendable to 90 days with notice
- No discrimination for exercising rights
- Confirmation of what was deleted
What We Cannot Delete
In certain circumstances, we may not be able to delete some data:
- Legal holds: Data subject to litigation or investigation
- Regulatory requirements: Financial records, security logs
- Fraud prevention: Records needed to prevent abuse
- Technical limitations: Data in distributed backups (removed upon natural expiration)
We'll inform you if any exceptions apply to your request.
Verification & Certificates
After deletion, you'll receive an email confirmation that your data has been removed.
Enterprise customers can request a formal Certificate of Destruction containing:
- Confirmation of deletion
- Date and time of destruction
- Categories of data deleted
- Authorized signatory
Contact legal@simplyasking.io to request a certificate.
Contact Information
| Data Deletion Requests | legal@simplyasking.io |
| Deletion Certificates | legal@simplyasking.io |
| General Questions | legal@simplyasking.io |
Need to Delete Your Data?
Use our built-in tools or contact us for assistance with deletion requests and verification certificates.