Overview
The Archive and Retention feature allows you to soft-delete items across Formalize instead of permanently deleting them immediately. Archiving removes items from active views, dashboards, and automated calculations, while retaining their data for historical reference, audit trails, and compliance requirements.
How to Archive an Item
You can now archive items before deleting them permanently. For example, in the Risk module:
Locate the item you want to archive within its respective module list view.
Click the Three-Dot Menu (...) next to the item.
Select Archive.
How to View Archived Items
Open the relevant module in Formalize.
Click Options in the top-right corner.
Select View Archive.
In the Archive View, you can view:
Archive Date: The exact date the item was archived.
Auto Deletion Date: The date the item will be permanently deleted based on your retention schedule.
How to Unarchive (Restore) an Item
Access the Archive View for the relevant module.
Locate the archived item and click Unarchive.
The item will immediately return to the active view in its original module, and all pre-existing data connections and calculations will automatically resume.
How to Permanently Delete an Item
Access the Archive View.
Select the item you wish to remove permanently.
Click Delete.
Warning: Permanent deletion cannot be undone.
Managing Retention Schedules
By default, archived items are retained for 5 years before the platform automatically and permanently deletes them. Platform administrators can customize retention periods per module.
How to Adjust Retention Periods
Go to Settings.
Select the specific module or resource type (e.g., Risks).
Scroll to the Data retention Settings section at the bottom of the page.
Select your preferred retention duration from the dropdown menu and click Save.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Do archived items appear in dashboards?
No. Archived items are automatically excluded from dashboard metrics and charts. However, custom reports can still be configured to include archived data if explicitly selected during report creation.What happens to linked data connections when an item is unarchived?
All entity connections and underlying data structures are fully preserved during archiving. When an item is restored via Unarchive, all previous data links automatically reactivate without requiring manual reconnects.
How does archiving an item affect calculated fields?
When a source item (such as a Supplier used in a formula) is archived, calculation fields automatically update to consider active data only. The system places the archived item in an inactive state so calculations remain valid. If the item is later unarchived, the calculation automatically updates to include its data again.
We hope this article was helpful!
If you have any additional questions, please reach out to us via chat in the bottom right corner of the page — our team is always happy to assist you further.