---
schema_version: "1"
id: 8485aba16da462b586ea8463d4b6b4f13d87cc06613972cf56bde6a62a0bde3e
title: How Purge Policies Work
collection: admin
version: current
locale: en-us
portal_url: https://docs.salesforce.com/admin/current/en-us/xcloud/264-0-0/archive_how_purge_policies_work.md
canonical_url: https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=xcloud.archive_how_purge_policies_work.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5
source_site: help.salesforce.com
content_type: documentation
content_hash: 9e173feaa8f76934d7f88422576489eda1b659658b399ba64a39b0fce6ae1e45
description: A purge policy permanently deletes archived records that match your query conditions, up to 1,000,000 records in each run. It doesn't delete records under legal hold or records protected by Archived Data Protected from Purge.
products:
  - Salesforce Platform
  - Cross Cloud
release: "264"
---
# How Purge Policies Work

A purge policy permanently deletes archived records that match your query conditions, up to 1,000,000 records in each run. It doesn't delete records under legal hold or records protected by Archived Data Protected from Purge.

## What a Purge Policy Deletes

A purge policy works on root records, which are the records of the object you select in the policy. When it runs, it considers only the root records that match the query conditions. It deletes those root records and all of their archived child records.

If you add multiple query conditions, a purge policy deletes a record only when the record meets all of them.

A purge policy can't delete records under legal hold, regardless of its query conditions. It also can't delete records archived within the number of days that you set in Archived Data Protected from Purge. That setting protects newly archived records from purge policies. For more information about legal hold, see [Manage Legal Hold Requests in the Archive App](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=xcloud.archive_manage_legal_hold_requests_in_archive.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "Place archived records on legal hold by creating a legal hold request in the Archive app. When records are under legal hold, they can't be unarchived, deleted, or removed—whether accessed through the SDK RTBF or the user interface.").

## Before You Purge

![Important](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-xcloud-setup-264-0-0-production-enus/6f21df35-9ea0-4f53-ac94-45c3b5dfd5bc/images/icon_important.png)

Important Purging is permanent. You can't recover records that a purge policy deletes.

Set at least one query condition on every purge policy, because a purge policy without conditions deletes all archived records of the root object that you select.

## How Many Records Each Run Deletes

Each purge policy run can delete up to 1,000,000 records. The limit applies to each run, not to your org.

A purge policy runs on a daily schedule. You can also run it manually when it isn't running.

Archive splits each run into delete tasks, and each task appears as a separate entry on the Activities tab. The tasks together stay within the 1,000,000-record limit. A scheduled purge policy appears on the Activities tab only if it has results.

The number of records purged in each run varies based on how many archived records match the purge policy's query conditions. For example, a purge policy that deletes cases created more than 3 years ago purges more records in each run as more cases age past that threshold. The volume increases until it reaches the 1,000,000-record limit.

#### See Also

- [Purge Policies](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=xcloud.archive_purge_policies.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "Define data removal policies for archived records in the Archive app. Purge policies override the original data retention expiration set at the time of archiving. When designated to do so, purge policies permanently delete data.")
- [Retention vs Purge Policies in Archive](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=xcloud.archive_retention_vs_purge_policies_in_archive.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "Retention sets how long Archive keeps records. A purge policy deletes records before that period ends, such as for Right to Be Forgotten requests.")