How Long Are My Files Kept? Retention and Deletion, Plan by Plan
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How long does PDFLean keep files? PDFLean keeps every cloud file for 24 hours after it is processed and then deletes it automatically — the same window for every account and every plan, anonymous, free, or paid. Tools labeled Local Processing never upload your file at all, so there is nothing kept or deleted on a server: the file lives only in your browser tab and is gone the moment you close it.
This page is the single, authoritative statement of that rule. Other PDFLean pages link here instead of restating a number.
Retention at a glance
Section titled “Retention at a glance”| Where the file is processed | What is kept | For how long | Applies to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local Processing (browser) | Nothing — the file never leaves your device | Not applicable (no server-side copy) | All tools labeled Local Processing |
| Cloud Processing (encrypted server) | Uploaded source file and generated result | 24 hours after processing, then automatic deletion | Every account and every plan — no exceptions |
| Cloud task records | Metadata only (timestamps, file sizes, tool used) | Up to 7 days, then cleaned up | Every account; deletable instantly anytime |
How cloud deletion works
Section titled “How cloud deletion works”When a cloud task finishes, the uploaded source file and the result file are stored encrypted at rest (AES-256, after TLS 1.3 transit) so you can download them. The retention clock runs from the moment of processing:
- Deletion is automatic. When the 24 hours window ends, the server-side objects are removed by lifecycle cleanup. You do not need to remember to delete anything.
- The window is shown before you start and after it ends. Every tool page states its execution mode and limits before a job begins, and the task completion page plus the task records page show the remaining retention time for each result in a prominent position — never buried in fine print.
- You can delete sooner. Signed-in users can delete cloud files and their task records instantly from the account file history, without waiting for the window to end.
- Expired download links stop working on the same schedule. A result’s download link is valid for the same retention window; once the underlying object is deleted, the link returns nothing.
The rules that make this simple
Section titled “The rules that make this simple”- One window for everyone. The retention window is a single site-wide setting. It does not change by plan tier, by whether you are signed in, or by which cloud tool you used.
- Free and paid are treated the same for deletion. What changes between plans is processing capacity and quotas — not how long your files are kept.
- File content is never used for ads or AI model training, in any processing mode. Retention exists so you can fetch your result; it is not a data pipeline.
Edge cases, stated plainly
Section titled “Edge cases, stated plainly”- You did not download in time? Once the window ends, the file is gone and cannot be recovered by support. Re-run the task if you still have the original.
- Closing the tab on a local tool clears its in-memory data immediately — there was never a server copy to delete.
- Closing your account clears your cloud files and task records; files you already exported and downloaded remain yours.
Related reading
Section titled “Related reading”- Privacy & Retention Model — how local and cloud processing treat your files, and the compliance posture behind this rule
- Free vs Paid on PDFLean — which tools run locally and which run in the cloud
- Frequently Asked Questions — short answers, including “is PDFLean safe to use with confidential documents?”
- File Size & Quota Limits — the size and quota numbers that sit alongside this retention rule