What’s a typical data retention policy for events?

Most ESPs keep raw event data for 30 to 90 days. After that, it's gone. Aggregated metrics (open rates, click rates, campaign summaries) usually stick around much longer, sometimes indefinitely, but the individual event records do not.

Here's how some common platforms handle it: Mailchimp provides campaign reports that stay accessible but limits raw activity logs. SendGrid keeps Email Activity data for 3 or 7 days depending on your plan, with an optional 30-day extension. Postmark keeps message event records for 45 days. Enterprise tiers generally extend these windows, but not always to the lengths you'd want for compliance purposes.

Why does this matter? Two reasons. First, debugging: if a deliverability problem surfaces weeks after it started, you may not have the raw events to trace it. Second, compliance: if you're under GDPR or similar privacy frameworks, you need to know what data you're storing, where it is, and when it ages out. Telling a regulator "the ESP deleted it" is not a complete answer.

The practical solution is to capture events yourself via webhook event feeds and store them in your own system. That way your retention policy is under your control, not your ESP's. You can keep what matters, delete what doesn't, and document both.

For compliance, also consider how retention interacts with privacy law requirements. Keeping event data longer than necessary can create its own risk under GDPR's data minimization principle.

If you're unsure what your current ESP retains, check their documentation or contact support. Most are clear about this but bury it in pricing tiers. Our Email Header Analyzer can help verify delivery data while you still have access to it.