Content Guard Pro stores findings, scan history, and audit logs. Configure retention settings to balance historical data needs with database size management.
Retention Overview #
| Data Type | Default Retention | Configurable |
| ———– | ——————- | ————– |
| Findings | 90 days | Yes (30/90/180/365) |
| Scan History | 90 days | Same as findings |
| Audit Logs | 365 days | Fixed |
| Pattern Cache | 1 hour | Fixed |
Configuring Finding Retention #
Setting Retention Period #
1. Go to Content Guard Pro → Settings
2. Find Performance section
3. Select Finding Retention
4. Choose: 30, 90, 180, or 365 days
5. Click Save Changes
Retention Options #
| Period | Best For | Database Impact |
| ——– | ———- | —————– |
| 30 days | High-volume sites, limited space | Minimal |
| 90 days | Most sites (recommended) | Moderate |
| 180 days | Compliance requirements | Higher |
| 365 days | Audit requirements, forensics | Highest |
What Gets Deleted #
After Retention Period #
Findings are automatically purged when:
- Older than retention period AND
- Status is NOT quarantined, ignored, or recently resolved
What’s Preserved #
- Quarantined findings: Kept until un-quarantined
- Ignored findings: Kept for reference
- Recent resolved: Kept for 90 days after resolution
- Aggregate statistics: Rolled up and preserved
Manual Cleanup #
Purge Old Findings #
1. Go to Content Guard Pro → Settings
2. Scroll to Data Management
3. Click Purge Old Findings
4. Confirm the action
This immediately removes findings older than retention period.
Selective Deletion #
To delete specific findings:
1. Go to Findings list
2. Filter to desired findings
3. Select items
4. Choose “Delete” from bulk actions
5. Confirm deletion
⚠️ Warning: Deleted findings cannot be recovered.
Database Size Considerations #
Estimating Storage #
| Content Volume | Avg Findings/Month | Storage/Year |
| —————- | ——————- | ————– |
| Small (100 posts) | 10-50 | ~1 MB |
| Medium (1,000 posts) | 50-200 | ~5 MB |
| Large (10,000 posts) | 200-1,000 | ~20 MB |
| Very Large (100k+) | 1,000-5,000 | ~100 MB |
Checking Current Size #
1. Go to Content Guard Pro → Diagnostics
2. View Database Statistics
3. See: Total findings, Table sizes, Growth rate
Reducing Database Size #
1. Decrease retention period – Fewer old records
2. Purge manually – Clear old data now
3. Improve detection – Fewer false positives = fewer findings
4. Use Quick scans – Fewer items scanned = fewer findings
Audit Log Retention #
What’s Logged #
- Quarantine actions
- Restore actions
- Ignore actions
- Settings changes
- Scan initiations
365-Day Fixed Retention #
Audit logs are kept for 1 year to support:
- Security investigations
- Compliance audits
- Historical analysis
Audit Log Size #
Audit logs are typically small:
- ~100 bytes per entry
- Most sites: <1 MB/year
Data on Uninstall #
Default Behavior #
When plugin is deleted via WordPress:
- All custom tables are dropped
- All options are deleted
- All findings, logs, and settings removed
Preserving Data #
To keep data when uninstalling:
1. Go to Content Guard Pro → Settings
2. Enable Preserve Data on Uninstall
3. Save Changes
With this enabled:
- Tables remain in database
- Settings are preserved
- Re-activating plugin restores access
When to Preserve Data #
✅ Preserve when:
- Temporarily deactivating for troubleshooting
- Planning to reinstall soon
- Need historical data for records
❌ Don’t preserve when:
- Permanently removing plugin
- Switching to different security solution
- Want a fresh start
Export Before Cleanup #
Backup Your Data #
Before major cleanup or uninstall:
1. Go to Content Guard Pro → Reports
2. Click Export All Findings
3. Download CSV or JSON
4. Store securely
What’s Exported #
- All finding details
- Status and timestamps
- Detection information
- Location data
Compliance Considerations #
GDPR #
Findings may contain content excerpts which could include personal data:
- Set appropriate retention periods
- Include in your data retention policy
- Document in privacy policy
Industry Regulations #
Some regulations require security log retention:
- PCI-DSS: 1 year minimum
- HIPAA: 6 years
- SOX: 7 years
Adjust retention settings accordingly.
Scheduled Cleanup #
Automatic Purge #
Content Guard Pro automatically removes old findings:
- Runs daily during scheduled maintenance
- Removes findings past retention period
- Preserves quarantined and recently active items
Manual Schedule #
For immediate cleanup:
1. Go to Settings → Data Management
2. Click Run Cleanup Now
3. Old findings are immediately removed
