How long should you keep SMS logs?

Logs are useful in disputes and required for certain accountability. But they contain personal data, and keeping them forever is not an option.

What you need them for

To demonstrate that a message was sent and delivered. For appointments, payment reminders and verifications that is the only evidence you have.

What is in them

A phone number is personal data, and often the message content is too. So treat logs as data, not as technical noise.

Set a period and record it

Choose per message type: transactional evidence needs a different period from campaign statistics. Write down why you chose that period — that is exactly what a regulator asks for.

Clean up automatically

A retention period somebody has to apply by hand will not be applied. Put it in a scheduled task.

Remember your backups

Data you delete from your system often still sits in backups. Build that into your period rather than pretending it is gone.