⏱️ Durée de conservation

The retention period controls how long files stay in the Recycle Bin before they are permanently deleted from your server.

When you move a file to the Recycle Bin, a deletion timestamp is set. The daily cleanup cron checks this timestamp and removes the file once the period has elapsed.

• 30 days — safe default for most sites
• 7 days — good for high-volume sites where you clean regularly
• 90 days — suits cautious teams or compliance requirements

⚠️ Permanent deletion cannot be undone. If cloud backup is enabled, a copy is made before deletion.

Les questions qu’on nous pose

Can I change the retention period after files are already in the bin?
Yes. Tick “Apply retroactively” and the new period is recalculated for all files already in the bin.

What happens on the exact expiry day?
Files are deleted during the next daily cron run after the expiry timestamp passes. Deletion is not instant — it depends on when WordPress runs its cron.

Can I stop a file from expiring?
Yes — restore it from the Recycle Bin before it expires. It will return to the active media library.