Documents in Control are not available indefinitely. The PSB automatically deletes source files (the XML file and any accompanying PDF) after a fixed period. The document metadata (sender, recipient, topic, audit trail) remains visible in Control, even after the source file has been deleted.

The retention period differs per document topic:

A document with the topic "Sent" has been successfully delivered to the receiving access point. The source file is deleted 24 hours after successful delivery. The metadata (including the audit trail) remains available in Control.

A document with the topic "SentError" was not successfully sent or delivered. The source file remains available for 90 days, giving you ample time to investigate and resolve the issue.

A received document is stored by the PSB until it is retrieved by the receiving party (via the API or another channel). After retrieval, the source file remains available for another 7 days. If the document is not retrieved, it stays available for 90 days before being automatically deleted.

The retention period has a direct impact on what you can see and download in Control. Once the source file has been deleted, a TechSupport user can no longer open or download the document. The metadata, topic and audit trail remain available, so you can always trace what happened with a document.

Tip: if you need source files for longer, make sure your system retrieves documents promptly via the API and archives them locally.