Data Lifecycle processing timelines data-lifecycle-processing-timelines
Use this document to understand the processing timelines for Data Lifecycle requests in Adobe Experience Platform. Record delete and dataset expiration requests follow different processing timelines.
Record delete timelines vary by entitlement tier: standard entitlements have a 30-day SLA, while organizations with a Privacy and Security Shield or Healthcare Shield add-on have a 15-day SLA. If you are unsure which tier applies to your organization, check your quota usage or contact your Adobe representative.
Dataset expiration requests follow a separate timeline that is independent of the record delete entitlement tiers. See Dataset expiration processing timelines for the stages that occur after the scheduled expiration time.
How record delete requests are processed how-record-delete-timelines-work
After you submit a record delete request, it moves through three phases: queuing and batching, downstream processing, and completion. All entitlement tiers follow the same flow; your SLA determines how long each phase takes. Your SLA is 30 days for standard entitlements and 15 days for organizations with a Privacy and Security Shield or Healthcare Shield add-on.
If you have already submitted a request and want to confirm it is progressing normally, use the Processing timelines by entitlement section to determine where your request should be based on elapsed time.
Phase 1: Queuing and batching queuing-and-batching
After submission, a work order is created and your request enters a processing queue. Requests are held in the queue and grouped into batches before processing begins. Batching, not a system error, is the primary reason deletion does not occur immediately after submission.
Queue duration varies by entitlement tier. Standard requests may remain in queue for up to 14 days. Requests under Privacy and Security Shield or Healthcare Shield entitlements are typically batched within approximately 24 hours, although large requests may be promoted earlier based on volume thresholds.
Phase 2: Downstream processing downstream-processing
Once a batch leaves the queue, downstream services process the deletion across your Experience Platform data stores. Work order status does not update during this phase; it reflects the overall outcome once processing is confirmed. To check the current state of your request, see Monitoring request status. Processing duration varies based on system load and entitlement tier and occurs within the operative SLA window for your entitlement tier.
Phase 3: Completion completion
The work order status updates to completed once all systems confirm deletion. You can verify completion status in the Data Lifecycle workspace.
Processing timelines by entitlement processing-timelines-by-entitlement
The three phases above apply to all entitlement tiers. The following tables show the approximate timing for each phase based on your entitlement. Identify your tier before relying on a specific timeline. Stage timings are approximate and vary based on system load and batch scheduling; the stated end-to-end SLA is the operative commitment.
Standard entitlement standard-entitlement
The following timeline applies to organizations without a Privacy and Security Shield or Healthcare Shield add-on.
completed.Privacy and Security Shield / Healthcare Shield shield-entitlement
The accelerated timeline below applies only to organizations that have purchased the Privacy and Security Shield or Healthcare Shield add-on. To verify your entitlement tier, contact your Adobe representative or review your quota usage.
completed once all systems confirm deletion.Dataset expiration processing timelines dataset-expiration-timelines
Dataset expiration requests follow a separate processing timeline from record delete requests. The 15-day and 30-day entitlement SLAs described above do not apply to dataset expiration.
The following takes place when a dataset expiration request is created:
Quota and submission limits quota-and-submission-limits
Processing timelines apply after a request is accepted. Record delete requests are also subject to monthly and daily identifier submission quotas that are separate from and independent of processing SLAs. If a submitted request does not appear to be progressing, confirm it was accepted before attributing the delay to batching. A request blocked by quota exhaustion requires action and does not enter the processing queue. Exceeding your quota prevents new requests from being accepted, regardless of your SLA tier.
For quota tiers, monthly caps, and entitlement-based limits, see:
Monitoring request status monitoring-request-status
To check the status of a submitted record delete request, navigate to the Data Lifecycle workspace in the Experience Platform UI and select the Record tab. A list of submitted record delete requests and their current statuses appears. For programmatic status checks, use the work order API.
For detailed instructions, see Browse data lifecycle work orders or the Work order endpoint guide.
Next steps next-steps
To continue working with record delete requests, see the following resources.