> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://support.deepfield-ai.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Manage a study's personal data

> Review retention, understand erasure, and distinguish retained answers from identifiers, customer files and recordings.

Open Settings from the Create view menu, then **Privacy** to inspect **Personal data**. The displayed retention date follows your organization's configured period after the study's last contact. Ask your administrator or DeepField contact about the agreed period.

## Understand retention

The date identifies when data is due for erasure. DeepField's operational review lists overdue studies for an administrator; reaching the date does not itself prove that erasure has completed. Verify the recorded erased state when checking the outcome.

## Erase a finished study's personal data

An Owner or organization Admin can use **Erase now** on an eligible Completed or Archived study. The action is offered when personal data has a retention date and has not already been erased.

<Warning>Erasure permanently removes file rows, campaign recipient information, entry-link values, variables derived from personal data, participant addresses and recordings. Review the confirmation and any outstanding earned rewards before proceeding. The questionnaire answers remain; free text can still contain identifying details supplied by a participant.</Warning>

After confirming, wait for the result and verify the erased date. A storage failure can leave the operation incomplete; resolve the error and retry rather than assuming success. Earned rewards waiting for payment can block erasure.

An erased study cannot accept new people or a new customer file. Duplicate it to run further research and supply any required files again. Previously downloaded files and copies outside DeepField require separate handling.

## Handle one person's request

Contact your organization's administrator or DeepField contact with the study and the relevant row identifier. Platform administrators have tools to find, export and erase an individual's records. Avoid sending unrelated participant data in the request.

## Check the result

Confirm the recorded erasure status, unavailable personal files and recordings, and retained research answers. Review free text and any external exports separately before describing the remaining material as anonymous.

## Related

* [Use customer files and link attributes](/building-your-study/data-sources)
* [Configure participant consent](/recruiting/consent-forms)
* [Export response data](/responses/exporting-data)
* [Get help](/account-settings/getting-help)