How it works
How long mail is kept
How long the Inbox keeps a conversation, what Keep does, when mail is deleted, and how to hold on to something.
Who this is for: Anyone with “Use the member inbox” or “Set up inboxes” or “Send text messages” (by default: Administrator, Casual Staff, Treasurer).
The Inbox does not keep mail for ever. How long a conversation is kept depends on who it is about and whether anyone has pressed Keep.
The rules
| The conversation | How long it is kept |
|---|---|
| About a current member | Kept, with no date. |
| About a former member | For the number of years the club chose, from 1 to 7, after the later of their leaving and the conversation's last message. The setting for an inbox starts at 7 years. |
| Not linked to any member | Deleted 30 days after its last message. |
| In Spam | Deleted 30 days after its last message. |
| Marked Keep | Never deleted by date. |
The list shows 3 days left and similar on a conversation about to go, in the last 14 days. A conversation open on the right says when it will be deleted and why, for example Not linked to a member, so it will be deleted on 4 Nov 2026, 3 days from now. Choose Keep under Actions to hold on to it.
The years for a former member start when they stop being a member, so a conversation about someone who leaves later is not deleted early.
Keep something
- Open the conversation.
- Choose Actions, then Keep. A small flag shows on its row, and the conversation says Marked keep, so this will not be deleted by date.
- To stop keeping it, choose Actions, then Stop keeping.
Use it for something the club needs to hold on to even if it is not about a member, such as a letter from a lawyer.
What deleting removes
When a conversation is deleted, its messages and attachments go together. Conversations a deleted member was linked to are kept, unlinked, and age out at 30 days.
An export from a member's page is a copy and is not affected. See A member's messages.
Change how long a former member's mail is kept
An Administrator sets this for each inbox: open , the Inboxes tab, open the inbox and choose a number of years under How long mail is kept, then press Save.
Related
- Who a conversation is linked to decides which rule applies. See Who a conversation is about.
- For what Sports Club OS keeps about people generally, see What Sports Club OS keeps about people.
Last checked in release 2026.10.31, on 31 October 2026.