How long to keep run history, baselines, and evidence

Keep recent run history fast by default, then add longer retention only for baselines, audits, and evidence that teams truly revisit.

run historyretention

Use this when

Recent history for current QA and launch review.
Long retention for audits, client reporting, or older baselines.
Active baselines stay valuable even when the original run is old.

Keep recent history fast by default

Most visual reviews happen soon after the run. That is why recent history should stay quick to scan: the team filters recent days, opens result files, and compares current runs without paying for long-term storage first.

Longer retention matters when older baselines, artifacts, or audit evidence remain useful months later. That is a different job from day-to-day review, and it should be priced and chosen that way.

Why longer retention should stay a separate decision

A small team should not have to buy a heavy base plan just to run a few page checks. Longer retention adds value only when the workflow truly needs older evidence, not simply because storage is technically possible.

Keeping retention modular makes the product clearer. Teams can start small, then add deeper history when customer reporting, sign-off workflows, or audits make older runs worth keeping.

Use a business rule, not a storage habit

Stay with recent history if the team only needs to review the latest changes. Add one-year retention when someone will realistically ask how the page looked weeks or months ago and expects the answer to live inside the product.

That often happens around pricing changes, regulated copy, release sign-offs, incident review, and client reporting. If old results never shape decisions, the shorter path stays better.

Short history for active review loops.
Long history for evidence and long-lived reference work.
Choose retention based on retrieval needs, not on capture frequency.
Upgrade only when older runs become part of normal review.

Choose the retention boundary that matches the workflow

Use the base history while the team is proving the review path. Add one-year retention when older runs become part of approvals, client reporting, audits, or incident investigations.

That keeps the pricing model honest. Teams with only recent review needs stay light, while teams with real long-range history needs pay for the depth they actually use.

Guide questions

Does every team need one-year retention?

No. Most teams can start with recent history and add longer retention only when older runs become part of real approvals, reporting, or audit work.

What happens to active baselines?

Active baselines remain important even if the original run is older than the default visible history window.