Session Replay data retention limit exceeds documented default

The maximum retention period for Microsoft Clarity Session Replay data is 90 days. While the user interface may allow you to input higher values, the backend infrastructure enforces a hard cap at 90 days for all accounts

The discrepancy you are observing—where data disappears after 31 days despite a 90-day setting—is typically caused by a tier-based restriction or a synchronization lag between the UI configuration and the backend purging service. In many cases, the 30-day default is the functional limit for standard accounts, and the 90-day override is only honored under specific enterprise configurations.

Possible Explanation for Data Disappearance

There are two primary reasons why data might be purged earlier than your configured setting suggests:

• Tier Constraints: Clarity often limits data retention to 30 days for free tiers, regardless of whether the UI allows you to type "90" or higher into the field.
• Purge Cycles: Data deletion is not always instantaneous. The system relies on background processes to scrub expired records; if the process fails or is throttled, it may revert to the baseline 30-day policy.

Steps to Verify the Retention Cap

Since no API exists to query the hard cap, you must use empirical testing to determine the limit for your specific instance:

1. Capture a Session ID: Perform a test session and note the unique Session ID from the URL or the dashboard.
2. Set the Policy: Ensure your Clarity retention settings are explicitly set to 90 days.
3. Monitor at Day 32: Attempt to access that specific Session ID exactly 32 days after its creation. If it returns a 404, your account is hard capped at 30 days.
4. Monitor at Day 61: If the data persists past day 32, check again at day 61 to confirm the 90-day limit is functional.

Recommendation

If your data is being purged at 31 days despite a 90-day setting, your account is likely restricted to the 30-day default tier. To resolve this, you should verify if your account is part of a Microsoft Azure or Enterprise-level agreement that supports the extended 90-day retention window.