File deletion behavior on AWS S3

Technical Help
1

Are you using our SaaS platform (Baserow.io) or self-hosting Baserow?

SaaS

What are the exact steps to reproduce this issue?

When uploading files/attachments to a database field in Baserow SaaS, they are stored on AWS S3 and referenced via URL.
Observed behavior:
When the attachment field is updated or the file reference deleted, the file remains accessible via the original S3 URL.
Our concern:
For GDPR compliance and handling of sensitive data, we need full control over uploaded files – including permanent deletion.
Questions:

What happens to files on S3 when deleted from Baserow? Are they purged automatically?
If yes: What is the retention period before actual deletion?
If no: How can we ensure permanent deletion from S3?
Is there documentation on file lifecycle management for Baserow SaaS?

Thank you.
Marc

2

Hi @msp,

Currently, files uploaded to Baserow aren’t automatically purged from S3 when you remove them from a database field, so manual intervention is needed for permanent deletion.

In our next release, we’re adding a CLI command to delete all files uploaded by a specific user, which should help, though it’s still a manual step.

We know this isn’t ideal. Proper file lifecycle management with automatic cleanup and retention controls is already on our radar and something we’re prioritizing in the coming months.

We don’t have specific documentation on this yet, but we’ll make sure to add it as we improve things.

Let me know if you have any other questions.