Best practice for automated form data cleanup in Xperience by Kentico

2026/01/13 7:45 AM

In Kentico Xperience 13, we implemented automated form data cleanup using a custom scheduled task. We extended forms with additional configuration that allowed editors to define a retention period (e.g. delete or anonymize form submissions after X days), and the scheduled task processed the data accordingly.

In Xperience by Kentico, scheduled tasks are still available and seem like a natural fit for recurring maintenance operations such as bulk data cleanup. However, the platform now also introduces the option to build custom automation steps, which could potentially provide a more user-friendly and configurable approach for customers.

I am currently evaluating the best architectural approach for the following use case:

  • Allow customers to configure automatic cleanup (delete/anonymize) of form submissions after a configurable retention period

  • Keep the solution editor-friendly and maintainable

  • Align with recommended Xperience by Kentico patterns and long-term platform direction

My questions:

  • Do you consider scheduled tasks still the preferred approach for this type of recurring, system-wide data maintenance?

  • Has anyone implemented a similar solution using custom automation steps, and if so, how well does that scale for bulk form data processing?

  • Are there any recommended patterns (or pitfalls) when choosing between scheduled tasks and custom automation steps for data retention scenarios?

Any experience, guidance, or architectural insight would be greatly appreciated.

Tags:
Customer data Data privacy Marketing automation Form Builder

Answers

2026/01/13 12:34 PM

Hey Jeroen,
based on my experience with Xperience, I would lean towards using scheduled tasks for this kind of requirement.

Automated form data cleanup feels like a system-level, recurring maintenance operation rather than something driven by individual contact actions. Scheduled tasks are a good fit for that. They are designed for bulk operations, can run on a defined schedule, and can also be triggered manually, which is useful both for testing and operational control.

When it comes to automations, my understanding is that they are primarily intended for marketing or contact-centric workflows. They typically react to a specific contact’s activity, such as a form submission or registration, and execute logic per contact. Because of that per-contact nature, I would be cautious about using automations for system-wide or bulk data processing like retention-based cleanup.

One aspect I would also look at, aside from how the cleanup is triggered, is how the cleanup itself is implemented. From your description, it sounds like custom logic may be involved, which is perfectly reasonable. That said, it might be worth considering the built-in data protection features as well. Xperience provides a data protection framework that can delete or anonymize personal data, including form submissions, in a structured and GDPR-aligned way.

If it were my solution, I would use a scheduled task as the main trigger, process submissions based on the configured retention period, and consider integrating with the data protection APIs to stay aligned with platform patterns and long-term maintainability.

Out of curiosity, are you currently handling the cleanup fully custom, or are you already leveraging the data protection framework?

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