Understand what is kept

3 minute read · Cloud & Sync

Your app’s files, Vortex conversation history and captured cloud content have different lifetimes. Choose the operation that matches what you want to remove.

• Keep or remove a conversation
• Cloud history has a separate limit
• Preserve resources while managing storage
• Separate saved resources from retained content
• Keep existing resources accessible
• Delete with the right expectation

Keep or remove a conversation#

Archive hides a chat from everyday work while retaining its history. There is no product cap on saved conversations. Restore it when you want to continue. Permanent deletion removes the conversation and unused attachments; it must not delete the project’s checkout or your own database.

Local conversation records use encrypted SQLite payloads and a protected master key. SQLite is the storage format, not permission to keep message text unencrypted. If storage migration or unlock fails, preserve existing files and use the recovery path instead of deleting a profile to make the error disappear.

Cloud history has a separate limit#

Cloud categories have generous, administrator-configured technical ceilings. When a category fills, eligible oldest inactive content can be removed within that category and account. Live leases protect active work; mail and Signals retention do not free space by deleting project folders, connections or credentials.

Sync deletions need tombstones so offline devices can catch up. Account metadata and encrypted content have different protection boundaries; cloud Mail and Signals are not automatically end-to-end encrypted simply because workspace history is.

Preserve resources while managing storage#

Saved workspaces, project folders and connection definitions let you continue work. Technical content retention concerns stored history and captured content, not permission to use a tool.

See account usage and storage, sync and recovery.

Separate saved resources from retained content#

Projects, checkout folders, saved database/SSH/FTP profiles and SMTP credentials are resources needed to continue work. Mail messages, Signal events and inactive cloud history are stored content with their own category limits. Retention must not delete a project or credential merely to free message storage.

Cloud technical ceilings are generous and configured by the service. When a category needs cleanup, the policy selects its oldest eligible inactive content within the account/category. Active work must remain protected through server-held leases; a stale device must not be able to delete an active conversation by claiming it is inactive.

Keep existing resources accessible#

Keep saved projects and credentials when making space in a content category. Check whether you are removing captured messages, archived conversation history or a connection definition: these are different operations.

Archived conversations retain their history. A worktree has its own files and branch; closing its chat is not a substitute for the worktree finish workflow. Before deleting content, retain the results or exports you are authorized to keep.

Delete with the right expectation#

Permanent chat deletion removes that conversation and eligible unused attachments, never its checkout. Removing a captured test email does not retract a message delivered by another service. Clearing Signal events is separate from deleting their ingestion app. Export authorized evidence before a deliberate content deletion if you need to retain it elsewhere.

An offline device learns cloud deletion through tombstones and versioned synchronization. If a conflict appears after reconnecting, preserve local work and inspect the recorded versions; do not automatically restore a deleted cloud item from an older local snapshot. Account usage and storage explains how existing resources remain available.