Retention Period of PDF Attachments (on Journal Entries and Supplier Invoices)

[dmatthias]

Hi,

Our client requested some clarity on the default retention policy in S/4 Public Cloud.
Specifically for PDF's that are attached onto Journal Entries and or Supplier Invoices

They want to know if they need to print all documents or if they can leave it within S/4. 
They need to know if the auditors can find back all the attachments within S/4 or if they should look through paperwork.

I looked around, but did not find the requested information. all help is much appreciated!

Thanks in advance
Matthias

[Jeremy_Deo · Accepted solution]

Dear user,

As of current SAP documentation, storage allocaton is generally 5 to 10 GB (variable according to the contract and edition) for the default license.

SAP also offers the possibility to get extend storage charged per GB or TB.

To answer your second question, yes, basic storage is included as part of your subscription .

I hope this will end to answer your last questions :).

Best regards,

Jeremy

[Jeremy_Deo]

Hello dear user,

And thank you for asking your question in the SAP Community blog.

In SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition, attachments such as PDF documents added to Journal Entries or Supplier Invoices are stored within SAP’s Secure File Storage and are fully auditable and retrievable - provided they are within the SAP-defined data retention period and not explicitly deleted by an admin.

Key Points – Retention of PDF Attachments in S/4HANA Cloud Public

1. Where Are Attachments Stored?

• Attachments (PDFs, Excel, etc.) are stored using SAP’s content repository service integrated into the system.
• This service ensures compliance with audit and security standards, including GDPR and ISO certifications.

2. Default Retention Policy

• There is no automatic deletion of standard attachments (e.g., PDFs on Journal Entries or Invoices).
• Documents and their attachments remain in the system as long as the business documents exist.
• SAP retains data based on standard retention rules, typically 10+ years, depending on your country-specific legal requirements (e.g., in Switzerland, 10 years for accounting documents).

3. Access for Auditors

• Auditors can retrieve attachments directly from the system (if they have access) using apps like:
• Display Journal Entries
• Manage Supplier Invoices
• Display Line Items in General Ledger
• No need to print the documents if audit access is granted digitally.

4. Is Printing Required?

• Not required for legal compliance — provided the audit is supported electronically and the system’s integrity is maintained.
• SAP S/4HANA Cloud is designed for paperless compliance, and attachments are considered legally valid evidence.

I hope this will help answer your question.

Best regards,

Jeremy

[dmatthias]

Thanks Jeremy, one small additional question. How much data (Terabytes) can be stored within SAP’s Secure File Storage? Is it part of their SAP license?