# How to Enable Immediate Retention Cleanup

By default, backup retention policies may run separately from the backup job itself. Enabling **Immediate Retention Cleanup** ensures that old backup data is removed **immediately after a backup completes**, helping keep your storage usage under control.

This setting is useful if you want retention rules to be applied right away rather than waiting for a later cleanup process.

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### Step 1 — Open the Protected Item Configuration

1. Open the **eazyBackup client software**
2. Select the **Protected Item** you want to modify
3. Click **Configure**

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### Step 2 — Open the Schedule Settings

1. Select the **Schedule** tab
2. Select the schedule you want to edit
3. Click the **Edit (pencil) icon**

<figure><img src="https://2026595258-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FSvHh4wgiJn6bl81UXqVT%2Fuploads%2F54gvMQkjBFe5tTEvQyFs%2Fedit_schedule.png?alt=media&#x26;token=b50a9f04-b6e9-4d5d-ae23-ff4878340639" alt="" width="563"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

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### Step 3 — Enable Immediate Retention Cleanup

1. In the schedule window, select the **Advanced** tab
2. Locate the option **Apply retention policy after backup**
3. Set this option to **Run immediately**

<figure><img src="https://2026595258-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FSvHh4wgiJn6bl81UXqVT%2Fuploads%2FHlGA1gLBY3NgeGi0ezFh%2Fschedule_advanced.png?alt=media&#x26;token=9018ddff-9f91-4209-9b3b-2c65eba56f79" alt="" width="410"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

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### Step 4 — Save the Changes

Click **Save** to apply the new schedule settings.

Once enabled, it may take 1-2 backup jobs to:

* Complete the backup and locate expired data
* Run the retention policy
* Remove any old backup data according to your configured retention rules