Purging & permanently deleting system records

Learn how to permanently delete system records, including bookings and booking form fields.

Accessing the features mentioned in this article

Where can I find this feature using the top menu?

• Manage > System > Database > Admin > Purge System Records
   

What more do I need to use this feature?

• Admin permissions to manage your account.

There may be times when you need to delete data from your Checkfront account. You undoubtedly have created a series of test bookings to thoroughly test the system. These bookings affect your stats and reporting, so removing the data from your account is essential.

You need to purge the data from the system via the Purge System Records page (Manage > System > Database > Admin > Purge System Records) in your Checkfront dashboard.

Full administrative privileges Only accounts with full administrative privileges can purge data to ensure the safety and integrity of your account data.

You can delete selected data sets from the Purge System Records page. First, check the boxes to the left of the data sets you wish to purge. The available purging data sets depend on the version of Checkfront you're using.

You can also delete past bookings and/or Customer data up to a selected calendar date. Deleting Customer data can improve processing performance and compliance with government data regulations and Customer privacy expectations.

The system selects all data by default, so uncheck All to choose a date from the Before calendar.

Next, enter Your Password to confirm your authority and intentions. Click Purge Records and agree to delete the selected records in the displayed confirmation box.

Purged data cannot be restored Once you have purged data, you cannot restore it. Use with caution and be sure to take a backup (Manage > System > Database > Export) or via the Export Backup option on the Purge System Records page before you continue. Your data cannot be re-imported into your or any other Checkfront account, but you will have the information for external use should you need it.

Counter after a purge doesn't reset Note that, in the case of Booking Form Fields and Email & SMS Notifications, the counter to the right of the record label does not reset to zero after a purge. It does not reset because the counter total includes system and custom fields. System fields cannot be deleted. For example, if the Booking Form Fields total is 25, there are 15 system and 10 custom fields. After a purge, the custom fields no longer exist, and the system resets system fields to their default state. Therefore, the total shows 15.

Deleting an individual booking

If you need to remove an individual booking rather than all bookings in your system, please see Cancelling or Voiding Bookings via Booking Invoices.