Panopto has the ability to categorize videos into two levels – stored and archived. 

Stored videos: Videos that are actively being used/played and are available right away.  Think of this as a "refrigerator".   

Archived videos: Videos that are not actively available but can be restored from the archive and played within 24-48 hours.  Think of this as a "freezer".  

Deleted videos: Videos that are moved out of archive and deleted. Think of this as "freezer burnt/expired items going into trash"

 To learn more please watch the Workshop video about the archive process (15 mins):

                   

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The following retention policy has been in place since September 1, 2022:  

• Videos that have not been viewed within a 18-month window will be moved into the archive (i.e., freezer) at the end of each semester. 
• Videos that have been sitting in archive for more than two years will be deleted on a yearly basis. 

Please find below the approximate dates for when the 18 month archive retention action will occur:

At the end of the Fall 2024 semester on Wednesday, December 11, 2024

At the end of the Spring 2025 semester on Thursday, May 15, 2025

At the end of the Summer 2025 semester on Wednesday, August 13, 2025

Note: After they are moved to the archive, they will be available to view if needed after a 24-48 hour "thaw".

After archiving, these videos can be reactivated, downloaded to an external storage device of choice, or deleted. 

Please find below the approximate dates for the 2 year delete action will occur:

After 2 years (for this initial round – August 1, 2025), if they remain in archive and have not been viewed in 2 years, they will be deleted. 

Effective August 1, 2025, all videos that have been sitting in archive for more than 2 years (ie. archived 2 or 3 years ago) will be permanently removed from Panopto.   Instructors are responsible for backing up their videos.

Please keep in mind that because instructional materials are the intellectual property of the instructor, video backups are also the responsibility of the instructor.  

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VIDEO DELETION:

Steps that can be taken before the deletion process:

• Find out which videos are slated for deletion - How do I determine which archived videos are marked for deletion?
• Leave the ones you don't need.
• Take the videos you'd like to keep out of archive - How to bulk "unarchive" Panopto videos

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VIDEO END OF SEMESTER ARCHIVE:
Steps that can be taken before the end of semester archive process:
  

 - Play the video:  If you have videos you wish to remain active that haven’t been viewed for 18 months, you can keep them from going into the archive "freezer" by playing them.  Then they will not be subject to the retention policy.   

- Make a copy of the video: If you would like to keep a copy of your videos on a device of your choice - Panopto Video Backup Instructions  

- Download the video: If you would like to download a copy of your videos on a device of your choice - How to Download a Panopto Video  

- Delete the video:  If you would like to clean up your video repository you can delete videos - Panopto Video Delete instructions

To recall a video once archived: 

If you click on an archived video (see screenshot), the process will begin to "defrost" the video which may require 48 hours to retrieve for viewing.  When this process is complete, the video will be playable.  If you have videos embedded in your class, to assure students can view them as needed and are not in the archive, please make sure to play them ahead of time.  Students can also request videos to be taken out of archive however, they need to be authenticated into Panopto (clicking on Panopto, then launch) before clicking on the video.  

More information about restoring archive videos: How to Restore Archived Content   

For further assistance, please email id@rwu.edu