Delete Attachments Sent as Links
Delete Attachments Sent as Links is a Setup feature that controls whether file attachments sent as download links in Salesforce emails are automatically deleted after a specified period.
Definition
Delete Attachments Sent as Links is a Setup feature that controls whether file attachments sent as download links in Salesforce emails are automatically deleted after a specified period. This helps organizations manage storage usage and comply with data retention policies by removing temporary file links.
In plain English
“Here's a simple way to think about it: Delete Attachments Sent as Links puts a clock on the temporary file copies Salesforce creates when emails ship attachments as download links. Without it, every emailed attachment becomes a permanent storage row no one will click again.”
Worked example
The admin at FinServe Bank configures Delete Attachments Sent as Links to remove shared file links after 30 days. When an advisor emails a portfolio statement to a client as a download link, the link remains active for 30 days and then the temporary attachment is deleted, helping the bank comply with data retention policies and free up storage.
Why Delete Attachments Sent as Links keeps storage from bloating with stale email content
When Salesforce sends an email with an attachment too large to embed, it converts the file into a download link that points back to a temporary stored copy. Useful for delivery, but inert as a storage strategy - without retention, every "send this 10MB PDF" turns into a permanent 10MB row in your file storage that no one will ever click again. Delete Attachments Sent as Links is the toggle that puts those copies on a clock.
The reason to enable it is that file storage in Salesforce has cost and limits, and link-based attachments tend to accumulate invisibly - they're not in any user's Files tab, not surfaced on records, just hanging on as orphan rows. Set the retention window long enough that a recipient who clicks within the realistic window still gets the file (typically 14-30 days), and short enough that storage doesn't turn into a graveyard.
How organizations use Delete Attachments Sent as Links
Set 30-day retention; recovered 200 GB of stale link-attachment storage in the first quarter without breaking any active business workflow.
Operations enabled retention as part of storage-cleanup project; cost savings on file storage funded other engineering work.
Compliance pairs the retention setting with archival policies - short retention here, long retention in the e-discovery archive.
Test your knowledge
Q1. What is the primary benefit of Delete Attachments Sent as Links for Salesforce administrators?
Q2. Why is understanding Delete Attachments Sent as Links important for Salesforce admins?
Q3. Can a Salesforce admin configure Delete Attachments Sent as Links without writing code?
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