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When would you use this?
You have videos hosted on Panopto and you want to make sure they survive any retention plan actions (automatic archiving and/or deletion). This may not be a concern for many videos (see below). This concern may be valid in cases like the following:
- You have video content for a class that is not taught very often
- You have videos that may not be used in a class/program again, but you would like to keep for archival purposes or "just in case." In such cases, Panopto is not an appropriate long-term storage solution, and other options should be pursued. See "Export and Save Outside of Panopto," below.
First, a Word about the Retention Plan
You may not need to worry about your videos being archived/deleted.
Starting in 2023, in response to rising costs across the cloud storage space, a retention plan was initiated for Panopto videos. The retention plan is meant to ensure that limited storage resources are allocated to content that is being actively used. Retention actions will be based on date of last view, and so if your videos continue to be viewed, they will not be subject to retention actions.
In 2026, a logic error resulted in the deletion of some recently-watched videos. This error was quickly recognized and corrected. Going forward, you can have confidence that videos with recent views will not be automatically archived or deleted.
Panopto Video Backup Options:
Export and Save Outside of Panopto (Existing Videos)
You can export video files from Panopto for long-term storage. See the following Panopto guide for guidance on this process: How to Download Video or Audio Streams as MP4s.
Automatically save a Local Copy with the Panopto Desktop Clients (new recordings)
When you us a Panopto desktop Client (Panopto for Windows, Panopto for Mac) to record a video to a folder in a Panopto Cloud (such as a course folder), a copy of the recording is stored locally. In Panopto for Windows, there is an option under Settings>Basic Settings>Systems to "delete recordings once they are uploaded." As of 4/21/2026, there is no similar setting in Panopto for Mac. So that means that if you are using Panopto for Mac, local copies are definitely being stored, and if you are using Panopto for Windows local copies will be stored if the "delete recordings once they are uploaded" box is unchecked.
For more information on how to install and use the Desktop Clients, consult the following Panopto Guides:
For more information about how to configure settings, including setting the local recording folder location see: