# Recover an old execution (April 16, 2026) on n8n Cloud – is it possible? **URL:** \ **Category:** Questions\ **Tags:** bug:unconfirmed\ **Created:** [September 28, 2026, 7:41am UTC](https://community.n8n.io/t/recover-an-old-execution-april-16-2026-on-n8n-cloud-is-it-possible/317195 "2026-09-28T07:41:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Charlotte-N8N](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/n8n/user_avatar/community.n8n.io/charlotte-n8n/32/190131_2.png) [@Charlotte-N8N](https://community.n8n.io/u/Charlotte-N8N)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2026, 7:41am UTC](https://community.n8n.io/t/recover-an-old-execution-april-16-2026-on-n8n-cloud-is-it-possible/317195/1 "2026-09-28T07:41:23Z")
Hello, I’m trying to find a past execution of one of my workflows, that ran on April 16, 2026. The workflow is triggered by a form submission and generate 2 different PDF documents that are used in a Klaviyo email. In the Executions tab, the oldest executions I can see only go back to around late September 2026. Using the date filter for April 2026 returns nothing. I understand n8n Cloud applies a retention period depending on the plan, so this execution has probably been deleted. But I’d like to know: - Is there any way to recover an execution that is past the retention period ? - Has anyone already asked n8n support for this kind of recovery, and was it successful? Thanks a lot for your help! ---
**Author:** ![Lopez](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/n8n/user_avatar/community.n8n.io/lopez/32/192785_2.png) [@Lopez](https://community.n8n.io/u/Lopez)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2026, 7:46am UTC](https://community.n8n.io/t/recover-an-old-execution-april-16-2026-on-n8n-cloud-is-it-possible/317195/2 "2026-09-28T07:46:39Z")
Hi @Charlotte-N8N Unfortunately no. n8n Cloud deletes old executions once you pass your plan’s limit, either the retention time (7 days on Starter, 30 on Pro) or the max execution count, whichever comes first. It’s a delete, not an archive, so support is unlikely to recover a single run. > **[Manage your data | Deploy | n8n Docs](https://docs.n8n.io/deploy/use-n8n-cloud/configure-cloud/manage-your-data)** > > How to manage your data on n8n Cloud. Your best bet is Klaviyo: open the recipient’s profile activity for April 16. The event n8n sent should still be there with the properties you passed, like PDF links or form values. If the PDFs were uploaded somewhere (Drive, S3, a PDF service), check there too. Going forward, save the form data and PDF links to a Data Table or Google Sheet, so you’re not relying on execution history. ---
**Author:** ![daniel\_Samuel](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/n8n/user_avatar/community.n8n.io/daniel_samuel/32/141401_2.png) [@daniel\_Samuel](https://community.n8n.io/u/daniel_Samuel)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2026, 12:28pm UTC](https://community.n8n.io/t/recover-an-old-execution-april-16-2026-on-n8n-cloud-is-it-possible/317195/3 "2026-09-28T12:28:47Z")
The answer given by @Lopez is 100% correct. The Bottom Line Once a workflow execution is deleted from n8n Cloud, it is gone forever. n8n Support cannot recover it. n8n uses a hard-delete system to free up database space based on your plan’s limits: Starter plan: Kept for 7 days (or up to 2,500 runs). Pro plan: Kept for 30 days (or up to 25,000 runs). Since April is well past those windows, that history no longer exists on their servers. What to do instead The supporter’s workarounds are your best bet: Check Klaviyo: Log into Klaviyo and look up the recipient’s profile activity from April 16. The metadata or payload sent by n8n should still be visible in their event history. Check Cloud Storage: If your workflow uploaded those PDFs to Google Drive, AWS S3, or a similar service, look for the file creation dates directly in those accounts. Pro-tip for the future: Never rely on n8n’s execution history for auditing data. Always add a step in your workflow to log important form data and file links into a Google Sheet or an external database. ---
**Author:** ![anon62995422](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7cd45c/32.png) [@anon62995422](https://community.n8n.io/u/anon62995422)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2026, 12:44pm UTC](https://community.n8n.io/t/recover-an-old-execution-april-16-2026-on-n8n-cloud-is-it-possible/317195/4 "2026-09-28T12:44:59Z")
Hi @Charlotte-N8N, Unfortunately, execution data past your plan’s retention period cannot be recovered. Once the retention limit (or max execution count) is reached, n8n Cloud permanently deletes the execution data rather than archiving it, so support won’t be able to restore it. However, you can still retrieve your missing data through these alternative steps: 1. **Check Klaviyo Activity:** Open the recipient’s profile activity in Klaviyo for April 16. The event log sent by n8n should still contain the payload data, including form submission properties or generated PDF links. 2. **Check Storage/PDF Services:** If your PDFs were uploaded or saved to external storage (like Google Drive, AWS S3, or a PDF API service), check those accounts directly. **Pro-tip for the future:** To avoid loss of data due to execution retention limits, consider saving form submissions and document links directly to a database, Data Table, or Google Sheet within your workflow logic.