What is zero data retention (ZDR)?

Zero data retention (ZDR) is the claim that an AI endpoint does not keep the prompt, the completion, or other residue of a request after the call finishes.

OpenAI first-party API, default zero data retention: terms and exceptions

Q: What is the ZDR score for OpenAI first-party API, default?

On zdr.dev the published score is ZDR 2.0 (f,h) · B. Abuse logs incl. content <=30d; Responses API stores state 30d (store defaults true); no training. Stateful endpoints retained until deleted; assistants objects indefinitely.

ZDR 2.0 (f,h) · B

Short answer

Abuse logs incl. content <=30d; Responses API stores state 30d (store defaults true); no training. Stateful endpoints retained until deleted; assistants objects indefinitely.

Scope and evidence

Provider	OpenAI
Service	first-party API, default
Lane	API default
Origin	US United States
License	proprietary
Hosting	Provider-hosted
Score	ZDR 2.0 (f,h) · B Bounded retention. Content retained a defined window (<=90d) for abuse monitoring, possibly human-reviewed, then deleted
Evidence	Public documentation reviewed (B: published documentation)
Source-review date	2026-08-24 (registry)

Other lanes for OpenAI

ZDR 1.0 (s,f,r) · Aopenai/api · zdr orgZDR

ZDR 2.0 (f,h) · Bopenai/api · defaultAPI default

Structured breakdown

Default posture: abuse logs incl. content <=30d; Responses API stores state 30d (store defaults true); no training
Exceptions and carve-outs: stateful endpoints retained until deleted; assistants objects indefinitely

Approval and setup path

sales-gated approval; tiers: Modified Abuse Monitoring, ZDR

Flags on this record

f: stateful-feature carve-outs (files, batch, threads, caching, grounding)
h: human review possible

Practical questions for your agreement

Does your signed agreement cover this exact service, model set, and feature path?
Which retention, logging, and human-review exceptions still apply after any ZDR election?
What configuration evidence (flags, project settings, store defaults) confirms the posture you expect?
Do your customer commitments match what the reviewed evidence supports?