Why Is Frigate Event Retention Deleting Clips Too Early?
- Storage full forcing early deletion
- Event retention (retain) set lower than expected
- Separate retention for events vs recordings
Problem Description
Frigate is deleting event recording clips earlier than expected — events from a few days ago no longer have associated video clips, and important detections are lost. This happens when event-level retention is not configured separately from continuous recording retention, or when storage pressure triggers auto-cleanup that overrides retention settings.
Why This Happens in Real Homes
Frigate deleting event clips earlier than expected is usually a storage-versus-retention issue, or a misunderstanding that events and recordings have separate retention settings. Frigate will force-delete the oldest footage when storage runs low regardless of the configured retention, so if the disk fills faster than your retention period, clips vanish early.
Check the event retention (retain) days in your config and confirm they're set as intended, remembering that event retention is distinct from continuous recording retention. Then look at storage: if it's filling up, Frigate cleans up early — free space, add capacity, or reduce bitrate/volume so the footage fits the retention window. Keeping storage below the cleanup threshold is what lets the configured retention actually hold.
Symptoms
- Event clips deleted too early
- Events expire sooner than set
- Event retention not honored
- Clips gone before the retention period
- Event footage deleted early
- Retention shorter than configured
- Events not kept long enough
- Early event deletion
Recognize these? Here's what usually causes it.
Common Causes
- Storage full forcing early deletion
- Event retention (retain) set lower than expected
- Separate retention for events vs recordings
- Mode retaining less (e.g., motion vs all)
- High volume filling storage
- Disk cleanup threshold reached
- Config retain days misconfigured
- Misunderstanding event vs recording retention
Most fixes happen in the first 3 steps.
Do not rely on assumed defaults when using included config fragments.
Tools & Requirements
Step-by-Step Solution
Check your event retention settings in frigate.yml
Frigate has separate retention for recordings and snapshots. Events (clips of detected objects) follow the snapshots and record retention. In frigate.yml: record: retain: default: 10, mode: all. This keeps all recordings for 10 days. For event-specific retention: record: events: retain: default: 30 keeps event recordings for 30 days even if the general recording retention is shorter. If events are disappearing after a few days: the default retention is likely set too low or not configured at the events level.
Verify storage capacity and auto-cleanup behavior
Frigate automatically deletes the oldest recordings when disk usage exceeds a configurable threshold. Check the database: Settings > Storage in the Frigate UI shows current usage per camera. In docker-compose.yml, the /media/frigate volume size limits total storage. If storage fills up: Frigate deletes the oldest recordings first, regardless of retention settings. The retention setting is a maximum, not a guarantee — storage pressure overrides retention. Add more storage or reduce recording quality/resolution to keep events longer.
Separate event and continuous recording retention
A common misconfiguration: setting record: retain: default: 3 (3 days for continuous recording) without setting a longer retention for events. Event clips are part of the recording system — they use the same retain settings unless you override at the events level. Set: record: events: retain: default: 30, mode: motion to keep event clips for 30 days while only keeping 3 days of continuous recording. This dramatically reduces storage needs while preserving the important clips.
Check per-camera and per-object retention overrides
Frigate supports per-camera and per-object-type retention. A camera-level override takes precedence over the global setting. Check if a specific camera has a shorter retention: cameras: front_door: record: retain: default: 5. Also check per-object: record: events: retain: objects: person: 30, car: 7 — this keeps person events for 30 days but car events for only 7. If events for specific object types are disappearing early: an object-level retention override may be set lower than expected.
Review the Frigate database for deleted events
Frigate stores event metadata in its SQLite database (/config/frigate.db) even after the associated recording is deleted. To check when events were deleted: access the Frigate API at http://frigate-ip:5000/api/events?include_thumbnails=0&limit=100 and note the oldest event's start_time. Compare this with your expected retention. If events older than your retention exist in the API but have no associated clip: the recording file was deleted (storage pressure) but the event record remains. Increasing storage is the only solution to keep both the metadata and the actual video.
Quick Solutions
Still having issues? This is usually the deeper cause below.
If this comes back after following these steps, check whether a recent app or firmware update reset a default setting — the fix works, but the setting gets reverted silently.
Retention policy should be validated after every config refactor.
This issue almost always looks more complex than it is — the majority of cases trace back to a single setting, a stale credential, or a default that shipped wrong.
- Storage full forcing early deletion
- Event retention (retain) set lower than expected
- Separate retention for events vs recordings
- Mode retaining less (e.g., motion vs all)
- High volume filling storage
Before you go — try one of these (they fix most cases).
Official Manufacturer Manual
Frigate provides official product documentation through their online manual rather than downloadable PDF. Access setup guides, troubleshooting steps, and product specifications for your Frigate Retention Policy.
Source: docs.frigate.video
Need More Help? Frigate Support
Note: The contact information below connects you directly to Frigate's official customer support team, not Trunetto. They can help with warranty claims, device replacements, and advanced technical issues.
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