1. What is Google Vault?
Google Vault is a cloud-based archiving, data retention and eDiscovery tool provided as part of Google Workspace (formerly G Suite). It helps organizations manage, retain, search, and export their data for compliance, legal, and regulatory needs, making it essential for compliance and risk management. Google Vault covers Gmail, Google Drive (including shared drives), Google Chat, Google Meet, and other Workspace apps.
2. License requirements
For Google Vault to effectively search and retain a user’s data, that user must possess both a Google Workspace license and a specific Google Vault license. Vault licenses are either natively included with certain Google Workspace editions, such as Business Plus, Enterprise, and Education editions, or they can be purchased as add-on licenses. Only users explicitly assigned a Vault license are covered by its data management capabilities. If a user or a required license is deleted, their data may be irreversibly purged and become unavailable to Vault.
2.A.Vault licenses included
- Frontline Standard
- Business Plus
- Enterprise Standard and Enterprise Plus
- All Education editions
- Enterprise Essentials and Enterprise Essentials Plus (domain-verified only)
- G Suite Business
2.B.How licensing works
- If your Google Workspace plan includes Vault, every user in the organization automatically gets a Vault license.
- If Vault is offered as an add-on, you can purchase licenses for specific users or for the entire organization.
- Only users who have an active Vault license are protected and their data is stored in Vault.
- Deleting a user or removing their Vault license may cause their data to be permanently deleted and no longer retrievable in Vault.
3. What is Google Vault for?
- Archiving – Google Vault allows administrators to create retention rules that control the length of time that data is stored before being deleted from user accounts and Google’s systems.
- Legal Holds – Administrators can place a hold on individual users to ensure their data is retained as long as required for legal purposes.
- Search – Google’s powerful search capabilities can be used on all data within an organisation’s domain; by user account, date, file type or keyword.
- Export – All data can be exported from Google Vault for further processing and external use.
- Audit Reports – These reports can be used to find out about the particular actions users have taken during a specific time period.
Google Vault: Key Features for Archiving, eDiscovery, and Compliance
3.A. Retention and Archiving
The first step for a Super Admin in Vault is setting up retention rules. These rules ensure data is preserved for a defined period, regardless of user actions.
- Even if employees delete files or emails and clear their trash, the data is still stored in Vault until the retention period expires.
- Organizations can meet regulatory and internal compliance standards by keeping records as long as required.
This makes retention policies a must-have for legal and business continuity.
3.B. Legal Holds
Sometimes, organizations need to protect data indefinitely due to lawsuits, investigations, or audits. This is where legal holds come in.
- Admins can apply legal holds to specific users or content.
- Once applied, the hold overrides all retention policies.
- Data remains preserved until the legal hold is manually lifted.
This ensures that important information is always available when needed for litigation or compliance reviews.
3.C. Search/ eDiscovery (Electronic Discovery)
One of the most powerful features of Google Vault is search and eDiscovery.
- Admins can search across Gmail, Google Drive, Google Chat, and other Workspace apps.
- Filters include user accounts, date ranges, keywords, file names, file types, and content.
- Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT) make queries highly specific.
- Saved searches help speed up repeated investigations.
- Results update dynamically to include new data matching the criteria.
This makes Vault an indispensable tool for investigations, compliance audits, and HR inquiries.
4.D. Exporting Data
Once data is identified, Vault provides an export function to extract it for further processing.
- Exported packages include metadata that proves the data is authentic and unchanged.
- The export ensures legal defensibility during court cases or compliance checks.
- Data can be analyzed with third-party tools for deeper insights.
Supported export formats:
- PST (Outlook format)
- MBOX (email archives)
- XML
- CSV
- Print to PDF or save directly to Google Drive
4.E.Why Google Vault Matters
Google Vault isn’t a backup tool—it’s a compliance and governance solution. For any organization facing strict data retention laws, ongoing audits, or potential litigation, Vault provides peace of mind by ensuring that critical business data is searchable, retrievable, and defensible.
By using features like retention, legal holds, search, and export, companies can reduce risks, stay compliant, and maintain control over their information lifecycle.
5Google Vault Core Functionalities at a Glance
| Functionality | Purpose | Key Characteristic |
|---|---|---|
| Retain | Information Governance | Time-bound or indefinite; ensures compliance |
| Hold | Legal Preservation | Indefinite; overrides retention rules |
| Search | Data Identification | Keyword, date, user filtering; previews data |
| Export | Data Collection | Exports data + metadata; for external analysis |
6. Google Vault Usage Limits: What You Need to Know
Google Vault is a powerful tool for archiving, eDiscovery, and compliance within Google Workspace. However, understanding its usage limits is crucial for efficient operation and to avoid service disruptions. In this guide, we’ll explore the key usage limits of Google Vault to help you manage your organization’s data effectively.
6.A.Product Usage Limits
Google Vault imposes certain product usage limits to ensure fair usage and maintain the overall health of the Google Workspace system.
- Active Exports: You can have no more than 20 exports in progress across your organization at any given time.
6.B.API Request Quotas
Google Vault API is a shared service, and to ensure equitable access, the following API request quotas apply:
6.B.1.Read Requests Per Minute Per Project
- Export, Matter, and Saved Query: 120 requests
- Hold: 228 requests
- Long-Running Operation: 300 requests
6.B.2.Write Requests Per Minute Per Project
- Export: 20 requests
- Hold: 60 requests
- Matter Permissions: 30 requests
- Matter: 60 requests
- Saved Query: 45 requests
6.B.3.Search Count Requests Per Minute Per Project
Search Counts: 20 requests
These quotas are designed to ensure that all users have fair access to the Vault API and to protect the overall health of the Google Workspace system.
Best Practices to Manage Usage Limits
7.Conclusion
Understanding and managing the usage limits of Google Vault is essential for maintaining efficient operations and ensuring compliance. By adhering to the product usage limits and API request quotas, and by implementing best practices, you can optimize your organization’s use of Google Vault and avoid potential disruptions.
FAQs About Google Vault
1. What is Google Vault?
Google Vault is a cloud-based tool within Google Workspace designed for archiving emails and files, eDiscovery, legal compliance, and data retention. It helps organizations preserve, search, and export critical business data securely.
2. Is Google Vault a backup solution?
No. Google Vault is not a backup tool. Its purpose is compliance, archiving, eDiscovery, and data governance, not file recovery.
3. What are the key features of Google Vault?
- Retention Policies: Keep data for a defined period, even if users delete it.
- Legal Holds: Preserve data indefinitely for lawsuits or audits.
- eDiscovery and Advanced Search: Find data across Gmail, Drive, Chat, and Groups.
- Export Data: Extract data in PST, MBOX, XML, CSV, or PDF formats.
- Compliance Management: Ensure your organization meets regulatory requirements.
4. What are the limitations of Google Vault?
- Maximum of 20 active exports at a time.
- API request quotas per project (read/write/search limits).
- Each API method consumes specific quota units; exceeding them can result in errors.
- Vault cannot restore deleted files to users’ accounts—it only preserves and exports data.
5. How does Google Vault help with eDiscovery?
Vault allows administrators to search and retrieve emails, files, and chat messages for legal or compliance purposes. Filters like user, date range, keywords, file type, and Boolean operators make searches precise and efficient.
6. Can I archive all my Google Workspace data in Vault?
Vault supports Gmail, Google Drive (Docs, Sheets, Slides), Google Chat, Google Meet recordings, and Google Groups. Some content from third-party apps may not be archived.
7. How long does Vault retain data?
Retention depends on the policies set by administrators. Legal holds override retention rules and preserve data indefinitely until the hold is lifted
8. Can users delete data stored in Vault?
No. Vault preserves data regardless of user deletion, as long as retention rules or legal holds are active.
9. What export options does Google Vault provide?
Vault allows exporting data in multiple formats and All exports include metadata to ensure legal authenticity and integrity.
- PST – For Outlook
- MBOX – Email archives
- CSV – Spreadsheet data
- XML – Metadata
- PDF – Printable copies or saving to Drive
10. How can I avoid hitting Vault usage limits?
- Monitor active exports to stay below 20 simultaneous exports.
- Optimize API usage by combining operations when possible.
- Implement retries with exponential backoff for API requests.
- Conduct regular audits to track Vault usage and quotas.
11. Why is Google Vault important for compliance?
Vault ensures that organizations meet regulatory and legal requirements by preserving emails, files, and chats. Features like retention policies, legal holds, and searchable archives help reduce compliance risks.
