How it plays out on a deal
After closing, both sides may need to show what was disclosed and when. The archive is the evidence. Its format matters: a folder of files without the index or the activity record is much less useful than a searchable copy with both included.
Archive terms also carry costs that are easy to miss: a fee for the export, a charge for physical media, or a monthly fee to keep the room online in read-only mode. Agree on the format, timing and price before the deal begins, not when the room is about to close.
What to check in a review or demo
- 1Whether the archive includes the index, the Q&A history and the audit log.
- 2What the archive costs and whether physical media are charged separately.
- 3How long the vendor keeps data after closing and how deletion is confirmed.
Read alongside
- Disclosure scheduleThe attachment to a purchase agreement in which the seller lists exceptions to its representations and warranties, often by referencing documents placed in the data room.
- Version controlRetaining each superseded copy of a file, stamped with who replaced it and when, so it is possible to show later exactly which draft sat in the room on a given day.
- Audit trailThe room's running log of who did what and when.
- Total cost of ownership (TCO)The full cost of a data room over the life of a deal, combining the base price with extensions, overage, extra seats, setup, archive and the internal time spent running it.