Managing Social Media

Basics of Managing Social Media Records

• How Long Do Social Media "Likes" Need to Be Kept?
• How Long Do Social Media Posts Need to Be Kept?
  • Examples of Retention for Common Types of Social Media Posts
• Strategies for Managing Social Media Records Retention
• Strategies for Managing Retention of Inappropriate Social Media Comments

Are Social Media Posts Public Records?

YES - If the social media post relates to the conduct of public business (which means it is about the work of the agency), then it is a public record for retention purposes (RCW 40.14.010).

Agency work-related social media posts created or received using a personal device/account are still public records.

Agency Policies

• Information about creating agency policies on social media (including examples) is available from the Municipal Research and Services Center (MRSC):
  • MRSC - Establishing Effective Social Media Policies for your Agency (February 2015) (External Link)

Capture/Retention Tools and Services

• Checklist for Evaluating Records Retention Capabilities in Software
• Municipal Research and Services Center (MRSC) PRA and Records Management Technology Guide (2019) (External Link)

Funding for social media capture software is eligible for a Local Records Technology Tools Grant.

Last Updated: October 2026