---
title: "Sarbacane Engage: everything you need to know about the collection date of your contacts"
description: "The collection date of contacts is crucial information in Sarbacane Engage. It indicates the moment when you collected the details of prospects such as..."
url: https://help.sarbacane.com/en/articles/231-sarbacane-engage-everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-collection-date-of-your-contacts
updated: 2026-05-19
language: en
alternates: [fr, es]
---

# Sarbacane Engage: everything you need to know about the collection date of your contacts

The collection date of contacts is crucial information in Sarbacane Engage. It indicates the moment when you collected the details of prospects such as...

The contact collection date is crucial information in Sarbacane Engage. It indicates the moment when you collected the details of prospects such as their last name, first name, and email address. Understanding how this date is associated with your contacts when they are created is essential for effective use of the platform.

## How does Sarbacane Engage associate a collection date with a contact? 

### Manual creation 

When you create a contact manually (refer to the article Create a contact manually), the collection date will be the date on which the contact is created.

### Use of the Connect extension

The same rule applies when you create a contact via the Connect extension (see the article Create a contact on LinkedIn via Connect).

### Importing a CSV file 

When creating contacts via the import of a CSV file (see the article Create contacts via the import of a CSV file), you have the option to indicate a collection date directly in the file. To do this, add a collectedAt column in the last position and specify a date in the dd/mm/yyyy format for each contact. During the import step, link this column to the collectedAt variable.

## Impact on the use of Sarbacane Engage

### During CSV import

The collection date cannot be more than 30 days earlier than the import date. If it exceeds this limit, the software will offer, at the final step of the import, to adjust it accordingly, suggesting by default the import date.

### Managing contacts over time:

In accordance with the GDPR, you can set the automatic deletion of contacts in your Settings, GDPR tab. You can activate this option for contacts with a specific status, and all contacts with this status will be deleted X days after their collection date, where X is the number of days you have chosen.

## Special case

If a contact changes to a status subject to automatic deletion and the defined period is shorter than the time elapsed since the status change, the contact will be deleted at 11:59 p.m. on the day of the status change.

The collection date is an essential piece of data in Sarbacane Engage, influencing the management of your contacts and their retention period. By understanding how it is associated with your contacts and by using the automatic deletion settings intelligently, you ensure compliant use in accordance with regulations and optimal management of your interactions with prospects.