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Overview

With storage renewal you can extend the duration of your existing uploads before they expire, ensuring your files remain accessible on IPFS.

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Why Renewal Matters

When you upload files with Keep, you specify a storage duration (e.g., 30 days). After this period:
  • Files expire and are marked for deletion
  • You receive an email (only if you provide it) warning 7 days before expiration
  • Expired files are automatically removed from Storacha
  • Data is permanently lost unless renewed
Renewal prevents data loss by extending the expiration date.

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How Renewal Works

1

Select File to Renew

From your upload history, choose a file that you want to extend
2

Check Current Expiration

View the current expiration date and days remaining
3

Choose Extension Duration

Select how many additional days to add (7, 30, 90, or custom)
4

Get New Cost Estimation

See the renewal cost based on file size and extension duration
5

Pay for Renewal

Sign a transaction with your Solana wallet to pay for the extension
6

New Expiration Set

The file’s expiration date is updated immediately

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Cost Calculation

Renewal costs are calculated similarly to initial uploads: 
Renewal Cost (SOL) = (File Size in MB × Additional Days × Base Rate) + Transaction Fee
The cost is proportional to:
  • How large the file is
  • How many days you’re adding
You can get a cost quote before committing using the getStorageRenewalCost SDK method.

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When to Renew

You should consider renewing when:

Email Warning

You receive an expiration warning (7 days before)

Active Monitoring

You check your upload history and see files approaching expiration

Long-Term Storage

You know you’ll need the files for an extended period

Critical Data

The files are important and shouldn’t be lost

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Renewal vs Re-Upload

You might wonder: why not just re-upload the file? Renewal Advantages:
  • Keeps the same CID: Links to your file remain valid
  • No re-upload needed: Saves bandwidth and time
  • Preserves history: Maintains the original upload transaction record
  • Faster: Just a payment transaction, no file transfer
Re-Upload Disadvantages:
  • New CID: Old links break
  • Bandwidth cost: No need to upload the file again
  • History fragmentation: Looks like a new file, not an extension
Renewal is almost always the better choice for extending storage of existing files.

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Payment Flow

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Email Notifications

Keep sends automatic email reminders to help you avoid data loss:
1

7 Days Before

First warning email with expiration date
2

Expiration Day

Final notification that files will be deleted soon
Email notifications only work if you provided an email address during the initial upload.

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Multiple Renewals

You can renew a file multiple times: 
Initial Upload: 30 days → Expires Feb 1
First Renewal: +30 days → Expires Mar 3
Second Renewal: +90 days → Expires Jun 1
Each renewal:
  • Adds to the current expiration date
  • Creates a new transaction record
  • Costs based on the extension duration

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Renewal Audit Trail

All renewals are tracked:
  • Permanent record on Solana
  • Transaction signature
  • Payment amount
  • Timestamp
This creates a complete history of your file’s storage lifecycle.

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Limitations

Cannot renew deleted files: Once a file has been deleted after expiration, it cannot be renewed. You would need to re-upload it.
Other limitations:
  • Minimum extension: 7 days (we’re looking into making this flexible. So, do not fret.)
  • Must have sufficient SOL in wallet
  • Can only renew your own uploads
  • Cannot renew before initial upload completes

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Best Practices

Always provide an email when uploading important files so you get expiration warnings.
Don’t wait until the last day. Renew at least 3-5 days before expiration to avoid last-minute issues.
If you have multiple files expiring soon, renew them in one session to save time.
If you know you’ll need the file long-term, renew for 90+ days to reduce transaction frequency.

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SDK Example

Quick example of renewing storage programmatically: 
import { useDeposit } from 'storacha-sol';

const client = useDeposit('testnet');

// Get renewal cost quote
const quote = await client.getStorageRenewalCost(cid, 30); // 30 additional days

console.log(`Current expiration: ${quote.currentExpirationDate}`);
console.log(`New expiration: ${quote.newExpirationDate}`);
console.log(`Cost: ${quote.costInSOL} SOL`);

// Proceed with renewal
const result = await client.renewStorageDuration({
  cid,
  additionalDays: 30,
  payer: publicKey,
  signTransaction
});

if (result.success) {
  console.log('Renewal successful!');
}

SDK Reference

View complete renewal API documentation