How do I keep electronic records readable as technology changes?

Electronic records depend on software, hardware, and file formats that all change over time. A record you can open today may become unreadable in a decade if the program that created it disappears or the storage media fails. Keeping records readable is an ongoing process, not a one-time task. The goal is to preserve not just the bits, but the ability to render and understand them for as long as the record must be kept.

Choose Durable, Open Formats

Save records in formats that are widely supported, well-documented, and not tied to a single product. Open and standardized formats (for example, PDF/A for documents, plain text or CSV for data, and broadly adopted image and audio standards) are far more likely to remain usable than proprietary or niche formats. When you control how records are created, favor these formats from the start.

Plan for Migration and Refreshing

Two practices protect against obsolescence:

• Migration moves records into current formats before the old ones become unsupported, while preserving content and essential characteristics.
• Refreshing copies records onto new storage media on a regular cycle, before the media degrades or the hardware to read it is gone.

Build these into your retention process so action happens on a schedule rather than after a format is already dead.

Keep Metadata and Context

A readable file is not enough; you also need to know what it is. Capture and retain metadata such as creation date, author, format, and provenance, along with any information needed to interpret the record (units, codes, relationships). For complex or long-lived records, this context is what makes them trustworthy and intelligible later.

Use Standards and Monitor Risk

Lean on recognized guidance rather than reinventing practices. International records and digital-preservation standards describe how to manage records across systems and over time, and national libraries and archives publish format sustainability guidance. Periodically review your holdings for at-risk formats and aging media, and document your preservation decisions.

For more on managing digital records, see the electronic records topic hub.

The fundamentals stay the same: open formats, scheduled migration and refreshing, strong metadata, and standards-based planning keep records readable no matter how the technology shifts.