---
title: Retainers (Data)
keywords: retainers, data view, retainer list, filtering retainers, retainer details, pre-paid services, retainer periods, retainer type, retainer status, manage retainers, retainer tracking
summary: Viewing, filtering and managing retainer records in the Data section, including the retainers list view, its columns and filters, and the retainer detail view for tracking pre-paid service agreements.
url: /data/retainer
---

# Retainers (Data)

The **Retainers** view in the Data section provides a centralized place to see all retainers across your firm. This is where you view, filter, and manage retainer records that represent pre-paid service agreements with clients.

## What You'll See

The retainers list shows all retainers with key information at a glance:

![Retainers list view with filters and retainer entries showing names, clients, dates, and amounts](../screenshots/retainers-list-view.png)

## Understanding the Columns

The retainers list displays these key columns:

- **No.** — The unique retainer number
- **Retainer name** — The name or title of the retainer
- **Description** — Additional details about the retainer (shows "No description" when empty)
- **Client** — The client associated with this retainer
- **Projects** — The projects the retainer covers
- **Owner** — The user responsible for the retainer
- **Retainer periods type** — How periods are defined: Single period, Custom periods, Weekly, Monthly (calendar month), Monthly (rolling), Annually (calendar year), or Annually (rolling)
- **Start date** — When the retainer begins
- **End date** — When the retainer ends (shown as "-" when there is no end date)
- **Amount** — The amount or number of hours included **per period**
- **Retainer type** — Fixed amount per period or fixed hours per period
- **Subject to VAT** — Whether VAT applies to the retainer (shown as a check icon)
- **Closed** — The date the retainer was closed (empty while the retainer is active)

Amounts are totalled at the bottom of the **Amount** column.

### Optional Columns

Some columns appear only when at least one retainer uses that information, so your list may show more columns than the list above:

- **Labels** — Appears when at least one retainer has labels attached
- **Product number** — Appears when any retainer has a product number set
- **Buyer reference number** — Appears when any retainer has a buyer reference number set. This column is shown on the main **Retainers** list but not in this Data view.

These optional columns appear between **Owner** and **Retainer periods type**, in the order Labels, Buyer reference number, Product number.

## Filtering Retainers

Use the filters at the top to narrow down your view:

- **Quick filter** — Search by retainer name, description, or client
- **Client** — Show retainers for specific clients
- **Project** — Filter by project
- **User** — Show retainers owned by specific users (placeholder "All owners")
- **Retainer periods type** — Filter by period frequency (Monthly, Weekly, etc.)
- **Retainer type** — Show fixed amount or fixed hours retainers
- **Label** — Filter by retainer label (appears when retainer labels have been defined)
- **Retainer period** — Filter by time period (All time, Last 12 months, and other ranges)

## Working with Retainers

**Viewing Details**

Click on a retainer number to open its full record in a dialog. The detail view is grouped into these sections:

- **General** — Period type, amount, start and end dates, status (Active, Inactive or Closed), projects covered, language and owner
- **Description** — Shown only when the retainer has a description
- **Pricing** — Retainer type, and how billables that exceed the retainer and unused retainer amounts are handled
- **Billing** — Client, VAT, invoice date, invoice comment, automated invoicing, buyer reference number and buyer contact details
- **Retainer flow** — A chart of the retainer amount, used amount and accumulated unused amount over time
- **Accumulated unbilled** — A period-by-period table with retainer amount, used billables, exceeding retainer, unused retainer, accumulated unused, total due, total billed and balance
- **Billables breakdown** — The billables for each period in terms of quantity
- **Effective hourly rate** — The calculated effective hourly rate per period (for retainers that are not fixed hours)

From the detail view you can also open the **Work report**, **Edit invoice automation**, and **Edit retainer** links.

**Sorting**

Click a column header to sort the list by that column (ascending or descending). The **Projects** column is not sortable. By default, the list is sorted by **End date**, with the most recent first.

**Exporting**

Click the **Export** button and choose **Download as Excel spreadsheet** to download the retainer data for reporting or analysis. The file contains all retainers that match the current filters and sorting.

## Common Tasks

**Find a Specific Retainer**

Use the Quick filter to search by name, or use the Client dropdown to filter by client.

**See Retainers for a Project**

Use the Project filter to show only retainers that apply to that project.

**Review Upcoming Expirations**

Sort by End date to see which retainers are expiring soon.

**Check VAT Status**

The Subject to VAT column shows whether VAT applies to each retainer for accounting purposes.

## Best Practices

**Regularly Review Balances** — Check the retainers list periodically to see which retainers are nearing exhaustion.

**Track by Owner** — Use the User filter to see which team members manage each retainer.

**Monitor Periods** — Keep track of when periods renew to ensure continuous coverage for clients.

**Export for Reporting** — Use the Export feature to create management reports on retainer utilization.

## See Also

- [Retainers](../clients/retainer.md)
- [Project Retainer Coverage](../projects/project-retainer-coverage.md)
- [Clients (Data)](clients.md)