By default, this playbook configures the [Synapse](https://github.com/element-hq/synapse) Matrix server, so that it works for the general case. If that's okay, you can skip this document.
💡 See this page for details about maintaining Synapse: [Synapse maintenance](maintenance-synapse.md)
💡 See this page for details about configuring Synapse: [Configuring Synapse](configuring-playbook-synapse.md)
## Purging old data with the Purge History API
You can use the **[Purge History API](https://github.com/element-hq/synapse/blob/master/docs/admin_api/purge_history_api.md)** to delete old messages on a per-room basis. **This is destructive** (especially for non-federated rooms), because it means **people will no longer have access to history past a certain point**.