Who this is for: Any organization that collects or processes personal data of individuals in the EU or UK.
Goal: Learn what a ROPA is, why it’s essential for GDPR compliance, and how to create and maintain one using Euverify.
1️⃣ What Is a ROPA?
ROPA stands for Record of Processing Activities.
It’s a structured record that explains how your business processes personal data — including what data you collect, why you collect it, who you share it with, where it’s stored, and how long you keep it.
Maintaining a ROPA is a legal requirement under Article 30 of the GDPR for nearly all organizations that process personal data on a regular basis.
It’s one of the key documents regulators will ask for first if they investigate your compliance.
A well-maintained ROPA shows accountability and transparency — two core GDPR principles.
2️⃣ Why Every Business Needs a ROPA
Even small or early-stage companies handle personal data daily — for example:
Website contact forms and newsletter signups
Customer orders and payments
HR or payroll information
Marketing analytics and email lists
Because these are regular processing activities, every organization must maintain a ROPA to document them.
Having this record helps you:
Demonstrate compliance during audits
Track what data you hold and where it’s stored
Identify unnecessary or risky data flows
Manage data subject access requests (DSARs) more easily
3️⃣ What a ROPA Should Contain
Each processing activity in your ROPA should include:
Section | What to Include |
Activity Name | Example: “Customer Orders,” “Email Marketing,” “Employee Records.” |
Purpose of Processing | Why you collect the data — e.g., order fulfilment, marketing, payroll. |
Categories of Data | Types of data — e.g., name, email, IP address, bank details. |
Data Subjects | Who the data belongs to — e.g., customers, employees, suppliers. |
Recipients / Processors | Third parties you share data with — e.g., Shopify, Google, Stripe. |
International Transfers | If data leaves the EU/UK, note where and what safeguards apply (e.g., SCCs). |
Retention Period | How long you keep the data before deletion or anonymisation. |
Security Measures | How you protect it — e.g., encryption, access control, secure backups. |
Tip: Keep your language practical and specific. Avoid generic descriptions — focus on what actually happens in your business.
4️⃣ How to Build Your ROPA in Euverify
You can create or upload your ROPA directly within the GDPR Module.
Option 1 — Upload Your Existing ROPA
If you already have a ROPA document, simply upload it (accepted formats: PDF, DOC, XLSX, CSV).
It will be securely stored and accessible in your dashboard.
Option 2 — Use Euverify’s ROPA Builder
If you don’t yet have one, Euverify will guide you step-by-step through building it.
How it works:
Open your GDPR dashboard → click Create New ROPA.
Answer guided questions about your processing activities.
The system automatically generates a structured, compliant ROPA.
You can edit, add, or remove entries anytime.
Pro tip: Create one ROPA entry for each key activity — e.g., “Customer Orders,” “Email Marketing,” “Recruitment,” “CRM Management.”
5️⃣ How to Keep Your ROPA Up to Date
A ROPA should reflect your current data practices — not what you did months ago.
Whenever your business, systems, or partners change, your ROPA should change too.
Maintenance checklist
Review and update every quarter, or at least annually.
Add new vendors, processors, or marketing tools as soon as you use them.
Update retention periods and data flows if your policies change.
Remove outdated processes (e.g., discontinued campaigns).
Re-generate your ROPA file in Euverify after updates.
Example: If you start using HubSpot or switch from Mailchimp to Klaviyo, record that change immediately in your ROPA.
6️⃣ Why Maintaining Your ROPA Matters
Keeping your ROPA current:
Demonstrates compliance and accountability under GDPR.
Makes audits or regulator requests fast and stress-free.
Improves security awareness inside your team.
Simplifies data subject request handling.
Helps identify outdated or risky processes early.
7️⃣ Common Mistakes to Avoid
❌ Treating the ROPA as a one-time document.
❌ Forgetting to include vendors or cloud tools.
❌ Using vague purposes like “for business operations.”
❌ Leaving out retention periods.
❌ Never reviewing after system or policy changes.