> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.ryft.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Orphan File Cleanup

> Automatically scan for and remove unreferenced Iceberg files left by failed ingestion or expired snapshots. Reduces storage costs safely.

Iceberg tables can accumulate "orphan files" - files that are no longer necessary for the proper functioning of the table but remain in storage, leading to increased costs over time.
Common causes of orphan files include:

* Files that are no longer referenced by any table snapshot.
* Files that were written to storage but not committed due to ingestion failures.
* Other scenarios where unreferenced data persists in storage.

**Orphan File Cleanup** periodically scans and removes orphan files from the table, helping to reduce storage costs.
This process does not affect any data associated with the table.