A communication apparatus includes a storing unit, a setting unit, a transmitting unit. The storing unit stores the number of transmissions of data to a destination of the data in association with an identifier that identifies the data. The setting unit sets, when the number of transmissions of target data that is data of a target of transmission to the destination reaches a threshold, as alternative data, a combination of the target data and a retaining request for requesting retaining of the target data. The alternative data is data to be transmitted to the destination as an alternative of the target data. The setting unit sets, after transmission of the retaining request, the identifier of the target data as the alternative data. The transmitting unit transmits the alternative data to the destination.