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Housekeeping

Delete and recover files

Move files to the Trash, find them there, put them back, or delete them for good.

Archivist Admin Checked in Starchive on October 13, 2026

A file is in the wrong place twice, or not wanted at all: move it to the Trash. Until it is deleted permanently, you can put it back exactly where it was.

Move a file to the Trash

  1. Right-click the file (or one of several selected files) and choose Move to Trash.
  2. The dialog explains that this does not free up any space, but allows you to restore the files in case you change your mind. Click Move 1 file to trash. A message confirms it, 1 file moved to the trash, and the file leaves its folder.
A transcription's file menu has led to the Moving 1 file to the trash dialog: moving does not free up space, and lets you restore the file later. Cancel and Move 1 file to trash.

Find it in the Trash

  1. Click Trash, the bin at the bottom of the left rail’s middle group.
  2. Narrow the list with the filters on the left: Types (Image, Video, Audio, Document, Text, Other, Folder), Collections, AI Tags, Tags, Uploaded by, Uploaded on (After and Before dates) and Custom Fields. A filter stays in the page’s address, so a link keeps it.
The Trash: the Types filter open on Image, Video, Audio, Document, Text, Other and Folder, a Restore all files button, and the one file in the trash, Gettysburg Address (1).docx.

Put it back

  1. Right-click the file and choose Restore, then Restore 1 file. A message confirms it, 1 file restored successfully, and the file is back in its folder.
The trashed file's menu: Expand, Pin, Add to Collection, Download as, Copy name, and at the bottom Restore and Delete permanently.
The Restoring 1 file dialog: the file will be available again for editing, sharing and other actions. Cancel and Restore 1 file.
  1. To put everything back at once, click Restore all files above the list, then Restore all.

Delete it for good

  1. Right-click the file in the Trash and choose Delete permanently. The dialog says how much space this frees and warns: This action is irreversible—proceed with caution. Click Permanently delete 1 file only when you are sure.

Good to know

  • There is no Undo in the message after Move to Trash: open the Trash and use Restore.
  • A trashed file’s menu also offers Expand, Pin, Add to Collection…, Download as… and Copy name, and its details pane still shows its folder path, tags and custom fields.
  • A list of everything in the Trash can be exported to a CSV file from Settings → Import & Export → Export trash; see Import and export.
This page's files

Declaration of Independence.txt was moved to the Trash from Papers › Founding Documents › Transcriptions and restored: it came back to the same folder with its tag and field values. The Trash in the screenshots holds Gettysburg Address (1).docx, a second copy of a transcription uploaded and trashed for this guide; it stays there. Delete permanently and Restore all were opened and cancelled, not carried out.

Questions

Does moving files to the Trash free up space?

No. As the dialog says, a file in the Trash still takes its space; only Delete permanently frees it.

Where does a restored file go?

Back into the folder it was trashed from, with its tags and custom field values.

Can I undo Delete permanently?

No. The dialog warns that it is irreversible.