# Archive, delete and restore

*Put blocks and prompts away with Archive, delete them, bring them back, or delete them for good.*

Online version: https://promptmason.ai/docs/archive-and-delete

When you no longer need a block, prompt or document, you can archive it or delete it. Neither is final straight away:

- **Archive** puts an item away until you bring it back. It stays in the archive for as long as you like.
- **Delete** moves an item to **Recently deleted**, where you can restore it for 30 days. After that it's gone for good.

Both are on the **Archive** screen: click **Archive** in the sidebar, or press Ctrl+6. It has two tabs, **Archived** and **Recently deleted**.

## Archive or delete?

| | Archive | Delete |
|---|---|---|
| Where it goes | The **Archived** tab | The **Recently deleted** tab |
| How long it's kept | Until you restore or delete it | 30 days |
| Shows on Blocks, Prompts, Explorer, Build and in search | No (Home search lists it under **Archive**) | No |
| Dynamic prompts that use the block | Still include its text, and mark it **Archived** | Show **[Block removed: name]** with a warning, until you restore the block or take it out of the prompt |
| Counts toward the Free plan's limits | Yes | No |

Archive a block that prompts still use but you don't want in your lists. Delete what you don't need any more. On the Free plan, deleting is how you make room: archived items still count toward the 25 blocks and 15 prompts.

## Archive or delete an item

1. On the **Blocks**, **Prompts** or **Explorer** screen, right-click the item.
2. Click **Delete**.
3. In the window that asks **Remove …?**, click **Archive** or **Delete** (**Delete for everyone** in a team library).

    ![The Remove window with Archive and Delete choices and a note that dynamic prompts use the block.](https://promptmason.ai/images/docs/archive-and-delete-remove-window.webp)

You can also open the item on the **Blocks** or **Prompts** screen and press the Delete key. To remove several items, tick their boxes and click **Delete** in the bar above the list; one window then covers them all.

If any Dynamic prompts use the block, the window warns you and lists them, for example **Used by 2 dynamic prompts.** It says what each choice does to them. See [Archive or delete?](#archive-or-delete).

Deleting a folder deletes what's in it too: its blocks and prompts go to **Recently deleted**, but the folders themselves can't be restored. See [Delete a folder](https://promptmason.ai/docs/folders#delete-a-folder).

## Bring back an archived item

1. Click **Archive** in the sidebar.
2. On the **Archived** tab, find the item. Type in **Search archived…** to search by name, type or kind.

    ![The Archive screen on its Archived tab, listing an archived block and an archived prompt with a Restore button for each.](https://promptmason.ai/images/docs/archive-and-delete-archive-tab.webp)

3. Click **Restore** on its row.

The item goes back into its lists, in the folder it was in.

To restore several, tick their boxes and click **Restore** in the bar above the list. A line above the list confirms it, for example **Restored 3 items.**

The **Archived** tab lists the newest archived first, with each item's kind, type, **Original location** and the date it was **Archived**. You can still change an archived item's heart and stars here. The sidebar's **Favorites & Rating** filter applies to this tab.

## Delete from the archive

- **One item:** click **Delete** on its row, then **Delete** to confirm.
- **Several:** tick their boxes, click **Delete** in the bar above the list, then **Delete**.
- **Everything:** click **Empty archive**, then **Empty archive** to confirm. This includes items your search or filters are hiding; the window says how many.

These all move items to **Recently deleted**, where you can restore them for 30 days.

To select items across pages, tick the box in the heading row to select the page, then click **Select all [n]** to select every match.

## Restore a deleted item

1. Click **Archive** in the sidebar, then the **Recently deleted** tab.
2. Find the item. Type in **Search recently deleted…** to search by name.

    ![The Archive screen on its Recently deleted tab, listing two deleted items with the date deleted, the date they can be restored until, and a Restore button.](https://promptmason.ai/images/docs/archive-and-delete-recently-deleted-tab.webp)

3. Click **Restore** on its row.

The item comes back for you (and, in a team library, for everyone). It returns to the folder it was in, or to no folder if that folder was deleted. A prompt's embedded blocks come back with it.

To restore several, tick their boxes and click **Restore** in the bar above the list.

The **Restorable until** column shows the last day you can restore each item. Items past that date are removed the next time you start PromptMason.

On the Free plan, restoring counts like creating a new item. If it would take you over 25 blocks or 15 prompts, the **Free plan limit** message opens and the item stays in **Recently deleted**. Delete something else for good first, or see [Plans and limits](https://promptmason.ai/docs/plans).

## Delete for good

Deleting for good removes an item with its versions, comments, expected output and attached files. **This can't be undone.** If you might need the item later, [export your library](https://promptmason.ai/docs/export-import) first.

To delete some items for good:

1. Click **Archive** in the sidebar, then the **Recently deleted** tab.
2. Tick the box on each item.
3. Click **Delete forever** in the bar above the list.
4. Click **Delete forever** to confirm.

To delete everything in Recently deleted for good, click **Empty Recently deleted**, then **Empty Recently deleted** to confirm. This includes items your search is hiding.

Afterwards a line above the list says how many were deleted, for example **Deleted 4 items forever.**

Only the PromptMason app on your PC can delete for good. Connected AI apps and the Chrome extension can't.

## In a team library

Archive and delete work differently in a [team library](https://promptmason.ai/docs/team-libraries), because everyone shares the same items:

- **Archive** puts the item away for everyone in the library. Anyone who can edit the library can bring it back.
- **Delete** is labeled **Delete for everyone**. It removes the item for everyone. Only a library owner can restore it from **Recently deleted**, for 30 days.
- On the **Recently deleted** tab, an item you can't restore shows **Only an owner can restore**, and its box can't be ticked.
- **Delete forever** removes a team item from your PC only. Your teammates keep their own copies in **Recently deleted** until the 30 days are up.

| Message | What to do |
|---|---|
| **You can view this library but not change it. Ask a library owner for edit access.** | You can only view this library, so you can't archive or delete its items. Ask the library's primary owner. |
| **Only a library owner can restore deleted items.** | Ask an owner of the library to restore it. |
| **2 items that only a library owner can delete will stay.** (or another number) | Shown before you empty Recently deleted. Those items stay; an owner of their library can delete them. |
| **Only a library owner can delete 2 of these forever.** (or another number) | Shown after **Delete forever**, along with how many were deleted. Those items stay; an owner of their library can delete them. |
| **1 item is still being shared with your team, so it wasn’t removed. Try again in a moment.** | Wait a moment and click **Delete forever** again. The item stays selected. |

## If something doesn't work

If an item can't be restored or deleted, a line above the list says how many failed and why, for example **Couldn’t restore 1 of 3 items. It’s still selected.** followed by the reason. The others are done. Items that failed stay selected, so you can try again.

## What isn't kept in Recently deleted

These are deleted straight away and can't be restored:

- Folders (their blocks and prompts do go to Recently deleted).
- Variables. See [Variables](https://promptmason.ai/docs/variables).
- Comments and expected output entries you delete on their own. See [Comments](https://promptmason.ai/docs/comments) and [Expected output](https://promptmason.ai/docs/expected-output).
- Tags you delete from the sidebar. See [Delete a tag everywhere](https://promptmason.ai/docs/tags-favorites-ratings#delete-a-tag-everywhere).

## When your library is paused

If your library is paused (you're on the Free plan with more than 25 blocks or 15 prompts, for example after your 14 days of Pro end), you can still archive, restore archived items, delete, and delete for good. Deleting is how you get back within the limits: items in **Recently deleted** don't count, but archived items do. You can't restore from **Recently deleted** while the library is paused. See [When your library is paused](https://promptmason.ai/docs/paused-library).

## Want a hand?

Paste this prompt into Claude, ChatGPT or another AI assistant, together with this guide, to be walked through it step by step:

> I want to clean out old blocks and prompts in PromptMason without losing anything I might need. Explain when to archive and when to delete, and walk me through restoring something I removed by mistake.