---
title: "Delete documents, and restore them from the trash"
description: "Move PDFs to the trash, restore them within 30 days, or delete them forever with their versions, signed copies and form responses."
url: https://help.pdfbetter.com/privacy-security/delete-documents-and-trash/
collection: "Privacy & security"
section: "Your data"
updated: 2026-10-18
publisher: "PDFBetter (AI Generated Inc.)"
---

# Delete documents, and restore them from the trash

> Select documents and choose **Move to trash**. They stay in **Trash** for 30 days, where you can **Restore** them, then they're erased with their files. Use **Delete forever** or **Empty trash** to erase them now.

Do it in PDFBetter: https://pdfbetter.com/app/trash/

1. **Select the documents**: In [My documents](https://pdfbetter.com/app/documents/), tick the documents you want to remove.
2. **Move them to the trash**: Click **Move to trash**. They disappear from your dashboard right away.
3. **Restore if needed**: Open [Trash](https://pdfbetter.com/app/trash/) and click **Restore** on a document, or select several and click **Restore**.
4. **Or delete forever**: In Trash, click **Delete forever** on a document, or **Empty trash** for everything. Confirm, and the documents are erased now. This can't be undone.

## What deleting removes

- The document, every version, signed copies and responses collected through its fill links.
- Its stored files, erased together with the document when it leaves the trash.
- Not the evidence of completed signature requests: the sealed PDF, certificate and audit trail are kept for 7 years so the signers can still prove the agreement.

> **Note:** Only the owner can move a document to the trash. On a team, you can't trash a [team document](https://help.pdfbetter.com/teams/share-documents-with-team/) someone else owns; the message says how many couldn't be moved.

[Share links](https://help.pdfbetter.com/sharing/manage-share-links/) to a document stop working as soon as it's in the trash. Copies that were already downloaded or emailed aren't affected, because they're no longer in PDFBetter.

### I restored a document. Is everything back?

Yes. A restored document comes back with its versions, signed copies and form responses, and its share links work again.

### I deleted a document more than 30 days ago. Can support get it back?

No. After 30 days the document and its files are erased and can't be recovered.

## Related articles

- [How long PDFBetter keeps your files](https://help.pdfbetter.com/privacy-security/how-long-files-are-kept.md): Guest drafts are deleted 1 hour after they're created. Files uploaded only to run a tool are deleted after 24 hours. Documents in your account stay until you delete them, then they're erased 30 days later.
- [Export your data or delete your account](https://help.pdfbetter.com/privacy-security/export-data-and-delete-account.md): Open Settings → Data & privacy. Click Prepare my export to download your account data and original files. To close your account, click Delete my account, type your email and confirm. This can't be undone.
- [Where your files are stored and who can open them](https://help.pdfbetter.com/privacy-security/where-your-files-are-stored.md): Browser tools such as merge, split and rotate never upload your file. Documents you edit, fill or sign are stored in Cloudflare R2, encrypted at rest, and only you, people you share with and your team (for team documents) can open them.
- [Find and organize your documents: folders, tags, search and trash](https://help.pdfbetter.com/getting-started/find-organize-documents.md): Everything you upload, create, sign or send is in My documents. Sort it into folders and tags, filter by status or name, and search everything with ⌘K. Deleted documents stay in Trash for 30 days, where you can restore them.
- [How much storage you have, and what counts toward it](https://help.pdfbetter.com/account-billing/storage-limits.md): Free includes 1 GB, Pro 50 GB and Business 200 GB per seat. See what you've used in Settings → Plan & usage → Storage. When it's full, new files can't be added until you delete documents, empty the trash or upgrade.

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Source: https://help.pdfbetter.com/privacy-security/delete-documents-and-trash/ · PDFBetter Help Center · Last checked against the product 2026-10-18. Questions: support@pdfbetter.com