---
title: Recovering deleted items from Trash
slug: trash-and-recovery
category: troubleshooting
tags: trash, recovery, restore, delete, versions
summary: Deleted an asset or folder by mistake? Restore it from Trash within 30 days — but note a deleted Collage can't be recovered.
updated: 2026-07-07
url: https://support.collage.inc/articles/trash-and-recovery
---

# Recovering deleted items from Trash

Deleting something in Collage is usually reversible. Deleted assets and folders are moved to **Trash**, where you have a window to bring them back before they're gone for good. This article explains how recovery works — and the one deletion that can't be undone.

## What happens when you delete

When you delete an asset, it's removed from your active workspace and placed in **Trash**, along with any related contents. Folders you delete go to Trash the same way.

## Open Trash

Go to the **Trash** section from the sidebar. It's where you find and restore recently deleted **folders and files** before they're permanently removed.

## Restore an item

1. Open **Trash** from the sidebar.
2. Find the asset or folder you want back.
3. Click **Restore**.

The item returns to its original location, with its tags and other metadata intact.

## Remove something permanently

1. Open **Trash** from the sidebar.
2. Select the item.
3. Click **Delete** — a confirmation dialog warns that this permanently removes the item and can't be undone.

## Understand the 30-day window

You can recover deleted assets and folders within 30 days. Anything still in Trash after 30 days is automatically deleted and can no longer be restored. If you need to keep something, restore it before the window closes.

> Treat Trash as a safety net, not storage. Restore anything important well before the 30-day auto-delete.

## Know which deletions can't be undone

Trash protects assets and folders, but not Collages.

> Warning: Deleting a Collage can't be undone. Once a Collage is deleted, it cannot be recovered, so make sure you have what you need before removing one. Deleting a Collage does not delete the assets inside it — those still live in your library — only the curated grouping itself.