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Recover Deleted Assets

The Recycle Bin stores deleted assets and allows you to recover items that have been deleted. You can recover work items and deleted members. Items remain recoverable for a configured period before permanent deletion (typically stored indefinitely unless an administrator performs permanent deletion).

To recover deleted items, use the trash icon in search to find deleted items, preview them before restoring, and restore them to their original location in the planning level tree.

Permission note: Your ability to view and recover deleted items depends on your role. Administrators can typically recover any deleted item. Team members can only see deleted items from projects they have access to. If you cannot find a deleted item, contact your administrator for assistance.

Recover a deleted item​

  1. Click the Search icon in the header toolbar.
  2. Click Find deleted items (the trash icon).
  3. In the window containing the list of all deleted items, locate the work item you want to restore.
  4. Click Undelete to restore the deleted work item.

The item is restored to its original location in the planning level tree with all details, history, and relationships preserved.

Common Use Cases​

Accidental deletion recovery​

A team member accidentally deletes a story while cleaning up old work items, then immediately realizes the story is still needed for the current iteration. They panic but remember the Recycle Bin feature. They click the Search icon in the header, click the trash icon for "Find deleted items", locate the story in the list of deleted items, and click Undelete. The story instantly returns to its original iteration with all details, tasks, and history intact. The team member updates the story status and continues working without data loss.

Bulk deletion recovery​

An administrator accidentally bulk-deletes an entire iteration containing 35 stories while attempting to archive old data. Team members immediately report missing work items. The administrator accesses the Recycle Bin through the Search icon, views all 35 deleted stories in the deleted items list, and systematically undeletes each story one by one. All stories return to the correct iteration with their original assignments, estimates, and relationships preserved. The iteration planning remains intact and the team experiences minimal disruption.

Deleted member account recovery​

HR accidentally deletes a team member's user account during a system cleanup, thinking the person had left the company. The next day, the team member reports they cannot log in. The administrator investigates, accesses the Recycle Bin, finds the deleted member account, and clicks Undelete. The member account is fully restored with all work assignments, permissions, subscriptions, and activity history preserved. The team member logs in successfully and resumes work without reconfiguring their workspace.

Frequently Asked Questions​

How long are deleted items kept in the Recycle Bin?

Deleted items are stored in the Recycle Bin indefinitely. There is no automatic purge or time limit. Items remain recoverable until an administrator explicitly performs a permanent deletion operation. This provides long-term protection against accidental data loss.

Can I recover items deleted by someone else?

Yes, if you have appropriate permissions. The ability to view and recover deleted items depends on your role and project permissions. Administrators can typically recover any deleted item. Team members may only recover items they own or have access to. Contact your administrator if you cannot see an item you need to recover.

What happens to child items when I delete a parent?

When you delete a parent work item (like an epic or feature), the system behavior depends on configuration. In most cases, child items are also deleted and moved to the Recycle Bin along with the parent. When you undelete the parent, child items are typically restored as well. However, verify this behavior in your instance or consult your administrator.

Can I bulk-undelete multiple items at once?

You may need to undelete items individually by clicking Undelete for each item in the Recycle Bin list. For large-scale recovery operations, consult your administrator about available options or API-based recovery methods.

Why cannot I see an item I know was deleted?

Permissions restrict visibility in the Recycle Bin. You can only see deleted items you have permission to view based on your role and project access. If you cannot find a deleted item, verify you are searching in the correct project context. Contact an administrator who has broader permissions to help locate and recover the item.

Can I permanently delete items from the Recycle Bin?

This capability is typically restricted to administrators and may require special permissions or API access. Consult your system administrator about policies and procedures for permanent data deletion in your organization.