---
title: "Delete a File or Folder"
lang: en
canonical_url: https://www.peony.ink/docs/getting-started/delete-a-file
description: "How to delete a file, folder or data room in Peony, and why deletion is permanent and cannot be undone."
---

> **Deletion is irreversible.** A deleted file, folder or data room is gone for good. It can't be restored from the app, and Peony support can't bring it back either. If you only want visitors to stop seeing something, remove their access instead (see below).

## Delete a File or Folder

<Video id="NOlOB_mXYaY" title="How to delete a file or folder" />

1. Open the data room.
2. Open the item's menu: hover its top-right corner and click the **…** icon, or right-click it.
3. Choose **Delete**, at the bottom of the menu.

![A folder's menu in a data room with Delete highlighted at the bottom, below Rename, Set Thumbnail, Move, Download and Duplicate](https://www.peony.ink/docs/delete-files/menu-delete.png)

Deleting a folder deletes everything inside it. The same **Delete** option is on a data room's card on your home screen and deletes the whole room.

## Delete Several Items at Once

Cmd-click or Ctrl-click to select up to 100 items, then right-click one of them and choose **Delete N items**, where N is your count. Peony asks **Delete N selected items?** and warns that anyone with a link loses access to them. Click **Delete N items** to confirm. See [Moving many items](https://www.peony.ink/docs/getting-started/move-a-file-or-folder#moving-many-items) for the other ways to select.

## Before You Delete

- **Check it's the right item**, especially a folder or a whole room.
- **Download a copy** of anything you might need later.
- **To stop people seeing it, don't delete it.** Set the file or folder to **No access** for those groups in the data room's **Permissions** tab. See [Permissions: view, download, upload](https://www.peony.ink/docs/features/security/granular-access-control).
- **Replacing a file?** Use **Upload new version** instead. The file keeps its place and its link, and earlier versions stay available. See [Upload a new version](https://www.peony.ink/docs/getting-started/upload-a-new-version).

## Why Deleted Files Can't Come Back

Peony's infrastructure backups exist to recover the service as a whole, not to bring back individual items you delete, so neither the app nor Peony support can restore a deleted file, folder or room. See [Security Overview](https://www.peony.ink/docs/security-compliance/security-overview).

Deleting also only removes the file from Peony. Visitors who already downloaded it keep their copy, which is why downloads are best kept off from the start for anything sensitive. See [Where files are stored](https://www.peony.ink/docs/concepts/how-file-storage-works).

## Common Questions

#### Can I restore a file I deleted?

No. Deletion is permanent. Deleted files, folders and data rooms can't be restored from the app or by Peony support.

#### How do I hide a file from visitors without deleting it?

Set it to **No access** for the groups that shouldn't see it, in the data room's **Permissions** tab. The file stays in the room for you.

## Related

- [How file storage works](https://www.peony.ink/docs/concepts/how-file-storage-works)
- [Upload a new version](https://www.peony.ink/docs/getting-started/upload-a-new-version)
- [Upload, move & organize files](https://www.peony.ink/docs/getting-started/upload-and-organize-files)

---

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