Skip to main content

How to Use Trash to Manage Deleted Content

Trash gives you a safety net when removing content. Instead of deleting items immediately, they go to Trash first, where you can restore them or permanently delete them at any time.

How Trash Works​

Deletion is a two-step process:

  1. Move to Trash - The item disappears from your workspace but is kept in Trash
  2. Permanently delete (optional) - Remove the item for good when you're sure you no longer need it

Trashed items stay in Trash indefinitely. They won't expire or disappear on their own.

What Can Be Trashed​

  • Books, series, and writing voices: restored from Trash
  • Acts, chapters, and Story Hub entries: restored from the book's Trash section at the bottom of the Write sidebar

Moving Items to Trash​

To trash an item, use the option in its menu. Books, chapters, acts, series, and voices ask you to confirm before the item is moved.

  • Book: on Home, open the book card's menu and choose Move to Trash.
  • Chapter: in the Write sidebar, open the chapter's menu and choose Delete Chapter.
  • Series: open the series, open its menu, and choose Move to trash.
  • Writing voice: in the Voice Library, choose Move to Trash on the voice.
  • Story Hub entry: click the trash icon on the entry.

Once confirmed:

  • The item is removed from your workspace
  • A notification confirms the action (e.g., "Chapter moved to trash")
  • You can restore it at any time from Trash

Viewing Trashed Items​

Books, series, and voices​

Trashed books, series, and writing voices are kept in Trash, each with its name and when it was deleted. In the mobile app, open the Account tab, then Data & sync, then Trash.

Inside a book​

In Write, open the Trash section at the bottom of the sidebar. It shows that book's trashed acts and chapters under Table of Contents, and trashed entries under Story Hub, in collapsible sections.

Restoring Items​

Click the Restore button (circular arrow icon) on any trashed item. The item immediately returns to its original location and disappears from Trash. In the book's Trash section, Restore all brings back every trashed Story Hub entry at once.

When you restore a book, all of its acts and chapters become visible again automatically.

Permanently Deleting Items​

Click Delete on a trashed book, series, or voice (or the Delete permanently icon in a book's Trash section) to permanently remove it. A confirmation dialog warns that this action cannot be undone.

When you permanently delete a parent item (like a book or act), all of its children are also permanently deleted.

Emptying All Trash​

In Trash, Empty Trash permanently deletes all trashed books, series, and voices at once. A confirmation dialog shows the total number of items and warns that the action is irreversible.

Asking Robin About Deleted Content​

Robin can look through your trash. If you're not sure what you deleted or want help deciding what to restore, try asking:

  • "What did I delete recently?"
  • "Find my deleted chapters"
  • "What's in my trash?"

Robin retrieves your trashed items with content previews so you can review what was removed without leaving the chat.

See also: Chat with Robin | Version History