# Delete and restore articles

_Category: Organize and publish_

Deleting an article moves it to Trash, so a slip is never final. Restore it with its history whenever you need it, or delete it for good.

**Who can do this:** Owners, Admins and Editors (deleting permanently and redirects: Owners and Admins) · **Plans:** All plans

## Delete and restore an article

1. On **Articles**, open the **…** menu on the article and choose **Delete**.
2. Click **Delete** to confirm. The article moves to Trash.
3. To bring it back, click **Trash** in the left menu.
4. Open the **…** menu on the article and choose **Restore**.

![Screen recording. Open the … menu on an article and choose Delete. Confirm. It moves to Trash, where you can restore it. Open Trash and choose Restore.](https://helpcenter-io.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/self/Li8x4kN76kv74llOEksv8KMZLNkwpQfvK4izxHj6.gif)
Restored articles come back as they were when you deleted them.

A restored article comes back with its content, category, settings and version history. If it was published when you deleted it, it's live again as soon as you restore it. A draft comes back as a draft.

You can also delete an article from the editor (the arrow next to **Publish** or **Update**, then **Move to trash**), or tick several articles and click **Delete** in the bar.

## What happens to a deleted article

- Readers get a not-found page at its address.
- It drops out of your help center's search, the widget and AI Answers.
- It stays in Trash, with its history, until an Owner or Admin deletes it permanently.

## Send visitors to another page

1. In **Trash**, open the **…** menu on the article and choose **Create redirect**.
2. Under **Redirect to**, enter the full address of the page that replaces it, starting with https://.
3. Click **Create**.

Anyone who opens the deleted article's address now lands on that page. For other old addresses, see [Redirect old links to the right page](https://self.helpcenter.io/content/custom-redirects).

## Delete permanently

- **One article:** in **Trash**, open the **…** menu, choose **Delete permanently** and confirm.
- **Everything in Trash:** click **Empty trash**, type your password and click **Empty trash**.

Permanently deleted articles can't be recovered, and neither can their version history.

## Troubleshooting

**Delete permanently or Create redirect doesn't work for me.** These need an Owner or Admin. **Empty trash** only shows for them too.

**A restored article went live straight away.** It was published when it was deleted. If it shouldn't be live, unpublish it. See [Unpublish an article](https://self.helpcenter.io/content/unpublish-an-article).

## Related articles

- [Unpublish an article](https://self.helpcenter.io/content/unpublish-an-article)
- [See and restore earlier versions of an article](https://self.helpcenter.io/content/article-versions)
- [Redirect old links to the right page](https://self.helpcenter.io/content/custom-redirects)