Delete and Restore Content

Why safe deletion matters

Deleting the wrong page can break navigation, links, and visitor experience across your site. The CMS uses a two-stage deletion model: soft delete moves items to trash (recoverable), while hard delete removes them permanently. This safety net gives you time to catch mistakes before content is gone forever.

Move content to trash (soft delete)

Soft delete removes content from the content tree and the live site, but keeps it in the trash for recovery.

1. Navigate to the page or block you want to delete in the content tree.
2. Right-click the item and select Move to Trash.
3. If the item has child pages, the CMS warns you that all children move to trash as well. Confirm if you want to proceed.
4. Click OK or Confirm.
5. Verify the item no longer appears in the content tree.
6. Check the Trash view to confirm the item is there.

CMS

On CMS SaaS, you can also select multiple items and move them to trash in bulk from the content list view.

What happens to references

When you delete a page, other content that links to it does not update automatically. Understanding the impact helps you avoid broken links.

• Internal links in rich text fields that point to the deleted page become broken. Visitors see a 404 error or a missing link.
• Content references (such as a related pages field) show the deleted item as unavailable.
• Navigation menus that include the deleted page show a gap or a broken entry.

Before deleting, check what references the content:

1. Open the page you plan to delete.
2. Look for a Referenced by or Used on section in the properties panel.
3. Review the list of pages that link to or reference this content.
4. Update or remove those references before deleting.

Restore content from trash

If you deleted something by mistake, the trash lets you bring it back.

1. Open the Trash view from the main navigation or admin section.
2. Find the item you want to restore. Use search or browse by deletion date.
3. Select the item and click Restore.
4. Choose the location in the content tree where the item should reappear. The CMS suggests the original location if it still exists.
5. Click OK.
6. Verify the page appears in the content tree at the chosen location.
7. Check the page status. Restored pages come back as drafts, not as published content. Publish the page if you want it live again.

CMS

On CMS PaaS, restoring a page also restores its child pages if they were deleted at the same time. Each child retains its original position in the tree hierarchy.

Permanently delete content (hard delete)

Hard delete removes content from the trash permanently. You cannot recover hard-deleted content.

1. Open the Trash view.
2. Find the item you want to permanently delete.
3. Select the item and click Delete Permanently or Empty Trash to remove all items at once.
4. Confirm the action. The CMS may warn you about the number of items being deleted.
5. Verify the item no longer appears in the trash.

Manage the trash

The trash can grow large over time. Administrators should manage it regularly.

• Review periodically — Check the trash monthly for items that can be permanently deleted.
• Scheduled cleanup — The CMS runs a scheduled job that automatically empties items older than a configured number of days. Ask your administrator about the retention period.
• Bulk operations — Select multiple items and delete them permanently in one action.

Soft delete versus hard delete

Aspect	Soft delete (Trash)	Hard delete (Permanent)
Recoverable	Yes	No
Visible to visitors	No	No
References preserved	Yes (but broken)	No
Storage used	Yes	Freed
Includes child pages	Yes	Yes

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Related content

Continue your journey with these related pages.

📖Understand the concepts

• Page Tree Structure

🔧Follow a guide

• Manage Content Versions
• Content Reports and Audit Trail