Read time: 6 minutes
Quick steps to recover deleted file in SharePoint:
- Go to the SharePoint site and click Recycle bin.
- Select the items and click Restore.
SharePoint Online is a cloud service like OneDrive for Business, Skype for Business, Exchange Online, Delve, Microsoft Teams, Office Online, etc., available as a stand-alone subscription or as part of Microsoft 365. It is known for being the user’s go-to document management and collaboration platform.
Most organizations are now using SharePoint and making the most of its utilities like sites, site collections, lists/libraries, etc. The overall data size is quite large, with information being produced and communicated daily between several users at a workplace. In such a scenario, data deletion due to errors or accidents is pretty common. The user may often unintentionally delete any data from any site or list. However, if the deleted SharePoint data is vital to the business, it could be an adverse situation.
The situation is under control if you are still within the retention period. Yes, that’s right, SharePoint allows its users to recover deleted file in SharePoint Online for up to 93 days. Even if you have deleted an entire SharePoint site, that’s recoverable. This article will guide you through the detailed procedure to recover deleted data in SharePoint Online.
Read Also: SharePoint Document Management Best Practices
How long do deleted items remain in the Recycle Bin?
In SharePoint within Microsoft 365, deleted items reside in the Recycle Bin for a span of 93 days post their removal from the original location. Throughout this period, they remain in the site Recycle Bin unless deliberately deleted or the Recycle Bin is emptied. Following this, the items shift to the site collection Recycle Bin, maintaining a presence for the remaining 93 days—unless certain conditions occur.
These conditions include site collection Recycle Bin surpassing its quota, triggering the removal of the oldest items, or manual deletion by the site collection administrator. It is noteworthy that the site Recycle Bin storage contributes to the site collection storage quota and the List View Threshold, with an allocated space of 200% of the site collection quota, these values are unalterable.
Also, SharePoint Online safeguards content backups for an additional 14 days beyond actual deletion. If restoration proves elusive via the Recycle Bin or Files Restore, administrators possess the option to seek restoration from Microsoft Support within this 14-day timeframe.
How to recover deleted file in SharePoint?
- First-stage Recycle Bin- When an item is deleted from a site, it reaches the site Recycle Bin, also referred to as the First stage Recycle Bin. You can recover the deleted item from here directly without any help.
- Second-stage Recycle Bin- When you delete an item from the site Recycle Bin, it reaches the site collection Recycle Bin (second-stage Recycle Bin) and stays here for the remainder of the total 93 days. Only the Administrator can perform the recovery from here.
Follow the given steps to recover a deleted document in SharePoint Online:
- Go to the SharePoint log in page and click Sign in. Enter your credentials and log in.
- Click the App launcher icon on the top left.
- Select the SharePoint icon. If you do not see the SharePoint icon, click on More apps and select the SharePoint option.
- Select the SharePoint site from which you want to recover deleted files.
- From the left menu pane, click on the Recycle bin option.
- Select the files you want to restore and click on the Restore button.
- If you cannot find any item, go to the bottom of the page and click the option Second-stage recycle bin.
- Here you will find the items that were removed from the site Recycle bin. Select the items and click Restore.
Note: Only the SharePoint or Global Admin can recover deleted file in SharePoint from the Second-stage recycle Bin.
If you do not find the Recycle Bin on the Admin page, then you can use the following method:
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- Open the Site page.
- Select the Settings icon and click on Site Settings.
If there is no Site Settings option, click Site information>>View all site settings.
- Under the Site Collection Administration, select Recycle Bin.
Basics to know before you recover deleted file in SharePoint from the Recycle Bin
To restore deleted file in SharePoint, you must know the following key principles:
- Securable Object Restoration: When restoring any securable object, such as a list or folder, it comes back with all its original contents. For instance, restoring a folder brings back all the documents it contained when deleted.
- Container Object Dependency: Most objects can’t be restored if their containers are absent. If you delete an object and its container, you must restore the container first. For example, if a file is deleted along with its library, the library must be restored before the file.
- Exception for Folders: : If an object is deleted from a folder, it can be restored without restoring the folder first. The folder is automatically recreated at its original location, containing only the restored object or can be manually restored with all its original contents from the Recycle Bin.
Restore entire deleted sites
If you have deleted the complete site and want to restore it, then you can complete the process at SharePoint Admin Center. Here is the process:
- Sign-in to the SharePoint Admin Center as the Administrator. If you get a sign-in issue related to permissions, make sure you have the Global administrator’s permissions.
- At the SharePoint Admin Center, go to Sites and then Deleted sites.
- Select the site that is deleted and click the Restore button.
How to avoid losing SharePoint data permanently?
The data item or site is permanently purged from all the SharePoint servers when the retention period of 93 days is over. Is there a way to get the purged data back? Yes, but not from the SharePoint servers. The data could be only restored from a backup. Therefore, to avoid permanent data loss scenarios, admins always back up SharePoint. Manual SharePoint site collection backup using PowerShell commands is complex; an easier non-technical alternative is to use Kernel SharePoint Backup tool.
This professional SharePoint backup tool allows you to securely connect to your SharePoint sites using Microsoft Modern Authentication OAuth2.0 and save selective or complete SharePoint data to your local system.
Conclusion
Until the retention period of 93 days is over, you can easily recover deleted file in SharePoint. The deleted document, file, list, or other data is stored in the first-stage Recycle Bin. If not found there, you can check the second-stage Recycle Bin. However, once the retention period is over, your data is purged from the Microsoft server. So, to avoid permanent data loss, always create a complete SharePoint site backup with the recommended tool. It allows you to download multiple SharePoint sites, including sub-sites, to your local system and can also help with SharePoint tenant to tenant migration.
Frequently Asked Questions
A. If you are not using any backup tool, the only way to recover deleted file in SharePoint is to contact the Microsoft support team. The admin must raise a ticket to recover deleted SharePoint file. Microsoft keeps a 14-day backup of your data after the 93-day period is over. Within 14 days, the admin can request site restoration.
A. The site Recycle bin allows you to restore deleted file in SharePoint with the version history intact.
A. This is due to missing permissions. Make sure you have the administrator or owner permissions before you try to recover deleted SharePoint file
