March 20, 2019
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SharePoint & Microsoft 365 (Product Tips & How-Tos)

How to Restore Deleted Files and Sites in SharePoint Online

Deleted SharePoint files & sites stay recoverable for up to 93 days. Learn how to restore an individual file, site & what happens after the window closes.

In SharePoint Online, deleted items will remain in the Recycle Bin for up to 93 days before being permanently deleted. For the restoration of a file, you should visit the SharePoint site, navigate to the Recycle Bin on the left-hand pane, choose the item from there, and then click on Restore. For the restoration of a site, you need to log into the SharePoint Admin Center as a SharePoint or Global administrator, navigate to the Deleted sites section under the Sites section, choose the site, and click Restore.

What Happens When Files or Sites Are Deleted in SharePoint?

The files will not be deleted instantly. There is a Two-Stage Recycle Bin feature in SharePoint, which enables users and administrators to restore the deleted content.

Stage

What happens

Who can restore

Duration

File deleted by user

Moves to Site Recycle Bin (first stage)

Site users and owners

Up to 93 days

Deleted from first stage

Moves to Site Collection Recycle Bin (second stage)

Site collection admins

Remainder of 93-day window

Deleted from second stage / 93 days pass

Permanently deleted

No one

Permanent

Site deleted by admin

Moves to Admin Center Deleted sites

SharePoint or Global admin

Up to 93 days

After 93 days from the moment when the deleted site expired, all document libraries, lists, site settings, and sub-sites will be irretrievably deleted.

How Do You Restore an Individual Deleted File in SharePoint Online?

Individual file restoration is done directly from the Recycle Bin on the site, without requiring admin rights.

  1. Navigate to the SharePoint site where the file was located.
  2. Select Recycle Bin in the left pane (under Site contents if it does not show up).
  3. Locate the file by sorting the files in Name, Deleted by, or Deleted Date order.
  4. Check the checkbox beside the file name.
  5. Click Restore. The file gets restored to its original location instantly.

If a file has already been removed from the first-level bin, then the file can be restored by the site collection administrator from the second-level bin within the 93-day period using Site Settings -> Recycle Bin -> Second-stage recycle bin.

How Do You Restore a Deleted Site in the New SharePoint Admin Center?

Both SharePoint or Global Administrators can restore their deleted sites along with all the data stored in them from Deleted sites.

  1. Login to the admin.microsoft.com portal as a Global Administrator/SharePoint Administrator.
  2. From the Admin Centers, choose SharePoint (choose Show all if SharePoint isn't visible).
  3. In case the old admin center appears, choose Try it now to access the new one.
  4. Choose the "Deleted sites" from the "Sites" section in the left-hand panel.
    Deleted sites
  5. Choose the site which you want to restore.
  6. Click Restore. (If there is no Restore option, ensure that only one site is selected.)

The site will be restored back to its initial URL with all the data and configurations.

How Do You Restore a Deleted Site in the Classic SharePoint Admin Center?

  1. Sign in to admin.microsoft.com as a Global or SharePoint admin.
  2. Under Admin centers, select SharePoint.
  3. If the new admin center opens, click Classic SharePoint Admin Center.
  4. On the site collection page, click Recycle Bin.
  5. Check the box next to the site collection to restore.
  6. Click Restore Deleted Items on the ribbon.

What Are the Limits and Conditions for SharePoint File Recovery?

Scenario

Recoverable?

Who Can Recover

Time Limit

File deleted by user

Yes

Any user with edit access

93 days

File deleted from Recycle Bin

Yes

Site collection admin

Within 93-day window

File permanently deleted (second stage cleared)

No

No one

N/A

Site deleted by admin

Yes

SharePoint or Global admin

93 days

Site expired from Deleted sites

No

No one

N/A

OneDrive files

Yes

User or admin

93 days

Microsoft suggests not to depend only on the 93-day window for sensitive information. Microsoft 365 Backup, wherever it is available, or third-party solutions offer an alternative. The recycle bin windows serve as insurance, but they are not a replacement for understanding where your agreements are stored.

About the author

Sneha Gopal

Content Manager, Dock 365

Sneha Gopal is a content manager with four years of content management experience, having worked with brands across the US and UK before joining Dock 365. At Dock 365, she wrote primarily about Microsoft SharePoint and Office 365, covering topics like site customization, security configurations, user profile management, and Power BI integrations while also contributing foundational posts on why SharePoint and Office 365 make a strong backbone for contract lifecycle management. Her work sits at the intersection of Microsoft platform education and practical guidance for teams adopting digital workplace tools.

Table of contents

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Frequently asked questions

  • For how many days does SharePoint store deleted documents before permanently removing them?

    Up to 93 days total, split across the two-stage Recycle Bin — first the site-level bin, then the site collection-level bin for the remainder of the window.

  • Can a regular SharePoint user restore their own deleted files?

    Yes, any user with edit access can restore a file from the first-stage site Recycle Bin without needing admin rights, as long as it's within the 93-day window and hasn't been moved to the second-stage bin.

  • What if the file has been deleted from the Recycle Bin — is it gone forever?

    Not necessarily. Once removed from the first-stage bin, it moves to the site collection's second-stage Recycle Bin, where a site collection administrator can still restore it for the remainder of the 93-day period. Only after that window closes is it permanently deleted.

  • Can SharePoint files be recovered after the 93-day Recycle Bin period?

    Not through SharePoint's built-in Recycle Bin. Organizations relying on Microsoft 365 Backup or a third-party backup solution may still be able to recover data beyond 93 days, which is why Microsoft recommends not depending solely on the Recycle Bin window for sensitive information.

  • Do I need to be a Global admin to restore a deleted SharePoint site?

    A Global Administrator or a SharePoint Administrator role is required — a regular site user or site collection admin cannot restore a fully deleted site from the admin center's Deleted sites section.

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