Managing Deleted Entries in the Content Management System
Liferay DXP 2026.Q3+
The Content Management System (CMS) recycle bin stores deleted content from spaces. You can restore entries or remove them permanently. Unlike the classic recycle bin, it manages only entries created in the CMS and scoped to a space.
Although configured per space, the CMS recycle bin displays deleted entries across all spaces you can access. The classic recycle bin shows only items from a single site or asset library.
The CMS recycle bin also supports filtering by space, unlike the classic version. Additionally, you can use the search bar to quickly find specific entries.
To access the recycle bin,
-
Open the Global Menu (
) and click CMS. -
In the left menu, click Recycle Bin to view deleted entries.
Recycle Bin Actions
Use the Recycle Bin to restore or permanently delete entries, either individually or in bulk.
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For individual entries (1):
-
Click Actions (
) next to the item. -
Select
-
Restore (
) — returns the item to its original location. -
Delete (
) — permanently deletes the item after you confirm.
-
-
-
For bulk actions (2):
-
Select one or more entries. If your results span more than one page, select every entry on the page and then click Select All to include every entry matching your current search and filters.
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Click Actions (
) in the top bar.Restoring or permanently deleting an entry requires the Delete permission on that entry. When you select entries one by one, the Actions button appears only if you have that permission on every entry you selected. After you click Select All, the Actions button stays available even when the selection includes entries you can’t act on.
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Select Restore or Delete. Selecting Delete opens a confirmation modal. Confirm to remove the entries permanently.
-
-
To delete all entries at once (3):
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Click Actions (
) next to Recycle Bin. -
Select Empty Recycle Bin.
-
Click Empty Bin to confirm. This permanently deletes every entry in the recycle bin and can’t be undone.
-
Action Results
Restoring or deleting one entry from its own Actions menu takes effect immediately, as does restoring a selection of exactly one entry. A restore notification names the entry and links to the folder it was restored to.
Everything else runs in the background: restoring two or more entries, deleting a selection of any size, and emptying the recycle bin. One notification confirms the action started, and a second reports the result. If some entries fail, a warning notification reports the successes and a separate error notification reports the failures. If every entry fails, only an error notification appears.
A bulk restore reports entries you lack permission for as failures. A bulk delete leaves those entries in the recycle bin without reporting them, so check the recycle bin afterward to confirm which entries were removed.
Restored entries return to the folder they were deleted from. If that folder is also in the Recycle Bin, they return to the nearest parent folder that isn’t. If no parent folder remains, they return to the space’s Contents or Files folder. Restoring a folder also restores the entries and subfolders that were deleted with it.
Tracking Background Tasks
While a background action runs, a button in the top bar shows the number of processing tasks. Click that button to see recent tasks. A bulk restore appears as Assets Restoration and a bulk delete as Assets Deletion, each with a status of Processing, Completed, or Failed. Click View All Tasks to open the full list.
Configuring the Recycle Bin
The Recycle Bin is enabled by default for each space. You can disable it or set how many days entries remain in the Recycle Bin before permanent deletion.
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In the space overview, click Actions (
) next to the space name (1), and select Space Settings.Alternatively, go to All Spaces, click Actions (
) for the space you want to configure, and select Space Settings. -
In Space Settings, the Enable Recycle Bin option is selected by default. Deselect it to disable the recycle bin for this space.
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Set Trash Entries Max Age to define the number of days entries remain in the recycle bin before being deleted permanently.
