Restore deleted content
The recycle bin allows you to retrieve deleted content from a Moodle space. If an activity or resource is deleted, it is kept in the Recycle bin for seven days before being permanently deleted.
Only users with editing roles i.e. Editing teacher, Course leader or Manager can restore deleted items.
In this guide:
Restoring deleted items from the Recycle bin
- In the Moodle course where you have deleted items, click on the More tab from the course menu.
- Click Recycle bin.
- The recycle bin will list all activities and resources that have been deleted within the last seven days. Click the Restore button for the item(s) you want to retrieve.
- If you cannot immediately see items that you have recently deleted, wait a few minutes and refresh the page.
The items will not be restored to their original locations. They will be restored to the bottom of the section from where they were deleted.
Alternatively, you can click the delete button to delete the item(s) permanently.
What cannot be restored?
While most content can be restored, there are certain items that will not be saved in the recycle bin.
- External tool links - although the 'activity' will be saved in the bin and can be restored, you may need to re-establish links to certain resources. This includes links to EchoVideo and Talis Aspire. Click on the links after restoring to make sure they link to the correct place.
- Blocks - beware of deleting text blocks in particular as these may have been significantly configured.
- Section summaries - if you delete a whole section, the activities and resources will be retained in the recycle bin. However, the summary text will not be retrievable.
- Activity components or entries - e.g. individual forum posts, book chapters, quiz attempts, database entries.
We recommend simply hiding activities and resources from students unless you are absolutely certain you want to delete them.