Recycle Bin in SharePoint Online

In this SharePoint tutorial, I will explain everything about recycle bin in SharePoint online. Also, I will show you how to delete items from a recycle bin of a SharePoint site. Then, I will tell you how to restore deleted items from a recycle bin on a SharePoint Online site.

I will also show how to restore an item from the SharePoint site collection recycle bin called the second-stage recycle bin.

Note:

By default, items in the recycle bin will be automatically deleted after 93 days in SharePoint Online.
By default, items present in Recycle bin of a SharePoint will be deleted after 30days in SharePoint server 2019, SharePoint server 2016, SharePoint 2013 and SharePoint server 2010.

The SharePoint Online Recycle Bin is divided into two stages: the end-user Recycle Bin (first stage) and site collection Recycle Bin (second stage). If an item is deleted from the end-user Recycle Bin, it goes to the site collection Recycle Bin where a site collection administrator can restore it.

Table of Contents

SharePoint Online recycle bin

Here, I will tell you exactly what a recycle bin on a SharePoint Online site is.

Recycle bin acts as a safety barrier for the deleted items in SharePoint and shows the items we deleted.
When we delete the files, folders, list items, and libraries from a SharePoint site, it isn’t immediately removed from that site. Instead, they will be stored in recycle bin.
By default, items in the recycle bin will be automatically deleted after 93 days.

This is about a SharePoint Online site recycle bin.

Delete Items from SharePoint Recycle Bin

Now, I will show you how to delete items from the SharePoint recycle bin and empty the recycle bin in SharePoint Online.

When we delete items from a SharePoint list, it will be stored in recycle bin temporarily. Recycle bin is also called a first-stage Recycle Bin.

We can delete items or restore them from a Recycle bin or first-stage Recycle Bin.

Open a SharePoint home page, Select Site contents under Settings.

Once the site contents page is opened on the top right-hand side, Click Recycle bin icon.

It will open the Recycle bin, Select an item you want to delete -> Click Delete.

What is a Recycle bin On SharePoint Online site

Then, it opens a Delete confirmation dialogue box, Click on Delete.

Delete items in Recycle bin of SharePoint

Then, it will pop up a message as Deleted 1 item from Recycle bin.

To empty the Recycle bin, on the top left side of the Recycle bin page, Click Empty recycle bin.

After that, an Empty recycle bin confirmation dialogue box pop-ups; select Yes.

Next, it will show you an empty recycle bin on a SharePoint Online site as shown below:

This is how to delete items from a SharePoint site’s recycle bin and empty recycle bin.

Restore Deleted items from Recycle bin in SharePoint Site

Similarly, I will show you how to restore those deleted items from a recycle bin of a SharePoint Online site.

Note:
The deleted items of a SharePoint Online will be retained in the recycle bin for 93days.

Explanation:

If I delete an item from a SharePoint site, it remains in recycle bin for 93 days.
If a deleted item remains in a site recycle bin for 10 days, again, if I delete that item from a first-stage recycle bin, it will enter into a second-stage Recycle Bin.
The Second- stage Recycle bin will retain that item for 83 days.

Open a SharePoint Online Recycle bin page, Select an item you want to restore, -> Click Restore.

This is how to restore deleted items of a SharePoint site from the recycle bin.

Restore Items from a SharePoint Site Collection Recycle Bin

In this, I will explain how to retrieve items from a SharePoint site collection recycle bin.

Note:
You should need to be site collection admin, to restore items from the site collection Recycle Bin.

Open a Recycle bin page; click Second-stage recycle bin at the bottom.

Restore items from Second-stage recycle bin of SharePoint

In the Second stage recycle bin, Select an item that you want to restore and Click on Restore.

Then, selected items will be restored back to the SharePoint Online site to their original locations.

This is how to restore deleted files or items from a SharePoint Online site collection recycle bin.

Conclusion

Through this SharePoint Online tutorial, I have shown you what is a recycle bin in SharePoint site.

And also, I have discussed how to delete items and empty a SharePoint site recycle bin. Along with this, I have explained how to restore items from recycle bin of a SharePoint Online site.

At last, I have demonstrated how to restore items from SharePoint second stage recycle bin or SharePoint site collection recycle bin.