Documentation

DooFiles

Trash

How the DooFiles Trash keeps what you delete, how to undo a delete right away or restore items later, how to delete them for good, and how long they are kept.

Last updated: Oct 24, 2026

Overview

When you delete files or folders with DooFiles, they are not erased. They go to the DooFiles Trash, where they wait for 30 days by default. Until then, you can put them back where they were with one click.

This Trash is separate from the WordPress trash for posts and pages. It holds files and folders of your server.

Delete and undo

Select one or more rows and press Delete, or right-click and choose Trash. DooFiles moves them to the Trash and shows a notice, such as “old-banner.jpg” moved to the trash., with an Undo button. Click Undo to put them back right away.

See Manage files.

The Trash view

Click Trash in the folder panel. The counter next to it shows how many items are in the Trash.

ColumnWhat it shows
NameThe name of the file or folder
Original locationThe folder it was deleted from
DeletedWhen it was deleted, and by which user
SizeIts size

[SCREENSHOT_HERE: The Trash view with three deleted items, their original location, the date and user that deleted them, and the Restore and Delete permanently buttons]

Restore items

  1. Select the items you want back. Select all selects everything.
  2. Click Restore.

DooFiles puts each item back where it was, and tells you where: Restored to /wp-content/uploads.

  • If its original folder no longer exists, DooFiles creates it again.
  • If something with the same name now exists there, DooFiles keeps both and adds a number to the restored one, such as logo (1).png.

Restoring a folder, a PHP file or a server file such as .htaccess asks for your password. See Password confirmation.

Delete items for good

  • Delete permanently erases the selected items.
  • Empty trash erases everything in the Trash.

DooFiles asks first, because this cannot be undone: Everything in the trash will be deleted for good. This cannot be undone. Both actions also ask for your password, as changes to code do, and for the code of your authenticator app if you use a second factor and chose to ask for it before deleting permanently. After you confirm, they do not ask again for a while (10 minutes by default).

[SCREENSHOT_HERE: The Empty the trash? dialog]

How long items are kept

Items stay in the Trash for 30 days by default. After that, DooFiles deletes them for good on its own, once a day. Change the number of days in Days in the trash, in DooFiles › Settings. See Retention.

The Space view shows how much space the Trash takes.

Deleted files are safe in the Trash

  • They never run. A deleted PHP file, or a server file such as .htaccess, cannot run or change how your server works while it is in the Trash, even on servers that ignore .htaccess. It goes back to normal when you restore it.
  • They are closed to the web. The Trash lives in a private folder of DooFiles that cannot be opened from the web and does not appear in the file list.
  • Private folders stay private. Items deleted from a private folder appear in the Trash only to the administrators on the list of that folder.

Deleting DooFiles also deletes its Trash. Restore what you want to keep first. See Installation.

Troubleshooting

ProblemWhat to do
The trash is empty, but I deleted somethingIt was deleted more than 30 days ago (or the days you set), or someone deleted it permanently. Check the Activity log
An item I deleted from a private folder is not in the TrashOnly the administrators on the list of that folder can see it
The restored file has a number in its nameSomething with the same name existed in its folder. Rename one of them
Delete permanently asks for my passwordIt asks as changes to code do. After you confirm, it does not ask again for 10 minutes by default. See Password confirmation
The Trash takes too much spaceDelete what you do not need permanently, or lower Days in the trash in Retention

Need more help? Open a support ticket.