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Archive Removed Files

Archive Removed Files preserves every file and folder that is deleted or overwritten in a folder, so prior versions remain available for recovery, compliance, or audits. Instead of disappearing, removed items move into a designated archive path set by the Site Administrator.

The feature is a folder-level setting and applies to files, subfolders, nested subfolders, or the folder itself. It runs in the background, so users keep managing folders as usual while a full file history accumulates in the archive path.

When content is deleted, it moves into the archive path. When content is overwritten, the prior version moves into the archive path before the new version replaces it. From the user's perspective, the item appears deleted or replaced; the original is preserved. Archived items remain part of storage usage because they continue to exist in the archive location.

The feature gives organizations a fallback for mistakes, automation errors, and malicious activity, and it produces the file history that compliance and audit work depends on.

By default, the rule applies only to the selected folder, and it can be extended to all subfolders. When an entire folder is deleted, the folder and its contents are archived, and the folder itself is renamed using the configured archive naming format.

Creating an Archive Removed Files Rule

To create the rule, a Site Administrator picks the folder where deletions or overwrites may occur, picks an archive path where removed content will be stored, and defines a filename pattern that controls how archived items are named. An optional time zone makes timestamp tokens match local time. The rule can apply to the selected folder only or to all of its subfolders.

Once saved, the rule runs automatically for all users. Deleted content moves to the archive path. When overwrites are allowed, the existing version is archived before the new file is saved. If a file with the same name already exists in the archive path, a new copy is created by appending numbers to the conflicting filename.

Archived items count toward the site's total storage usage, because they are preserved in the archive path.

Filename Pattern Examples

You might want to include both a timestamp and the original filename in the archive name. For example, using Archived-%Y-%m-%d-%H:%M:%S-%Fn.%e produces names like Archived-2025-10-02-15:30:22-report.pdf. This clearly marks the file as archived and shows when it was removed or overwritten.

Sometimes you may want to organize archived files into a dated folder structure. With %Y/%m/%d/%Fn.%e, a file would be archived under directories like 2025/10/02/report.pdf. This makes it easy to browse archives chronologically.

The same rules apply when folders are deleted. For example, if the naming rule is Archived-%Y-%m-%d-%H:%M:%S-%Fn, a deleted folder might appear in the archive path as Archived-2025-10-02-19:22:1759432930-subfolder, containing all of its original files.

Use Cases

Customers use Archive Removed Files to meet compliance and audit retention mandates, preserve overwritten drafts in shared working folders, retain copies of files that external users delete after download, recover from automation mistakes, and provide a fallback against ransomware or accidental mass deletion. See Archive Removed Files Use Cases for examples of each.

Archive Removed Files protects content at the moment it is deleted or overwritten by moving it into the archive path. Files.com offers other retention options for different workflows.

File Expiration lets a Site Administrator configure a number of days after which files are automatically deleted. It is useful for scheduled cleanup and lifecycle management. Archive Removed Files instead focuses on immediate preservation when users delete or replace files.

Retaining Deleted Files keeps backup copies of deleted files for a set period before permanent removal. Those files must be explicitly restored to be accessible. Archive Removed Files places them directly in the archive path for ongoing access and version history.

Archive Only Mode provides maximum immutability. Files can be created and read but never changed or deleted. Once enabled, it cannot be turned off, and it is typically used in regulated environments where Files.com serves as a permanent archive.