Archive Removed Files preserves files and folders in native Files.com storage when they are deleted, along with files replaced by an upload, copy, move, or Sync, so prior versions remain available for recovery, compliance, or audits. Instead of disappearing, removed items move into a designated archive path.

Site Administrators and Workspace Administrators can configure this setting on folders they administer. Workspace Administrators can only configure it on folders within their Workspace.

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 covered deletions and replacements accumulate in the archive path.

When content is deleted, it moves into the archive path. When content is overwritten by an upload, copy, move, or Sync, 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, and the original is preserved.

Archived items remain part of storage usage because they continue to exist in the archive location.

This includes overwriting copies and moves performed by Automations v1 or Automations v2. The old destination file is archived before its replacement is written.

The archive keeps prior content available after it leaves a working folder. Its permissions and retention determine who can retrieve those copies and how long they remain available. Plan that archive retention alongside the working folder's cleanup rules using the retention choices.

By default, the rule applies only to the selected folder, and it can be extended to all native 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.

A Remote Server Mount is a boundary for this rule. Archive Removed Files cannot be configured on a mount or on a folder within it, and a recursive rule on a parent folder does not reach into the mount. Native folders beside the mount remain covered by the parent rule.

Deleting or overwriting a file through the mount removes or replaces it on the remote system without placing a copy in the mounting Site's archive path, so recovery depends on the remote system.

A Files.com Remote Server mount also reaches another Files.com Site. That Site's own Archive Removed Files rule preserves eligible deletions and overwrites in its archive, including when access goes through a Partner Channel route. The mounting Site still records the deletion.

Through _/Sites/<site-id>, the Child's or Host's archive rule and archive folder apply. Through a Partner Channel Route Path, the final target's rule applies. The archive preserves the file's folder path relative to the folder with the rule, rather than adding the viewing Site's or Channel's path.

For example, a rule on Intake with archive folder Archive preserves Intake/Acme/report.csv under Archive/Acme/, with the configured filename pattern. Access Across Sites and Storage explains which Site owns these rules.

A shared working folder may receive revised documents under the same filenames. Archiving preserves the prior versions when uploads replace them, so the team can retrieve an earlier draft. The same rule can retain files a partner deletes after processing, or files removed by File Expiration, without leaving them in the working folder.

Archived copies and activity logs answer different questions: the copies preserve content, while logs record actions on it. Restrict access to the archive and configure retention for the records you need. Use independent backups when recovery must survive loss of both the working files and the archive.

Creating an Archive Removed Files Rule

To create the rule, a Site Administrator or Workspace 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 native subfolders.

Archive Removed Files disregards the archive destination's filename restrictions, including extension, regular-expression, and filename-length rules configured directly on the destination or inherited from parent folders. This lets the archive preserve existing content from folders with different naming rules.

For example, a removed .csv file can be archived in a folder that otherwise accepts only .pdf files. This applies to deleted items, including files removed by File Expiration, and prior versions preserved when uploads, copies, moves, or Syncs overwrite files.

The exception applies only to moves performed by Archive Removed Files. Ordinary uploads, moves, and copies into the same archive folder continue to follow its restrictions. Archived items must still meet Files.com's path requirements, including the maximum path length.

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.