How to archive or restore Paper docs and folders (2024)

This article explains how to archive, restore, and permanently delete Dropbox Paper docs and folders. If you’d like to recover other Dropbox files instead, learn how to restore deleted files and folders.

Only creators and users with editing permission can archive Paper docs. When a Paper doc is archived, it becomes read-only for everyone it was shared with.

How to archive a Paper doc

To archive a Dropbox Paper doc:

1. Open the doc you want to archive.
2. Click "…" (ellipsis).
3. Click Archive.

How to archive a Paper folder

To archive a Dropbox Paper folder:

1. Hover over the folder you want to archive.
   
2. Click the checkbox.
3. Click Archive.

How to find and restore an archived Paper doc

To find and restore a Dropbox Paper doc:

1. Log in to dropbox.com.
2. Click the grid icon in the top-left corner.
3. Click Paper from the menu that appears.
4. Click the Docs tab.
5. Click the sorting/filtering dropdown in the upper-right of your list of docs. By default, it’s set to Viewed recently.
6. Click Archived. You’ll see a list of your archived docs.
7. Click a doc to open it.
8. Click the “…” (ellipses) in the upper-right corner.
9. Click Restore.

How to find and restore an archived Paper folder

To find and restore a Dropbox Paper folder:

1. Log in to dropbox.com.
2. Click the grid icon in the top-left corner.
3. Click Paper from the menu that appears.
4. Click the Folders tab.
5. Click the sorting/filtering dropdown in the upper-right of your list of docs. By default, it’s set to Alphabetical.
6. Click Archived.
7. Click the folder.
8. Click Restore.

How to permanently delete a Paper folder

To permanently delete a Dropbox Paper folder:

1. Archive the folder.
2. Click Folders.
3. Click Archived.
4. Click the folder.
5. Click Permanently delete.
6. Click Permanently delete again.

Previously, Paper didn't offer an easy way to delete docs so many users would use Archive to remove docs from their list of docs when they actually meant to delete them. Now that Paper has an option to delete, we'll be moving all archived docs to the Deleted list.

If a doc you'd like to keep ends up in the Deleted list, you can easily move these docs back to the Archive list.