When you delete a workbook, it's sent to the Trash. Deleted workbooks can be recovered or permanently deleted.
Sometimes you accidentally create an unnecessary workbook, or simply want to remove an old and unused one. For these and other cases, if you are an owner, then you have the option to delete a workbook. Before you delete, make sure you do not need any of the data or contents of that workbook. Deleted workbooks are deleted for all collaborators and remove related row relationships.
Deleted workbooks are held in the trash, which you can access from your Spreadsheet.com home screen. Workbooks in the trash can either be recovered or permanently deleted.
Deleting a Workbook from the Homepage
From your Spreadsheet.com homepage, navigate to the workbook you want to delete. Right click on the workbook name or click the downward arrow to the right of the workbook name and select "Delete..." from the dropdown.
This will open a popup confirming you want to delete the workbook. Once you confirm, the workbook will be deleted and sent to the trash.
Deleting a Workbook from Inside the Workbook
Once inside the workbook you want to delete, open the workbook menu and navigate to File > Delete.
This will open a popup confirming you want to delete the workbook. Once you confirm, the workbook will be deleted and sent to the trash.
What happens to related rows if you delete the worksheet that they're called from?
Deleting a workbook also removes any related rows in other worksheets. All related rows and related row lookups will be removed and stop working. Make sure you remove and store any data you will need before you delete a workbook.
Recovering and Permanently Deleting Workbooks from the Trash
When you delete a workbook, it’s sent to your Trash. You can access the Trash from the bottom left corner of your Spreadsheet.com home screen.
From the Trash screen, you can manage your deleted workbooks. Click the checkboxes next to the workbook names to select which ones to manage. Use the buttons above the list of workbooks to either restore or permanently delete the selected workbooks.
Restoring your deleted workbooks will return them to their original location.
Permanently deleted workbooks cannot be recovered. Make sure you want to permanently delete a workbook before doing so.
Learn more about managing your workbooks with our articles on Workbook Storage and Size Limits, Version History, and Exporting to Excel.