Restore deleted content
Account Owners and Managers can restore media, folders, and channels that were deleted from the Shared Library.
Note
Deleted items are recoverable for up to 30 days on paid plans and 14 days on free plans.
To get started, open the account dropdown menu and click "Recently Deleted."
Select the relevant tab (Folders, Media, or Channels), then locate the content you'd like to recover. You can use the Recently Deleted search bar, sort by deletion date, or sort alphabetically. Once you find the deleted item, click "Restore" to complete the recovery.
Note
Only items that were deleted from the Shared Library will appear on the Recently Deleted page.
To restore multiple items at once, select the checkboxes next to each media, folder, or channel, then click "Restore" from the menu bar at the bottom of the page.
FAQ
Do deleted media count towards storage limits?
No, deleted media does not count towards storage limits.
How does this work with My Library content?
Account Owners and Managers can restore their own My Library content through Recently Deleted. However, recently deleted My Library content belonging to other users can only be restored by contacting Wistia Support.
What options do Standard and Limited users have for content recovery?
If a Standard or Limited user deletes an item from the Shared Library, then they must ask an Account Owner or Manager to restore the item. If they deleted items from their personal My Library, then they can reach out to support for help.
What happens when I restore a folder with subfolders inside?
The subfolders will also be restored!
What if it's been more than 30 days since my media, folder, or channel was deleted?
Once content has been deleted for longer than the recovery window, it's permanently purged from our systems and can't be restored—even by our Support team. We recommend recovering content as soon as you notice it's missing.
Will my analytics and customizations come back?
Yes. Restored media keeps all of its previous stats and customizations, and is returned to its original folder. Restoring a folder also restores everything that was inside it.
How can I find out who deleted something?
Account Owners and Managers can see who deleted media, folders, or subfolders, and when, from the Team Activity page.
Open the account dropdown menu and click "Settings."
From lefthand menu, click "Team Activity."
Click "Content Type" and select "Media," "Folders," and/or "Subfolders."
Click "Action" and select "Deletions."
Each result shows which team member deleted the item and when. To narrow the list, use the Team Member or Date range filters.
Note
Deleting a folder also deletes everything inside it, but Team Activity logs one deletion event for the folder, not one for each media in it. If a single video is missing, check for folder deletions too.
Tip
The Deletions filter also shows restored and unshared items, so you can see whether something has already been brought back.
Once you've found the item, restore it from Recently Deleted. Items can be recovered for 30 days on paid plans and 14 days on free plans. After that, they're permanently purged and can't be restored.
Why isn't my deleted item showing up on the Recently Deleted page?
If you can't find your deleted item, double-check that:
It was deleted less than 30 days ago (or less than 14 days on free plans). Items deleted outside of these windows cannot be recovered.
It lived in the Shared Library, not a user's personal My Library. Recently deleted My Library content belonging to other users can only be restored by contacting Wistia Support.
It was fully processed before deletion. Otherwise, it may not be recoverable. For example, a recording that never finished uploading may never have been saved.
If it's still missing and within the window, contact Wistia Support with the title and approximate deletion date, and we'll be happy to help.