Users with Delete permissions in database settings can delete documents from the database. This article covers the consequences of deletion, how to delete documents, and includes suggestions for when you might want to delete documents.
Overview
Important
Deleting documents permanently and immediately removes them from the Everlaw database. Document deletion cannot be undone. All work product and analytics associated with those documents is deleted along with the documents themselves.
This means the documents are removed from all projects that contain them, even if you are not a member of those particular projects.
If you incorrectly delete documents, the only way to restore them on the platform is to re-upload them, and there will be no review work associated with them anymore.
To remove documents from a partial project rather than deleting them, please review this section of our help article on projects.
Delete documents from the results table
To delete from a results table:
- Access a results table that has the documents you want to delete.
- Select the documents you plan to delete by using the selector column in the left side of the table. By default, all documents in the table are selected.
- Then, select Batch > Delete from database.
This prompt a dialog asking you to confirm the deletion.
- Select Continue to continue with the deletion. Choosing to delete documents will permanently and immediately remove them from Everlaw.
Additionally, the documents are removed from all other projects on the database that contain them, even if you are not a member of those particular projects. Document deletion cannot be undone and all associated review work will be deleted permanently. The dialog describes the documents and work product that will be deleted. It will also suggest that you add to or remove from project, in case you prefer to do that over deleting all documents from the database. - Type in a reason for permanent and immediate deletion. Then, select Delete.
Delete documents by upload
Required permission: Upload and Delete permissions, or Database Admin permissions.
You can delete an entire dataset from the Uploads page. To do so:
- Select Data Transfer
> Uploads.
- Select Native Data or Processed Data on the left to access the upload card for the dataset you wish to delete.
Once you're on the correct tab, you can filter by name or date to find the upload card for the upload you plan to delete. -
Select the three-dot menu on that card and select Delete from Database.
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This opens a confirmation dialog that describes the documents and work product that will be deleted. Document deletion cannot be undone and all associated review work will be deleted permanently.
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Note that unlike deleting documents from the results table, you cannot choose which documents in that set to delete; you delete all documents in that dataset.
Select Continue.
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Note that unlike deleting documents from the results table, you cannot choose which documents in that set to delete; you delete all documents in that dataset.
- Type in a reason for permanent and immediate deletion. Then, select Delete.
Delete documents by production
Required permission: Both Production admin permissions and Delete or Admin in database settings.
You can delete produced documents from the Productions page. To do so:
- Select Data Transfer
- Select the three-dot menu on the Production card for the produced documents you wish to delete.
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Select Delete Production and you are prompted to confirm deletion.
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Note that unlike deleting documents from the results table, you cannot choose which documents in that set to delete; you will be deleting all documents in that dataset.
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Note that unlike deleting documents from the results table, you cannot choose which documents in that set to delete; you will be deleting all documents in that dataset.
- Select Continue.
- Type in a reason for permanent and immediate deletion. Then, select Delete.
Timing your document deletion
You may want to delete documents to reduce data size. We recommend that you begin archiving your data two weeks before the end of the billing period, which is end-of-month at midnight UTC. Export speed is roughly 1.5 million docs a day and deletion speed is roughly 1 million docs a day. Please account for download speeds to your local machine as well, or contact Everlaw Support for a managed export.
If you start deleting documents in a given month and the deletion completes after the end of the month, part of the documents deleted will account for billable data size at the start of the new billing period before the deletion completes. If this happens, a platform message and email will be sent to you notifying you how much total data was deleted and how much was deleted after the end of the previous billing period.
Learn more about billing and pricing in our FAQ.