Archive Projects
Soft-delete a project to hide it from active views without losing any data - restore at any time. Plus the difference between archiving and permanent delete.
Archiving a project is a non-destructive way to clean up your workspace. The project disappears from the sidebar, the Dashboard, and most pickers, but every piece of project data - tasks, notes, goals, milestones, custom field values, time tracking, attachments, CRM links - remains intact. Restore at any time and the project is right back where it was.
Archive keeps the project data
Use archive when you want a project out of daily view without removing its tasks, notes, goals, milestones, or links.
If you want to permanently remove a project, delete it instead - see the section below for the difference.
What you can do
Archive
any project with one click and a confirmation
Hide archived projects
from the sidebar, Dashboard, project pickers, and Quick Add
Filter the Projects page
to show All, Active only, or Archived only
Find archived projects
by switching to the Archived filter
Unarchive
a project to bring it back to active state with all data intact
Delete
a project permanently (with confirmation showing exactly what will be removed)
How to archive a project
You can archive from two places:
From the project's Edit modal
Step 1
Open the project
Step 2
Press E to open Edit Project
Step 3
Click Archive Project at the bottom of the modal
Step 4
Confirm in the dialog that opens
From the Projects page
Step 1
Open the Projects page (click Projects in the sidebar)
Step 2
Click the actions menu on a project card or row
Step 3
Choose Archive Project
Step 4
Confirm in the dialog that opens
A confirmation modal appears with a summary of what archiving does - your data is preserved, tasks remain visible, the project is hidden from the sidebar, and you can restore at any time.
Archive finished or paused projects
Archiving is useful for completed work, seasonal projects, and client work you may need to revisit later.
What stays intact
Archiving doesn't delete anything. Every piece of project data is preserved:
- Tasks and subtasks - still in the database, still visible in main task views
- Goals and milestones - preserved with all progress and links
- Notes - every note with its mentions, attachments, embeds
- Custom field definitions and values - fully preserved
- Time tracking entries - every timer session and focus session remains
- CRM data - linked contacts, companies, activities, and CRM tasks
- Banner image and project metadata
- Project team - members and roles
- Field tabs and field configurations
The only thing that changes is the project's archived flag - set to true when archived, false when unarchived.
Where archived projects appear
| Place | Behaviour |
|---|---|
| Sidebar | Hidden by default - archived projects don't show in your project list |
| Dashboard | Hidden - Project Overview widget shows active projects only |
| Projects page | Visible only when filter is set to All or Archived |
| Project pickers (when assigning tasks, etc.) | Hidden by default; can still be shown for tasks already linked to an archived project |
| CRM project filter | Hidden |
Quick Add @project syntax | Hidden - @archived-project won't autocomplete |
| Health/progress calculations on Dashboard | Excluded - only active projects contribute |
Archived projects show with an Archived badge when they do appear (in the All filter or when opened directly).
How to find and unarchive a project
Step 1
Open the Projects page
Step 2
Click the Archived filter (only appears when you have at least one archived project)
Step 3
Find the project you want to restore
Step 4
Click the actions menu and choose Unarchive Project
Step 5
Confirm in the dialog
The project returns to the active list and reappears in the sidebar, Dashboard, and pickers immediately.
You can also unarchive from the project's Edit modal (where the Archive button becomes Unarchive when the project is archived).
Restore returns the project to active views
Unarchiving makes the project available again in normal project lists and project pickers.
Archive vs Delete
| Archive | Delete | |
|---|---|---|
| Reversible | Yes - restore at any time | No - permanent |
| Tasks | Preserved | All deleted |
| Notes, fields, time | Preserved | All deleted |
| Project record | Hidden but exists | Removed |
| CRM data (isolated) | Preserved | Deleted (isolated CRM data goes with the project) |
| CRM data (shared) | Project unlinked from contacts/companies | Project unlinked, contacts/companies remain |
| Use when | Project is finished or paused but you might want it back | You're sure the project shouldn't exist |
When to delete
Delete is permanent. Use it for projects you're absolutely sure don't belong - test projects, abandoned experiments, accidental creations. The delete confirmation tells you exactly how many tasks will be removed so you don't delete a project with significant data by accident.
Delete is permanent
Use archive first when there is any chance you will need the project or its history again.
When in doubt - archive
Archiving is non-destructive and reversible. If you might want the project back someday, archive it. You can always delete an archived project later if you change your mind.
Things worth knowing
Archive doesn't hide the project's tasks
Archiving the project doesn't archive its tasks. The tasks stay in your task views and still appear on the main Tasks page. If you want to clean up tasks too, you can delete them individually or use bulk actions before archiving - see Task Bulk Actions.
The Projects page filter is sticky
The Active / Archived / All filter on the Projects page is shared via URL. If you bookmark the page with the Archived filter active, opening that bookmark takes you directly to the archived view.
Smart filter switching
If you're viewing the Active filter and archive your last active project, the page automatically switches to the Archived filter so you can see what just moved. Same in reverse - unarchiving the last archived project switches you to Active.
Archived count appears in the filter
The Archived filter shows the count of archived projects next to its name - useful when you want to quickly see how many projects you've put away.
Archive works on every license
Archiving and restoring projects is part of the core project management feature set on every PrimeTask license. There's no Pro requirement.
Common questions
"Will my data be lost when I archive?"
No. Archiving only sets a flag - every piece of data (tasks, notes, fields, time, attachments, CRM) stays in place. Restoring brings everything back exactly as it was.
"What's the difference between archive and delete?"
Archive is reversible - the project is hidden but data is preserved. Delete is permanent - the project, all its tasks, and any isolated CRM data are removed. When in doubt, archive first; you can always delete later.
"Can I see my archived project's tasks in the main task list?"
Yes - task views show tasks regardless of project archive status. Archiving the project doesn't archive the tasks. If you want to hide an archived project's tasks too, mark them as completed or use bulk actions.
"Why doesn't my archived project appear in the @project autocomplete?"
Quick Add filters out archived projects so you don't accidentally assign new tasks to projects you've put away. Unarchive the project if you want it back in autocomplete.
"Can I bulk-archive projects?"
Not currently - archiving is one project at a time. To clean up many projects, archive them individually from the Projects page.
"How do I see only archived projects?"
Open the Projects page and click the Archived filter. The filter only appears when at least one project is archived.
"What happens to CRM data when I archive a project with isolated CRM?"
Isolated CRM data (project-scoped contacts, companies, activities, and CRM tasks) is preserved with the project. When you restore the project, all isolated CRM data is intact. If you delete the project (instead of archive), the isolated CRM data is permanently removed too.
"Can other people on my team see my archived projects?"
Archive is a project-level state that syncs with the project itself. If your Space is shared, every member sees the same archived state - when you archive, it's archived for everyone.
Where to go next
| If you want to… | Read this |
|---|---|
| Move a project to a different Space instead | Copy to Space |
| Create a new project | Creating Projects |
| See the project header's Delete action | Project Header |
| Understand the full project page | Project Details Page |
| Return to the Projects hub | Projects Overview |