Deleted a file by mistake? Restore it from the BrewInTH trash
Deleted a file by mistake, or your AI did? On BrewInTH it goes to the trash. Restore it from the Files tab, and see what the trash keeps and what it doesn't.
You deleted a file in the Files tab and only then remembered you still needed it. Or you asked your AI to tidy up old uploads, and something you wanted went with them. Or you sent a fresh ZIP and a few images didn't make it into the new set. That sinking feeling is normal.
The good news: on BrewInTH, almost every delete you make through the platform moves things to a trash instead of destroying them. This guide shows you how to restore a deleted file yourself from the Files tab, step by step. It also explains where each kind of deleted item ends up, what you can bring back on your own, what the team can bring back for you, and what the trash doesn't keep, so you know what to back up yourself.
In short
🗑️ Files deleted from the Files tab go to the trash, whether you deleted them, your AI did, or a newer upload replaced them
♻️ Restore them yourself from deleted files in the Files tab: press Restore, then publish again from the Releases tab
📦 Files in the trash don't count against your package storage; they count again once restored
🛟 The account owner can restore a deleted project; a deleted database is dumped to the trash first, and the team can restore it
⚠️ Data your app deletes itself, mail in a deleted mailbox and Redis data never reach the trash, so keep backups of what matters
What the BrewInTH trash keeps
Since October 2026, when you (or an AI you gave a token to) delete something through BrewInTH, the platform first moves it into its trash rather than removing it for good. How you get it back depends on what it was.
You can restore these yourself
- Files in the Files tab deleted by you or by your AI
- Older versions replaced when you send a new set on the Upload & go live page, or press Publish from SFTP
- A deleted project, with its files, databases and persistent storage: the account owner restores it from the bottom of the Projects page
Ask the team for these
- A deleted database: its data is dumped to the trash before it is removed, and if that dump fails, the data is not removed
- Backup files you deleted, both database backups and persistent storage backups
Files your live site uses can't be deleted
In the file list, a file used by the release that's online carries the note part of the live release, and its Delete button is disabled until a newer release that doesn't use it is online. For any other file, pressing Delete asks you to confirm on the page and tells you the file goes to the trash.
Restore a deleted file yourself, step by step
1. Open the project's Files tab
Open the project from Projects. The project page opens on its Files tab. You can also choose Files in the menu and pick the project at the top of the page.
2. Open "deleted files"
Below the Choose files to upload box, and above the file list, there's a line with a small arrow in front of it that reads 3 deleted file(s) in the trash (can be restored), with your own count. Click it to open the list. If the line isn't there, the project has nothing in the trash.
3. Check it's the right file, then press Restore
The list shows the most recently deleted files first, with the columns File, Size, Uploaded, Deleted and Why. If several rows share a name, use Uploaded to find the version you want, then press Restore at the end of its row.
You'll see "(file name) is back — publish from the Releases tab to put it on the site again", and the file is back in the file list, where you can Download it as usual.
4. Publish again to put it back on your site
Restoring brings the file back into the project, but the site that's online doesn't change until you publish again.
- A static site (HTML, CSS, images): on the Releases tab, press Publish latest files
- An app sent as a ZIP: on the Releases tab, pick the restored ZIP under Source archive (.zip) (each option shows its name, size and date), then press Build & publish
If you only need the file itself, say an old image you want to edit, there's nothing to publish: just press Download.
Can't find it in the trash?
- You just sent a new set through Upload & go live or SFTP. Files the previous release was still using at that moment don't go to the trash right away; they stay in the file list. Look there first.
- You deleted it in your SFTP folder with a program like FileZilla. Those files aren't listed: deleted files only covers the project's file list.
What the "Why" column tells you
- deleted: someone pressed Delete in the Files tab, or an AI deleted the file with the project's token (both show the same word). If you don't remember deleting it, ask the AI that works on this project.
- replaced by a newer hand-over: you sent a new set on the Upload & go live page, so the earlier version moved here, such as the previous ZIP or a static site's image that wasn't in the new set.
- replaced by an SFTP publish: you pressed Publish from SFTP, and an older file with the same name was replaced.
Four things to know before you press Restore
- You need the room. A restored file counts against your package storage again. If there isn't enough, you'll see "Not enough package storage". Delete something you don't need first; Your BrewInTH Usage page shows where the space goes.
- Same name? The newer version still wins. A restored older version never overwrites a newer one. For a ZIP, pick the version you want under Source archive (.zip). For a static site file, download the old version, put it back into your set of files, and send that set again.
- Restoring isn't publishing. The live site stays as it is until you publish again, as in step 4.
- Your package ended and the account is in its frozen stage. If the account holds more than Free allows, nothing new can be added at this stage, restores included, so renew first. More in What happens when your BrewInTH package ends?
If Restore is greyed out, or pressing it tells you to contact the team, that file can't be restored from this page. Open a conversation from Talk to support in the menu with the project name, the file name and the time in the Deleted column.
Deleted projects, databases and backups
Deleted a whole project? The account owner can restore it
When you delete a project, the site stops at once, and its files, databases and persistent storage move to the trash, usually within 2–3 minutes (meanwhile the Projects page lists it under Being deleted). After that, the bottom of the Projects page shows 1 deleted project(s) in the trash (you can restore them). Open it, check the What comes back column, then press Restore and Yes, restore. The project gets its old brewInTH address and its databases back and is released again from its newest files, which takes about 1–2 minutes.
Only the account owner sees this list. After a restore, five things need setting up again: connected domains, mailboxes, schedules, SFTP and AI tokens.
Deleted a database or a backup? Ask the team
A database deleted on the Databases tab is dumped to the trash first, but the console has no button to bring it back yourself yet. Backup files you delete, on the Databases tab or in the Volume backups (/bw-data) panel, go to the trash too. If you deleted one by mistake, open a conversation from Talk to support with the project name, the database or backup, and when you deleted it.
What the trash doesn't keep: back it up yourself
The trash only catches deletes made through BrewInTH. These never reach it:
- Data your app deletes itself, such as rows removed by your code or by an SQL statement, and files your app removes from its persistent storage at /bw-data
- Mail in a deleted mailbox: the Email page warns that it can't be restored, and a project with mailboxes can only be deleted after its mailboxes are. Move important mail out first.
- Redis data, used as a cache or a queue
So the data your app writes needs backups. The Backups add-on (฿99/month on the packages page at the time of writing) backs up your databases daily and on demand, and it powers the Volume backups (/bw-data) panel on the App settings tab, which appears once the app has persistent storage. See Back up and restore your database on BrewInTH and Keep user uploads safe with persistent storage (/bw-data).
Let your AI tidy up files safely
Every uploaded version counts against your package storage until it's deleted, and source ZIPs sent again and again add up fast. On the Free package's 20 MB, a few old ZIPs can take most of it. Deleting old ZIPs helps, and anything deleted can still come back from the trash.
The guide your AI reads when it connects to BrewInTH tells it to delete only files it uploaded during that task and that the live release doesn't use. To be extra safe, ask like this:
Please tidy up this project's files on BrewInTH to free up storage.
- Delete only ZIPs or files you uploaded yourself that the live release doesn't use.
- Never delete files you didn't upload.
- Before deleting, send me the list of files with their sizes and upload dates to confirm.
- When you're done, tell me what you deleted and how much space it freed.If the AI deletes too much, those files are in deleted files with the reason deleted, and the steps above bring them back.
FAQ
How long do files stay in the trash?
At the time of writing, nothing is removed from the trash automatically after a set time. Still, the trash isn't permanent storage and comes with no guaranteed period, so restore a mistake as soon as you notice it.
Do files in the trash use my package storage?
No. Deleting a file gives its space back to your package straight away, and it counts again once you restore it.
Can my AI delete my files?
Yes, if its token may manage files, and a token from Create the AI link and token (automatic) has every permission. Files your AI deletes go to the trash like the ones you delete, and it can't delete files the live site uses either.
When I restore a project, do files I deleted before deleting the project come back too?
Not by themselves. A project restore brings back only the files that went to the trash with the project. Files deleted or replaced before that stay in the trash, and you can restore them one by one from deleted files in the Files tab.
Summary
A file you delete on BrewInTH isn't gone at once. Files from the Files tab come back from deleted files, followed by a new release. A deleted project can be restored by the account owner, and the team can help with deleted databases and backups. The trash is a safety net, not the place your work lives: keep the originals on your computer or in Git, and back up the data your app writes. To see real screenshots of each step, open User guide › Files: upload, publish and restore in the console.