> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.timetracker.in/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Archive a project

> Archive a finished project in TimeTracker to hide it from lists and pickers while keeping every task, time entry, budget and invoice intact.

Archiving retires a finished project without losing anything. The project leaves your lists and pickers, and every task, hour, budget and invoice stays exactly as it was.

## Archive vs delete

| Action                 | Reversible | What it does                                                                                             |
| ---------------------- | ---------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Archive**            | Yes        | Hides a finished project. Everything is preserved and still reportable.                                  |
| **Delete**             | Yes        | Moves it to the Trash. Nothing is destroyed yet, but a purge countdown starts.                           |
| **Delete permanently** | **No**     | Destroys the project and everything in it. See [/projects/delete-a-project](/projects/delete-a-project). |

Archive is for work that is **finished**. Delete is for work that should never have existed.

## Two ways to archive

Both do exactly the same thing, including notifying the project's members.

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Actions menu">
    <Steps>
      <Step title="Open the project">
        Click it in **Projects**.
      </Step>

      <Step title="Click Actions">
        The dropdown beside the project name.
      </Step>

      <Step title="Choose Archive">
        A confirmation modal opens.
      </Step>

      <Step title="Read it, then click Archive">
        "It leaves the project list and pickers. Tasks, time entries, budgets and invoices are all preserved. You can restore it from Settings → Archive."
      </Step>
    </Steps>

    You see **"Project archived."** and land back on the project list.
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Status dropdown">
    <Steps>
      <Step title="Open the project">
        Go to **Settings → General**.
      </Step>

      <Step title="Set Status to Archived">
        It sits at the end of the status list.
      </Step>

      <Step title="Click Save changes">
        The project is archived through the same path.
      </Step>
    </Steps>

    Choosing any real status again brings it back to active, so the picker is a genuine round trip.
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

## What archiving does

| Thing                 | Effect                                                              |
| --------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| The project list      | Leaves the **Active** view. Findable under **Archived** or **All**. |
| Project pickers       | Gone – time entry, planner and reports no longer offer it           |
| Tasks                 | Preserved, untouched                                                |
| Time entries          | Preserved, untouched                                                |
| Budget and financials | Preserved, untouched                                                |
| Invoices              | Preserved, untouched                                                |
| Reports               | Still included – archived work stays reportable                     |
| The project page      | Still opens, with a banner marking it archived                      |
| Project members       | Notified that the project was archived                              |

<Note>
  An archived project still opens in full. Following an old link shows the project, clearly marked, with a way back. Redirecting you instead is what makes archiving feel like destruction.
</Note>

## The archived banner

At the top of an archived project:

> **This project is archived.**
> It is hidden from lists and pickers. You can restore it from Settings → Archive.

A **Restore** button sits on the right. The banner appears on every tab, including each Settings section.

## Find an archived project

<Steps>
  <Step title="From the project list">
    Switch the dropdown beside **New project** from **Active** to **Archived** or **All**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Or from Settings → Archive">
    That page lists everything archived across the workspace, grouped by type.
  </Step>
</Steps>

Archived rows carry a small **Archived** chip beside the name.

## Restore a project

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the archived project">
    From the Archived view, or from **Settings → Archive**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Click Restore">
    Either on the banner, or from **Actions → Restore**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Confirm">
    You see **"Project restored."**
  </Step>
</Steps>

Everything comes back exactly as it was – sections, tasks, time entries, budget and history. Nothing was detached on the way out, so the restore is exact.

Restoring keeps you on the page you are reading, rather than bouncing you to the list.

## Archiving is idempotent

Archiving an already-archived project changes nothing, writes no audit noise and sends no second notification. The original "archived on" stamp is never reset.

## Example

**Brand Refresh** for Fenwick Legal has shipped, been invoiced and been paid.

1. Tom Whitfield opens the project and clicks **Actions → Archive**.
2. The modal states what is preserved. He clicks **Archive**.
3. Brand Refresh leaves the project list and stops appearing when anyone logs time.
4. Its 118 hours still appear in last quarter's revenue report.
5. Six months later a client query comes in. Tom switches the project list to **Archived**, opens Brand Refresh, reads the task history, and leaves it archived.

If Fenwick had come back with phase two, Tom would have clicked **Restore** and carried on in the same project.

## Permissions

| Action  | Capability       |
| ------- | ---------------- |
| Archive | `project.manage` |
| Restore | `project.manage` |

Without `project.manage` the **Actions** menu and the banner's **Restore** button do not render.

<Note>
  **Restore** stays reachable even when the Projects & tasks app has been switched off. Recovery must never depend on a toggle.
</Note>

## What happens next

* Everyone on the project gets a notification that it was archived. You are never notified about your own click.
* The project drops out of every picker on the next screen update.
* Reports keep including it, so historical revenue and profitability are unchanged.
* Its client stays visible as long as the client has another visible project – client reach follows project reach.

## Common questions

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Does archiving stop time tracking on the project?">
    It removes the project from the pickers, so nobody can pick it for new time. Existing entries are untouched.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Do archived projects appear in reports?">
    Yes. That is the point of archiving rather than deleting – the record stays reportable.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I archive a project with an open budget?">
    Yes. The budget and every figure derived from it are preserved.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I archive a project with unapproved time?">
    Yes, but the pending time stays pending. Clear the approvals first if you want the numbers final.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Does archiving the client archive its projects?">
    No. The two are separate. Archive each project you want out of the way.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What is the difference between the Completed status and archiving?">
    **Completed** is a workflow status – the project is done but still in your active list. **Archived** is a retirement state that hides it. Use Completed while the work is wrapping up, then archive it.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Troubleshooting

| Problem                                            | Cause                                                                   | Fix                                            |
| -------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------- |
| No **Actions** menu                                | You lack `project.manage`                                               | Ask an admin or the project manager            |
| The archived project is not in the list            | You are on the **Active** view                                          | Switch to **Archived** or **All**              |
| "Couldn't archive this project. Please try again." | The server refused                                                      | Check your capability, reload, retry           |
| A restored project is still missing                | You are still on the Archived view                                      | Switch back to **Active**                      |
| The project is not in the time entry picker        | It is archived                                                          | Restore it, or log time on a different project |
| Members were not notified                          | You archived it yourself – you are never notified about your own action | Ask a member to confirm they received it       |

## Related guides

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Delete a project" icon="trash" href="/projects/delete-a-project">
    The recoverable and permanent deletes.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Archive, Trash and Delete" icon="archive" href="/concepts/archive-trash-and-delete">
    How the lifecycle works everywhere.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Settings → Archive" icon="box" href="/settings/archive">
    Everything you have archived.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Project settings" icon="sliders" href="/projects/project-settings">
    Where the status dropdown lives.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Archive or delete a client" icon="building" href="/clients/archive-or-delete-a-client">
    The same idea, one level up.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>