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Deleting a project happens in two steps, and only the second one destroys anything. If the project is finished, archive it instead. See /projects/archive-a-project.

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Step 1 – Delete (move to the Trash)

1

Open the project

Click it in Projects.
2

Click Actions → Delete

A confirmation modal opens.
3

Read what it says

“Nothing is destroyed yet – the project and every task, section and comment in it are destroyed. You can restore it from Settings → Trash until it is permanently deleted.”
4

Click Delete

You see “Project moved to Trash.” and land back on the project list.

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What Delete actually does

Nothing is destroyed and nothing is detached.
A trashed project is permanently deleted when the retention window ends. The default window is 30 days, and an owner or admin can change it at /settings/trash.

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Restore from the Trash

1

Find it

Switch the project list to Trash or All, or open Settings → Trash.
2

Open the project and click Restore

Either on the banner at the top, or from Actions → Restore.
3

Confirm

You see “Project restored.”
Restoring always returns the project to Active, never to Archived. It gives back whatever the deletion took with it – hidden tasks, the task counters – then flips the project back. The banner on a trashed project reads:
This project is in the Trash. It is hidden everywhere and will be permanently deleted when the retention window ends.

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Step 2 – Delete permanently

This is irreversible and only available while the project is in the Trash.

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The type-to-confirm gate

Because a permanent project delete destroys real work, the confirmation modal will not let you click through it by reflex.
1

Switch the list to Trash and open the project

Or reach it from Settings → Trash.
2

Click Actions → Delete permanently

The modal states what will be destroyed, and lists what still references the project – for example “412 time entries, 3 invoices”.
3

Copy the project name

The name is shown in a chip with a copy button beside it. Click the copy icon and you see “Copied to clipboard.”
4

Type or paste it into the field

The field is labelled Type “Website Redesign” to confirm. The Delete permanently button stays disabled until it matches exactly. Leading and trailing spaces are ignored.
5

Click Delete permanently

You see “Project permanently deleted.”

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What a permanent delete destroys

The project and every task, section and comment in it are destroyed. This cannot be undone.
There is no restore, no undo and no support recovery.

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When TimeTracker refuses

A project referenced by the financial or historical record cannot be permanently deleted, no matter what you type. If any of those exist you see a message naming the exact counts:
“this project still has 412 time entries, 3 invoices and cannot be permanently deleted. Archive it instead.”
This is deliberate. A system of record does not orphan a time entry or an invoice line to make a delete succeed. In practice, any project people actually worked on will always refuse – and archiving is the right answer for it anyway.

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Example

Priya created Websiet Redesign by mistake – a typo, a blank project with no tasks and no time.
  1. She opens it and clicks Actions → Delete. The toast reads “Project moved to Trash.”
  2. It disappears from every list and picker.
  3. She switches the list to Trash, opens it, and clicks Actions → Delete permanently.
  4. The modal reports no blocking references. She clicks the copy icon beside Websiet Redesign, pastes it into the field, and the button enables.
  5. She clicks Delete permanently. The typo is gone for good.
Contrast that with Brand Refresh, which shipped and was invoiced. Tom trashes it, then tries a permanent delete. TimeTracker refuses – 118 time entries and 3 invoices still point at it. He restores it and archives it instead.

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Permissions

Without project.manage the Actions menu does not render.
Restore deliberately works even when the Projects & tasks app is switched off. Recovery must never depend on a toggle.

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Choosing between Archive and Delete

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Common questions

Until the retention window ends – 30 days by default. Change it at /settings/trash.
Not on the first step – nothing is destroyed. A permanent delete would, which is exactly why time entries block it entirely.
It only appears for a project already in the Trash. Delete it first, then reopen it from the Trash view.
What you typed does not match the project name. Use the copy button beside the name, then paste.
Delete them one at a time. Each permanent delete requires its own typed confirmation.
Nothing. The client record is untouched. If it was the client’s last visible project, scoped roles may lose sight of the client – see /projects/project-visibility.
No. That is what “permanent” means, and why the gate exists.

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Troubleshooting

Archive a project

Usually the right answer.

Archive, Trash and Delete

The model, product wide.

Settings → Trash

The retention window.

Project permissions

Who can delete.

Delete and restore a task

The same idea, one level down.