How do I restore a deleted item?

ksparsna

I accidentally deleted an item while trying to remove it from a collection. The item had been copied into three collections, and I wanted to remove it from one of them. However, when I tried to delete it from one collection, Zotero deleted the item completely from all locations. Is there a way to restore this file?

I am using a large Zotero library for a company that I work for, so the database is all online (not on my local hard drive) and I don't have access to backups. Unfortunately my desktop app was set up with automatic syncing so the item is gone even when I log into Zotero from a web browser. I am surprised that there is no option to undo an action - or maybe there is one, and I just haven't been able to find it?

Any advice would be much appreciated.

tim820

If in the Web Library, go to Trash at the bottom of the collections list there. In the middle pane, select the item you mistakenly moved to the bin. In the top taskbar there is an 'undo' icon that performs Restore to Library.

If on Zotero Desktop, you have the same Bin/Trash at the bottom of your collections. You can right-click on an item to Restore to Library.

Both should work unless you have cleared/emptied the bin/trash since the item was sent there.

In the future, the operation on Zotero Desktop to remove an item from a collection (only) is right-click Remove Item From Collection. Or Remove Item from Collection in the top taskbar of the Web Library. Move Item to Bin/Trash removes the item from all collections, as you found.

Gigakos

Is there a "Deletion date" column so I can sort by it? I don't remember what was the name of the deleted item