# Archiving and deleting conversations

> Keep your CoreHue Messages list tidy. Archive finished client conversations, move old ones to the Bin, and how the 30-day Bin and permanent deletion work.

Source: https://help.corehue.co/docs/messages/archiving-and-deleting-messages/

Archive a conversation in CoreHue [Messages](/docs/messages/how-messages-work) when it's finished and you want it out of the way. Delete it only when you're sure you'll never need it. Archiving keeps the full history on your client's [contact page](/docs/contacts/the-contact-page), which is usually what you want.

## Marking as read or unread

Hover a conversation in the list and open the three-dot menu, or use the same menu at the top right of an open thread. Choose **Mark as read** or **Mark as unread**.

Marking something unread is a handy reminder to come back to it. It'll show in the **Unread** view and in the count beside **Messages**.

## Archiving a conversation

1. Hover the conversation, or open it.
2. Open the three-dot menu.
3. Choose **Archive**.

It moves to the **Archived** view and stays on the contact's **Messages** tab. Nothing is lost.

Archiving isn't final. If your client writes again, or you [reply](/docs/messages/replying-to-clients), the conversation comes straight back to **All messages**. To bring one back yourself, open it from **Archived** and choose **Restore**.

## Moving a conversation to the Bin

1. Open the three-dot menu on the conversation.
2. Choose **Move to Bin** and confirm.

The conversation stays in the **Bin** view for 30 days, then it's deleted for good. While it's in the Bin, it no longer shows on the contact's **Messages** tab. Each binned conversation shows its own deadline, and an open one says when it will be permanently deleted.

You can't reply from the Bin. Open a binned thread and choose **Restore** to bring it back to **All messages**. If your client writes again before the 30 days are up, the conversation restores itself.

## Deleting permanently

You don't have to wait the full 30 days.

- **Delete permanently** on a single conversation in the Bin removes just that one.
- **Empty bin** at the top of the Bin view clears everything in it.

> **This can't be undone**
Permanent deletion removes the conversation, its messages and its [attachments](/docs/messages/attachments) from CoreHue and from the contact's page. Download any files you want to keep first.

## Archive or delete?

| | Archive | Bin |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Leaves your main list | Yes | Yes |
| Stays on the contact's **Messages** tab | Yes | No, it leaves the tab while it's in the Bin |
| Comes back if your client replies | Yes | Yes, within 30 days. After that, a reply starts a new conversation without the old history |
| Deleted automatically | Never | After 30 days |

For most finished jobs, archive. Your client history is part of your business record, and it's the thing you'll be glad of when a client asks what was agreed two years ago.

## Frequently asked questions

### Does archiving tell my client anything?

No. Archiving or deleting a conversation doesn't notify your client, and the emails in their inbox stay where they are. One thing does change when you delete permanently: download links for large attachments you sent in that conversation stop working.

### Can I get back a conversation I emptied from the Bin?

No. Once a conversation is deleted permanently or the Bin is emptied, it's gone, attachments included. If your client replies to an old email later, their reply starts a new conversation without the earlier history.

### Can I archive or delete on the Free plan?

Yes. Reading, archiving, restoring and deleting conversations all work on every CoreHue plan, including Free. Only sending and replying need Plus or Pro. See [Messages on the Free plan](/docs/messages/messages-on-the-free-plan).