Is your Canva workspace cluttered with old designs, duplicates, or unused media? It’s time for a cleanup!
In this video, I’ll show you how to efficiently delete files in Canva, manage the Trash folder, and tidy up your shared designs and media library.
You’ll learn:
- Deleting Designs: Different methods to delete designs directly from the editor, homepage, and Projects area.
- Bulk Deletion: How to delete multiple items at once for a faster cleanup.
- Understanding the Trash Folder: How the Trash folder works, restoring items, and permanently deleting files.
- Managing Shared Designs: How to hide unwanted shared designs cluttering your workspace.
- What Happens When You Delete Media: Discover how deleting images or videos affects your existing designs.
Resources Mentioned
- Free Trial of Canva Pro (Affiliate Link)
Transcript
Deleting files in Canva might seem straightforward, but there are a few nuances that can make your life a lot easier when you’re tidying up.
Whether you’re getting rid of old designs, clearing out duplicates, or simply looking to free up some mental space, let’s go over the different ways to delete designs, how the Trash folder works, and what happens when you delete shared or previously used media.
Deleting Designs in Canva: Where and How
Canva offers a few different ways to delete your files, depending on where you’re working in the platform.
If you’re in the middle of editing a design and realize you no longer need it, you don’t have to go back to the main page to delete it. You can delete it directly from the editor by going to the menu and selecting “Move to Trash.” This is handy for those moments when you know right away that the design isn’t necessary.
On the Canva homepage, you can also delete designs by hovering over a design, clicking on the three dots that appear, and choosing “Trash.” You can do the same thing within the Projects area. Or you can drag a design into the trash.
This method works well for quick, single deletions.
If you’re ready to tackle a bigger cleanup and want to delete multiple items at once, Canva has a bulk deletion feature to make things faster. In the Projects tab, you can select multiple items by hovering over each one and checking off the boxes, or by dragging to select multiple designs.
Once you’ve chosen everything you want to delete, go to the bottom center of your screen and click the trash icon. Canva will confirm the deletion with a prompt, so you can double-check before everything moves to the Trash.
Understanding the Trash Folder
When you delete a design, Canva doesn’t remove it permanently right away. Instead, it’s sent to the Trash folder, where it will sit for 30 days before being automatically emptied. Think of it as a safety net – just in case you change your mind.
If you need to restore something, open up the Trash folder, hover over the item, click on the three dots, and select “Restore.” The design will pop right back into your Projects, exactly where it was before.
You also have the option to permanently delete files from the Trash folder. To permanently delete, hover over an item in the trash, click the three dots , and choose the relevant option.
Canva will prompt you with a warning, so you have a moment to double-check before the item is permanently removed. Remember, this action is irreversible, so only go ahead if you’re absolutely sure.
And honestly, I wouldn’t bother because it’s not necessary and will be deleted automatically after 30 days.
Managing Shared Designs
So far, we’ve talked about deleting content that’s saved in your own account, but what about those designs that have been shared with you by others? Many of us have a bit of a “shared designs graveyard” accumulating in our Projects area, and I often get asked if it’s possible to delete these unwanted shared designs.
Since you’re not the owner of these shared designs, you can’t delete them completely – just as you wouldn’t want someone else to be able to delete designs you’ve shared with them. However, Canva offers a way to hide shared designs you no longer need that are cluttering your workspace.
Simply hover over the shared design, click on the three dots, and choose the “Hide” option. This removes the design from your Recents on the Canva homepage, from Projects, and from any search results, giving you a cleaner view of your own content.
One thing to keep in mind, though, is that if you ever want to re-access a design you’ve hidden, you’ll need to click on the original share link to open it again. Currently, there’s no list of hidden designs you can refer to and reactivate.
What Happens When You Delete Media
Finally, let’s talk about what happens to your designs when you delete media like images or videos. If you’re cleaning up your uploads and removing old or unused images, you might worry that it could impact any designs where you’ve used that media.
Previously, media that was used in a design would remain in the Trash indefinitely unless the design was also deleted. With Canva’s most recent update, attached media will now follow the same 30-day deletion window as designs in your Trash. This ensures your workspace stays cleaner without the need to manually clear out old uploads.
Thankfully, Canva preserves media within any design where it’s already being used, so deleting an image from your library won’t cause any issues with existing designs. Your layouts will remain intact!
This means that even after attached media is permanently removed from the Trash, your designs will not break. However, you won’t be able to reuse that media in new designs unless you re-upload it.
