Permanently Delete Archived Audits

Once an audit is archived, it can be permanently deleted. Deletion removes all scan data, notes, images, and audit-related uploaded files — this action cannot be undone.

Deletion is only available for Archived audits. Audits must be archived before they can be deleted — Shelf enforces this as a safety step. Only Admin and Owner roles can delete audits.

Delete a Single Audit

1. Open the audit from the list
2. Click the actions menu (⋯) in the top-right
3. Select Delete (shown in red — only visible on Archived audits)
4. In the confirmation dialog, type the audit's name exactly to unlock the button
5. Click Delete to permanently remove the audit

Bulk Delete Archived Audits

To delete multiple archived audits at once:

Step 1: Filter to Archived

On the audits index page, filter the list by Status → Archived. This is required before using Select All with bulk delete — otherwise the count shown would be misleading.

Step 2: Select the Audits

Use the checkboxes on the left of each row. To select all archived audits at once, click the checkbox in the column header, then click "Select all X audits" when the banner appears.

Step 3: Open the Actions Dropdown

Click the Actions button that appears in the top-right once at least one audit is selected.

Step 4: Choose Delete

Select Delete from the dropdown. If any selected audits are not archived, the Delete option will be disabled with a tooltip explaining why.

Step 5: Type DELETE to Confirm

Type the word DELETE (all caps) in the confirmation field and click Delete permanently to proceed.

What Gets Deleted

Permanently deleting an audit removes:

• All scan records (Found, Missing, Unexpected, Pending status per asset)
• All notes added during the audit
• All photos uploaded to audit assets
• The audit session record itself

The underlying assets are not affected — only the audit data is removed.

Notes

• Deletion is permanent and cannot be reversed.
• Archiving must come first. Active, Completed, or Cancelled audits cannot be deleted directly — archive them first.
• For large-scale audit operations (e.g., running 100+ audits per month), bulk delete is the recommended path for periodic cleanup.
• The bulk delete option is disabled if you have selected audits across mixed statuses — all selected audits must be Archived.

Archive First, Then Delete

The standard audit lifecycle in Shelf is:

1. Create the audit session
2. Scan assets to complete it
3. Complete or Cancel the session
4. Archive it when it's no longer actively referenced
5. Delete it when you want to remove it entirely

If you only want to hide old audits from the default list without removing data, archiving alone is sufficient. See Bulk Archive Audits for instructions.

Related Articles

• Bulk Archive Audits — how to archive multiple audits at once
• Run Your First Audit — full audit walkthrough from start to finish
• Audits Feature Overview — full feature description, pricing, and FAQ