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Trash

Delete a document without losing it, restore it from the trash, understand the deletion locks and why a validated invoice is cancelled with a credit note.

Updated on 06/10/2026 Edit this page Open in the full documentation

Deleting a document in Novadesko does not destroy it: it moves to the list's trash, from which you can restore it. But not every document can be deleted: a numbered invoice that has been paid, transmitted via Peppol or included in a VAT return is locked. In that case, the right answer is cancellation or a credit note.

Delete, cancel or credit

Situation Action
Draft or document never transmitted Delete: it goes to the trash
Created or Sent invoice to withdraw without a credit note Mark as cancelled: Cancelled status, the number stays taken
Invoice paid, sent via Peppol or included in a VAT return Generate credit note: the invoice remains, the credit note offsets it

Cancellation warns: "Warning: this action is irreversible. A credit note will have to be generated to reinstate this document." An invoice in a final status shows "Final status : a credit note is required to modify." in its menu. See Credit notes and Statuses.

Warning

Mark as cancelled and Generate credit note are available on web.novadesko.com. In the app, these entries are greyed out with the note "Available on the web".

Delete a document

  1. Open the Options menu of the row or of the page, then Delete (in red, at the very bottom).
  2. Confirm in "Confirm document deletion": "Do you really want to delete this document? This action is irreversible." with the Delete button.
  3. The message "Document deleted successfully" confirms. The document leaves the list and the counter on the « Corbeille » (trash) link goes up.

For several documents, tick the rows, then Bulk actions > Delete: "n document(s) will be moved to the trash."

The menu of an invoice, with the Delete entry in red
  1. Find the document to delete in the list.
  2. Open its menu with the three dots at the end of the row.
  3. The menu lets you view, edit or duplicate the document.
  4. Delete, in red, sends the document to the bin.
  5. Nothing is lost: the document can still be recovered.

When deletion is refused

The menu then shows Deletion locked with an information icon giving the reason:

Reason Message
VAT return "Document included in a VAT return · cannot be deleted."
Peppol "Document sent via Peppol · cannot be deleted."
Conversion "Document converted into another document · cannot be deleted."
Numbering "A later document exists (F2026-0015). Delete it first to keep continuous numbering."
Other "Document paid, sent or transmitted via Peppol: cannot be deleted."

The numbering rule is the most frequent: the law requires an unbroken sequence of numbers. Only the last invoice in the series can therefore disappear; for an older invoice, use cancellation or a credit note. A bulk selection containing a locked document is refused as a whole: "Deletion locked: some selected documents cannot be deleted."

View the trash

  1. Above the list, click « Corbeille » (trash); the link only appears if it contains at least one document.
  2. The list switches to the deleted documents, greyed out: number, customer, Issue date, Deleted at (date and time), Amount.
  3. Click « Quitter la corbeille » (leave trash) to return to the normal list.
The Trash link, with the number of deleted documents, above the list
  1. The Bin link shows the number of deleted documents.
  2. Click it to open the bin.
  3. Each deleted document keeps its number, customer and deletion date.
  4. Restore puts the document back in its original list.
  5. The document gets its number and status back.

When empty, the trash shows "The trash is empty".

Restore

  1. On the row, click Restore.
  2. Confirm "Restore document": "Document F2026-0014 will be restored to the list."
  3. The message "Document restored" confirms. The document gets back its place, its number and its data.

For several documents, tick them, then Bulk actions > Restore. A document in the trash cannot be sent via Peppol ("Document in the trash") or by email: restore it first.

Delete permanently

The Delete permanently entry in the menu of a document in the trash erases the document for good, after a confirmation in red. It is only available on web.novadesko.com; in the app, it is greyed out with the note "Available on the web".

Note

Documents stay in the trash until you delete them permanently. Take a look through it before a closing to clear out what no longer has any reason to be there.

See also