Deleting documents from a SharePoint Library isn't as final as you might think. Let's dive into what actually happens behind the scenes and how SharePoint manages deleted documents.
First-Stage Recycle Bin
Initially, when documents are deleted, they are moved to the First-Stage Recycle Bin. This is your "Recycle bin" that is readily accessible within SharePoint, allowing users to recover accidentally deleted items. Documents stay here for 30 days, but if your storage quota is exceeded, SharePoint might purge the oldest items to make room for new deletions.
If necessary, you can restore these items back to the Library at any point during this 30-day window.
Second-Stage Recycle Bin
If items are deleted from the First-Stage Recycle Bin or if they remain there for more than 30 days, they automatically transition to the Second-Stage Recycle Bin.
Unlike the First-Stage, this bin is not accessible to regular users; only SharePoint Site Admins have this capability. Admins can recover these items and restore them to the Library on behalf of users.
Items in the Second-Stage Recycle Bin are held for up to 93 days. However, just like in the First-Stage, if the storage quota is exceeded, older items will be deleted permanently to free up space.
Permanent Deletion
If items are explicitly deleted from the Second-Stage Recycle Bin by an admin or if they've outstayed their welcome (exceeding the 93-day limit), they are permanently deleted from your Tenant. This action is irreversible.
However, you can contact Microsoft within 14 days to request a restoration, but they can only restore entire Sites or Subsites, not individual items.
Special Cases: Retention Policies
Now, what if your documents are under a retention policy? The process changes slightly.
When you delete a document under retention, it moves to the Preservation Hold Library instead of the typical Recycle Bins. Only Site Admins can access this library, and they can restore documents back to the Library if necessary.
Documents remain in the Preservation Hold Library until the end of their retention period. A weekly background job checks for items that have passed their retention period by more than 30 days, moving them directly to the Second-Stage Recycle Bin.
From this point, the process mirrors that of regular documents, as items in the Second-Stage Recycle Bin follow the same pathway towards final deletion.
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