Delete a card by opening it and choosing the delete option
To delete a card in Trello, open the card by clicking on it, then click the three-dot menu icon in the top right corner of the card window. Select "Delete" from the menu that appears. Trello will ask you to confirm — click "Delete" again, and the card is gone permanently.
The card disappears from your board immediately. If you delete a card by mistake, you have 30 days to recover it by going to your board's menu, selecting "More," then "Closed Items," finding the card, and clicking "Send to Board." After 30 days, the card cannot be recovered.
Key Takeaways
- Open any card by clicking on it, then click the three-dot menu icon in the top right corner of the card window.
- Select "Delete" from the menu and confirm the deletion when Trello asks you to verify.
- Deleted cards stay in your board's "Closed Items" section for 30 days and can be restored during that window.
- After 30 days, deleted cards are permanently removed and cannot be recovered.
- You can also archive a card instead of deleting it if you want to keep the information but remove it from your active board.
Where to find the delete option on different devices
On desktop, the three-dot menu appears in the top right corner of the card window when you open a card. On mobile apps for iOS and Android, open the card and look for the three-dot menu icon — it is usually in the top right corner as well, though the exact position may vary slightly depending on your device.
If you are using Trello in a web browser on a phone or tablet, the menu works the same way as desktop. The card window will open when you tap the card, and the three-dot menu will be visible at the top.
The difference between deleting and archiving a card
Deleting removes a card entirely, though it stays recoverable for 30 days. Archiving hides a card from your board but keeps all its information intact — you can view archived cards anytime by filtering your board to show them, and you can unarchive a card to bring it back to active view instantly.
Use archiving when you want to clean up your board but might need to reference the card later. Use deletion when you are certain you no longer need the card at all. To archive instead of delete, open the card, click the three-dot menu, and select "Archive" — no confirmation needed.
How to recover a deleted card within 30 days
Open your board and click the board menu (three dots) in the top right corner of the board itself, not the card. Select "More," then "Closed Items." You will see a list of all cards deleted from that board in the last 30 days. Find the card you want to restore, click on it, and select "Send to Board." The card returns to the list it was deleted from.
If you do not see the card in "Closed Items," it may have been deleted more than 30 days ago. Trello does not store deleted cards beyond that window, and there is no way to recover them after the 30-day period ends.
What happens to card information when you delete
When you delete a card, all of its contents disappear — the description, comments, attachments, checklists, due dates, and assigned members are all removed along with the card itself. This is why the 30-day recovery window matters: if you delete a card by mistake and need its information, you have that time to restore it before the data is gone permanently.
If you need to preserve the information in a card before deleting it, take a screenshot or copy the text to another document first. You can also archive the card instead, which keeps everything intact and lets you view it anytime without it cluttering your active board.
Bulk deleting multiple cards at once
Trello does not have a built-in feature to delete multiple cards at the same time. You must delete each card individually by opening it and using the three-dot menu. If you have many cards to delete, this takes time, but it also prevents accidental mass deletion.
If you want to remove many cards from view without deleting them, archiving is faster — you can archive cards one at a time, and they will all move out of your active board while staying recoverable. Some Trello power-ups add bulk actions, but these are third-party tools and not part of Trello's standard features.
Permissions and who can delete cards
Only members with edit access to a board can delete cards on that board. If you are a viewer or observer, you will not see the delete option in the three-dot menu. The board owner and any members with admin or edit permissions can delete cards. If you cannot find the delete option, check your board role — you may need to ask the board owner to give you higher permissions.
When someone deletes a card, other board members see it disappear from the board immediately. The deletion shows up in the board's activity log, so the board owner can see who deleted what and when.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I undo a card deletion right after I delete it?
No, there is no undo button that works immediately after deletion. Your only option is to go to "Closed Items" within 30 days and restore the card from there. If you realize you deleted a card by mistake, do this as soon as possible to make sure you catch it within the 30-day window.
What if I deleted a card more than 30 days ago?
Once 30 days have passed, the card and all its information are permanently gone. Trello does not store deleted cards beyond that period, and there is no way to recover them. If you need to prevent this in the future, use archiving instead of deletion for cards you might want to reference later.
Do deleted cards affect my Trello storage or file limits?
Deleted cards do not count toward your storage limits once they are permanently removed after 30 days. During the 30-day recovery period, they still take up space in your "Closed Items" section, but this does not usually affect your overall account storage unless you have a very large number of closed items.
Can I delete a card if someone else created it?
Yes, as long as you have edit permissions on the board, you can delete any card on that board regardless of who created it. The card's creator does not have special protection over it. If you want to prevent accidental deletion, the board owner can adjust member permissions to limit who can delete cards.
Will deleting a card remove it from other people's views?
Yes, when you delete a card, it disappears from the board for everyone who has access to that board. All members will see the card vanish at the same time. If someone was viewing the card when you deleted it, their view will update to show that the card no longer exists.