Deleting a plan in Microsoft Planner removes the entire project, all its tasks, and all task details permanently
When you delete a plan, Microsoft Planner erases everything in it — the tasks, checklists, attachments, comments, and assignment history. The deletion is permanent and cannot be undone through Planner itself. Only people with owner or admin permissions on the plan can delete it, and the process takes just a few clicks from the plan's settings menu.
Before you delete, understand that this action affects everyone who has access to the plan. They will no longer see it in their Planner home or in any shared lists. If your organization has compliance or record-keeping requirements, check with your IT department before deleting plans that contain work history or documentation.
Key Takeaways
- Only owners and admins can delete a plan; members with lower permissions cannot.
- Deletion is permanent — Microsoft Planner does not have an undo function or recovery option for deleted plans.
- All tasks, attachments, comments, and assignment records inside the plan are deleted along with it.
- Everyone with access to the plan loses access immediately after deletion.
How to delete a plan from the Planner home screen
Open Microsoft Planner in your web browser or the Planner app. From the home screen, locate the plan you want to delete in your list of plans. Hover your mouse over the plan's card or tile until a three-dot menu icon appears in the top right corner of the card.
Click the three-dot menu and select Delete plan from the dropdown options. A confirmation dialog will appear asking you to confirm the deletion. Read the warning carefully — it will remind you that the plan and all its contents cannot be recovered. Click the confirmation button (usually labeled Delete or Yes, delete) to complete the removal.
How to delete a plan from inside the plan itself
If you are already viewing the plan you want to delete, look for the settings icon, usually a gear symbol or three dots, in the top right area of the plan's header. Click it to open the plan's settings menu.
Scroll down in the settings panel until you find the Delete plan option. Click it, and the same confirmation dialog will appear. Confirm the deletion to remove the plan permanently. After deletion, you will be returned to your Planner home screen, and the plan will no longer appear in any of your lists.
What happens to tasks and data after deletion
Once a plan is deleted, all tasks within it are removed from Planner. If those tasks were assigned to team members, those people will no longer see them in their task lists or in their Assigned to me view. Any attachments uploaded to tasks — documents, images, or links — are also deleted.
Comments and conversation history tied to tasks in that plan cannot be recovered. If your team needs to preserve information about completed work or decisions made during the project, export or document that information before deleting the plan. Some organizations take screenshots or save task lists to a document storage system like SharePoint before removing a plan.
Permissions required to delete a plan
Your role in the plan determines whether you can delete it. Owners and admins have permission to delete. Members and guests do not have this permission, even if they created tasks or worked extensively in the plan.
If you need to delete a plan but do not have owner or admin status, contact someone who does — usually the person who created the plan or your team lead. They can either delete it themselves or change your role to owner so you can perform the deletion.
Alternatives to deleting a plan
If you are unsure about permanent deletion, consider archiving the plan instead. While Planner does not have a built-in archive feature, you can remove the plan from your active view by removing yourself from it or asking the owner to remove you. The plan remains in the system and can be accessed later if needed.
Another option is to rename the plan to something like "Archive — [Original Name]" and remove all members except the owner. This keeps the plan's data intact while signaling to your team that it is no longer active. You can also export task information to Excel or copy task details into a document before deletion if you need to keep records.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I recover a plan after I delete it?
No. Microsoft Planner does not have a recovery or trash feature for deleted plans. Once you confirm deletion, the plan and all its contents are permanently removed. If you think you might need the plan later, export the task information or take screenshots before deleting.
What if I accidentally delete a plan?
Contact your Microsoft 365 administrator immediately. Depending on your organization's backup and retention policies, they may be able to recover the plan from system backups, but this is not may provide. The sooner you report the deletion, the better the chances of recovery.
Can I delete a plan if I am not the owner?
No. Only owners and admins can delete a plan. If you are a member, ask the plan owner or an admin to delete it for you, or ask them to change your role to owner first.
Will deleting a plan affect my Microsoft Teams channel?
If the plan is connected to a Microsoft Teams channel, deleting the plan in Planner will remove it from that channel's Planner tab. The Teams channel itself remains intact. Team members will no longer see the plan listed in the channel, but the channel's other content and conversations stay in place.
Should I delete a plan or remove myself from it?
Removing yourself from a plan keeps it available for others who still need it. Delete only if the plan is truly finished and no one needs access to it anymore. If you just want to stop seeing it in your personal list, removing yourself is the safer choice.