# Record a lost or damaged document

Mark a paper that went missing or was damaged, cancel one recorded by mistake, and bring any of them back to draft when the situation changes.

A paper can go missing or be damaged while in the office. Its record stays, with a status that says what happened, so the trail of the document is never lost.

## Before you start {#before-you-start}

- You need the **Manager** access right on **Correspondence**.
- The document must be **Registered** and in the office. A lent document is not marked lost or damaged: record its return first, since a paper still with a borrower is a matter of a late return.

## Mark a document lost {#lost}

1. Open the document, then open the **Actions** menu and choose **Mark Lost**.
2. Confirm in the dialog.

![The system asks for a confirmation before marking the document lost.](https://jaah.app/web/image/8446-7b642f31/correspondence-lost-lost_confirm-en.png)

The status becomes **Lost**, and the change is kept in the chatter with its date and the user who made it.

![The document is now Lost; its record and its log stay.](https://jaah.app/web/image/8450-fd6ee169/correspondence-lost-document_lost-en.png)

**Mark Damaged** works the same way and sets the status to **Damaged**.

## Cancel a document {#cancel}

A document recorded by mistake is cancelled with **Cancel** in the **Actions** menu, as long as it is a draft or registered and not lent. A draft can also be deleted; a registered document cannot be deleted, so its trail stays: archive it with **Archive** in the **Actions** menu to hide it from the lists.

## Bring a document back {#bring-back}

When a lost paper turns up or a cancellation was a mistake, choose **Set to Draft** in the **Actions** menu, then **Register** again. The document keeps its number and its lending log.

![Back to draft and registered again, with the same number.](https://jaah.app/web/image/8454-94c20fd1/correspondence-lost-document_back-en.png)

## FAQ {#faq}

### Why can I not delete a registered document? {#no-delete}

A registered document is part of the office's paper trail. Deleting it would erase its loans and its history; archiving hides it without losing anything.

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- Source: https://jaah.app/docs/correspondence/record-a-lost-or-damaged-document
- Updated: 2026-10-14
- Version: Correspondence 19.0.1.0.5
- Verified: 2026-10-14