# Recycle bin automations

What the recycle bin does by itself: the entry written on every delete, the daily removal of old entries, emptying the bin by hand, and how to stop each.

The recycle bin runs one scheduled job and acts on every delete. It sends no e-mail and has no automation rule. Its options are explained in [Recycle bin settings](recycle-bin-settings).

## Scheduled job {#scheduled}

### Recycle Bin: Empty Trash {#empty-trash-job}

- **When:** once a day, as long as the scheduled action **Recycle Bin: Empty Trash** is active. It is active from the installation and runs as the system's bot user. A test or restored copy of the database has it switched off.
- **What it does:** for each company, it permanently deletes the entries whose **Deleted at** is older than that company's **Keep Trash Duration**, restored entries included, with their snapshots. Months and years are counted on the calendar: with 1 **Months**, an entry deleted on 20 October leaves at the first run after the same time on 20 November.
- **How to stop it:** lengthen **Keep Trash Duration** in the settings to keep entries longer. An administrator can also deactivate the scheduled action in **Settings/Technical/Automation/Scheduled Actions**, which needs [developer mode](/docs/general-settings/developer-mode-and-technical-menus); entries then stay until someone empties the bin.

## On every delete {#on-delete}

### The entry in the bin {#entry}

- **When:** each time records are deleted through the application, by a user, a scheduled job, a website visitor or the uninstall of an app.
- **What it does:** before the record is removed, writes its entry with the values a restore uses and, when **Save Snapshot** is on, draws the snapshot. The options read are those of the company the deleting user is working in.
- **How to stop it:** it cannot be switched off altogether. **Enable Trash for Models** narrows it to the models you list, or leaves out the ones you list; turning off **Save Snapshot** stops only the image. A few kinds of records are never kept: see [How the recycle bin works](how-the-recycle-bin-works#never-kept).

## By hand {#by-hand}

### Empty Trash {#empty-trash}

- **When:** only when an administrator clicks **Empty Trash** in the **Recycle Bin** section of **Settings/General Settings** and confirms.
- **What it does:** permanently deletes every entry of the current company, whatever its age or status, with the snapshots. The other companies keep theirs.
- **How to stop it:** click **Cancel** in the dialog; once confirmed, it cannot be undone.

## What does not happen {#not-automatic}

- A restore never happens by itself: only a manager starts it, one entry at a time, from the entry's **Actions** menu.
- Nothing is sent to anyone when a record lands in the bin, is restored or leaves it.

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- Source: https://jaah.app/docs/recycle-bin/recycle-bin-automations
- Updated: 2026-10-27
- Version: Recycle bin 19.0.1.1.2