How to Delete a Table in Baserow - Trash and Recovery
Deleting a table removes it and everything in it from the database for everyone who had access, and Baserow gives a grace period during which a deleted table can be recovered from the trash - once that window closes, the deletion is permanent.
Overview
Deleting a table doesn’t just affect the table itself - it also breaks formulas in other tables that reference it and any relationships linked to it. Always export or back up important data before deleting anything.
How to Delete a Table
- Find the table in the database’s sidebar.
- Click the
⋮icon next to its name. - Select Delete from the dropdown menu.
- Confirm the deletion in the dialog.
- Watch for the undo notification in the bottom-right corner (a 5-second window).
The table disappears from the sidebar immediately and moves to the trash - there’s a limited window to recover it before it’s gone for good.
What Gets Deleted
Deleting a table removes more than just the visible data.
Table contents: every row and its values, every field and its configuration, every view including grid, gallery, and form views, filters, sorts, and groupings, and any files uploaded to attachment fields.
Effects on the database: formulas in other tables that reference the deleted table start showing errors. Link-to-table fields in other tables that connected to it become empty. Webhooks configured for the deleted table are removed automatically.
What stays untouched: the database’s overall structure, the other tables in it (unless they were linked to the deleted one), and the database’s settings. The table’s name becomes available for reuse.
Recovery Options
Instant undo (within 5 seconds). Right after deletion, a notification with an “Undo” button appears in the bottom-right corner - click it within 5 seconds to restore the table instantly, as if nothing happened. This is the fastest recovery path and keeps the table from entering the trash at all.
Trash recovery. If the 5-second window is missed, the deleted table stays in the trash for a limited time. During that grace period it can be restored with its data, views, and settings intact. Once the grace period ends, the table is permanently removed from the trash and cannot be recovered.
Before Deleting: Consider the Alternatives
Deletion is permanent once the grace period ends, so it’s worth checking whether another option fits better.
Export, then delete. If the table’s data might be needed later, export it before deleting - that creates a standalone backup to reference or re-import if needed. The open-source edition of Baserow supports CSV export. See Export Tables for the walkthrough.
Duplicate for an archive. Create a duplicate of the table with “(Archive)” in the name and move it into an archive database - historical data stays accessible in Baserow without cluttering the active workspace. See Create a Table for how duplication works.
Hide instead of deleting. If a table isn’t needed daily but holds reference information, keep it and move it to the bottom of the sidebar, or set up a separate “Archive” database and move old tables there.
Clear the data, keep the structure. To reuse a table’s structure while starting with clean data, delete all its rows instead of the whole table - the configured fields, views, formulas, and relationships stay in place while only the data is cleared out.
When to Delete vs. When to Consider Alternatives
Delete when: the table was created for testing and is no longer needed, the data is fully outdated with no archival value, the table duplicates information better organized elsewhere, or there’s confidence no one will need the data again.
Consider alternatives when: the data might be needed for reporting or compliance, the table’s structure took real time to build, other tables link to it and the impact of removal is unclear, or the cleanup isn’t certain enough to warrant permanent removal.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens to tables linked to the deleted one? Link-to-table fields connected to the deleted table become empty and stop showing linked records. Formulas referencing the deleted table display error messages. These broken references don’t fix themselves - the linked tables need a manual update.
Who can delete tables? Deleting a table requires sufficient permissions in the workspace - typically available to workspace administrators and members with edit access to the database.
Does deleting a table affect storage quota? Yes, deleting a table frees up space, but only once it’s permanently removed from the trash after the grace period. While it sits in the trash, it still counts toward storage.
Can I delete just some of the data instead of the whole table? Yes, individual rows or groups of rows can be deleted without removing the table, and individual fields (columns) can be removed too - reserve deleting the whole table for when the entire structure and its contents need to go.
That wraps up the Tables section - continue to Rows to learn how to add, edit, and organize records inside a table.