Depending on the situation, Brushfire gives you three ways to handle events you're done with: delete them, archive them, or restore them if you ever need them back. Which one applies depends on whether the event has any data associated with it.
Deleting an Event
Deleting is only available for events that have no attendee or order data. This might be an event you started building but never launched, or one you cancelled before anyone registered.
If those conditions are met, you'll see a red trash can button next to the event in your Event List. Click it and follow the prompts to delete it permanently.
If the event has any orders or attendee data, the trash can won't appear at all. In that case, archiving is your only option.
⚠️ Note: Deletion is permanent. Once deleted, the event and any associated configuration cannot be recovered.
Archiving an Event
Archiving is for events that have order and attendee data you want to hold onto, but don't need active in your dashboard anymore. When you archive an event, it disappears from your dashboard along with everything connected to it — orders, access codes, emails, reports, promo codes, and so on. The data is still stored, it's just out of the way.
Archiving also helps keep your dashboard clean and improves overall performance, so it's a good habit to archive events once they've wrapped up.
To archive an event manually, click the dark grey down arrow button next to the event in your Event List and follow the prompts.
Brushfire also automatically archives events older than 18 months each night, so you don't have to manage older events by hand.
⚠️ Important: Data from archived events will not appear in any organization-wide reports. If you need to include an archived event in reporting, you'll need to restore it first.
Restoring an Event
If you need to get back into an archived event — to pull a report, review data, or anything else — you can restore it. Once restored, you'll have full access to the event's Manage Page, including analytics, reports, and emails. The restoration process may take a few seconds.
- Go to Events from your Organization Dashboard and select the Archived view.
- Find the event you want to restore and click the Restore button (the green box next to the event).
- Once complete, a confirmation message will appear and you'll receive an email with a direct link to the restored event. The event will now show up under Inactive Events.
📌 Note: Events that were automatically archived by Brushfire will be automatically re-archived after 30 days if not manually re-archived before then.
Limitations to Know
- You can only delete events with no order or attendee data. If the red trash can isn't visible, the event has data and can only be archived.
- Deletion is permanent. There is no way to recover a deleted event or its configuration.
- Archived events don't appear in organization-wide reports. Restore the event first if you need its data included in reporting.
- Auto-restored events re-archive after 30 days. If Brushfire automatically archived your event, restoring it gives you a 30-day window before it's automatically re-archived.
- Archiving removes access to everything connected to the event. Orders, emails, reports, access codes, and promo codes all disappear from your dashboard when an event is archived. The data is preserved, just not accessible until restored.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What's the difference between deleting and archiving?
Deleting permanently removes an event and is only available when there's no order or attendee data. Archiving removes the event from your active dashboard but keeps the data stored so you can restore it later if needed.
- Can I recover a deleted event?
No. Deletion is permanent and cannot be undone. If there's any chance you'll need the event again, archive it instead.
- Why isn't the red trash can showing up next to my event?
The delete option only appears on events with no order or attendee data. If the trash can isn't there, it means the event has data associated with it and can only be archived.
- Will archiving an event affect my reports?
Yes. Data from archived events won't show up in organization-wide reports. If you need that data in a report, restore the event first, run your report, then re-archive it when you're done.
- How long does a restored event stay active before it's re-archived?
If the event was automatically archived by Brushfire, it will be automatically re-archived after 30 days. If you archived it manually, it stays restored until you archive it again.
- I need help with an event that's been archived or deleted. Who do I contact?
Reach out to the support team at help@brushfire.com and someone can help you out.