# Preview, download and restore Assets from Trash

> Preview Nodespell Assets, download original files, move Assets to Trash, and restore them within the 30-day recovery period in the Asset Manager.

Source: https://docs.nodespell.com/assets/preview-download-and-trash/ · Last updated: 2026-11-10

The Nodespell Asset Manager lets you preview any Asset, download its original file, and remove Assets you no longer need. Removing an Asset moves it to Trash rather than deleting it. Ordinary Assets stay recoverable in Trash for 30 days, and you can restore them to their folder during that time.

## Preview an Asset

| How                                          | What opens                                     |
| -------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------- |
| Select Assets and press `Space`              | The full-screen viewer for the selection       |
| Double-click the Asset                       | The full-screen viewer for its type            |
| Right-click → **Open In New Tab**            | The file in a new browser tab                  |
| Right-click → **Info**, or the **Inspector** | Details, ownership, tags and media information |

The full-screen viewers have their own playback, zoom and compare tools; see [Viewers](https://docs.nodespell.com/edit/viewers/). Some files have no browser preview. EXR images show **EXR preview unavailable** in the Asset Manager; the Asset itself is fine and can still be used in nodes and downloaded.

Video Assets show a poster frame. If a video's thumbnail is missing, right-click it and choose **Generate Video Thumbnail**.

## Download Assets

1. Select one or more Assets.
2. Right-click and choose **Download Asset**, or **Download N assets** for a selection.
3. Nodespell starts one browser download per file and confirms **Downloads started**.

Downloads are the original uploaded or generated files at full resolution, not previews. If some files fail, **Download failed** says how many. For other places to download from, see [Export finished media](https://docs.nodespell.com/edit/export/).

## Move Assets to Trash

1. Select the Assets you want to remove.
2. Right-click and choose **Move to Trash** (or **Move N assets to Trash**).
3. Read the message: the Assets move to this workspace's Trash and remain recoverable under its retention policy.
4. Select **Delete** to confirm.

In Personal, you can trash your own Assets. In a Team, only the uploader or the Team owner can; for others the action is unavailable with **Only the uploader or Team owner can use this action**.

Trashing an Asset does not change Projects that already use it, and it does not free storage straight away. The space is released when Nodespell permanently removes the Asset after the recovery period.

## Restore an Asset from Trash

1. Open the **Trash** quick view.
2. Find the Asset. Each one shows **Recoverable until** and a date.
3. Select **Restore**.

The Asset returns to the folder it was in. If that folder no longer exists, it returns to **Uploads**. Only the uploader or the Team owner can restore an Asset; for others **Restore** is disabled with **Only the uploader or Team owner can restore this Asset.**

## How long do Assets stay in Trash?

| Situation                                              | What happens                                      |
| ------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------- |
| Ordinary Asset in Trash                                | Recoverable for 30 days, then permanently removed |
| Asset still referenced or protected by retention rules | May be kept longer than 30 days                   |
| Recovery date not yet known                            | Shows **Recovery expiry is being calculated.**    |

Each workspace has its own Trash. Personal Trash and each Team's Trash are separate.

> **Caution:** The Asset Manager has no button to empty Trash or permanently delete an Asset immediately. Restore anything you need before its **Recoverable until** date.

## Frequently asked questions

### Does moving an Asset to Trash free storage?

Not immediately. Assets in Trash still count toward storage until they are permanently removed after the recovery period.

### Will trashing an Asset break my Projects?

Trashing does not edit Projects. Nodes that reference an Asset keep the reference, and Assets with active references may be kept beyond 30 days.

### Can I restore an Asset someone else uploaded to my Team?

Only if you are the Team owner. Otherwise ask the uploader or the Team owner.

### Can I download several Assets as one ZIP?

No. Nodespell downloads each selected Asset as its own file.

## Related

- [Asset Manager](https://docs.nodespell.com/assets/asset-manager/): quick views, search and the Inspector
- [Upload and organize Assets](https://docs.nodespell.com/assets/upload-and-organize/): folders, tags and renaming
- [Workspaces and storage](https://docs.nodespell.com/assets/workspaces-and-storage/): what counts toward storage
- [Export finished media](https://docs.nodespell.com/edit/export/): download from nodes, viewers and the Timeline
- [Viewers](https://docs.nodespell.com/edit/viewers/): full-screen preview tools