Is There anyway to get a file back that was deleted from "classwork" on Teams

Justin Black 0 Reputation points
2026-01-19T12:37:20.6033333+00:00

I'm a teacher and I accidentally deleted a resource on Teams in the "classwork" section (not in files). Is there anyway to get it back? It was an excel document if that matters.

Microsoft Teams | Microsoft Teams for education | Classwork
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  1. Anonymous
    2026-01-19T13:40:33.85+00:00

    Hello @Justin Black,

    Welcome to Microsoft Q&A Forum!

    I took some time to review Microsoft’s documentation regarding how Classwork handles deleted materials, and I wanted to share what I found so you have a clear picture of the situation. 

    Based on Microsoft’s official guidance, when a resource is deleted directly from the Classwork section, it is unfortunately permanently deleted rather than moved to a recoverable location such as the SharePoint Recycle Bin. The documentation notes that “files and links will be permanently deleted” when removed from Classwork, meaning they are not retained elsewhere for restoration. 

    User's image

    For your reference: Manage classwork resources in Microsoft Teams - Microsoft Support 

    This behavior is specific to the Classwork experience, unlike files deleted from a Team’s Files tab or SharePoint, Classwork resources aren’t stored in a location that supports recovery. Because of that, once the deletion is confirmed, there is no built‑in restore option for that item. 

    If you happen to have shared the file elsewhere in the team, uploaded it in another channel, or saved a local copy previously, you may still be able to retrieve it from those locations. Otherwise, the only way forward may be to recreate the resource. 

    I’m really sorry that I don’t have better news here, but if you’d like help recreating the file layout or rebuilding the resource, don’t hesitate to let me know, I’ll be glad to support you however I can. 

    Warm regards, 

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  2. AI answer

    2026-01-19T12:37:59.1666667+00:00

    If you accidentally deleted a file from the "classwork" section in Microsoft Teams, it may not be recoverable directly through Teams itself, as the classwork section does not have a dedicated recycle bin like the files section does. However, you can check the SharePoint site associated with your class team, as files related to assignments and classwork are often stored there.

    Here are steps you can take to try to recover the deleted file:

    1. Check the SharePoint Recycle Bin: Navigate to the SharePoint site for your class team and look for the recycle bin. You can access it by going to the SharePoint site and selecting the recycle bin option.
    2. Contact IT Admin: If you cannot find the file in the recycle bin, your IT administrator may be able to assist you in recovering the file if it was stored in SharePoint.
    3. Check with Students: If the document was shared with students, they might have a copy or could have downloaded it before it was deleted.

    If the file is not found in these locations, it may be permanently deleted, especially if it has been more than 30 days since deletion.

    References:

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