A Step-by-Step Guide to Restoring a Deleted Contact or Lead in HighLevel from the Trash Bin

In the fast-paced world of CRM management, accidental deletions can happen. Losing valuable contact or lead data, even temporarily, can disrupt sales pipelines and outreach efforts. Fortunately, HighLevel provides a robust “Trash Bin” feature, offering a safety net for such incidents. This guide will walk you through the precise steps to efficiently recover your crucial business connections, ensuring data integrity and minimizing potential workflow interruptions. Maintaining clean and complete client records is paramount for effective communication and strategic follow-up, and knowing how to swiftly retrieve mistakenly deleted entries is a critical skill for any HighLevel user.

Step 1: Access Your HighLevel Dashboard

The first action in recovering your deleted contact or lead is to log into your HighLevel account. Navigate to the HighLevel platform login page and enter your credentials. Once authenticated, you will be directed to your primary agency or sub-account dashboard. It’s crucial to ensure you are logged into the correct sub-account where the contact or lead was originally active and subsequently deleted. The dashboard serves as your central command center, offering a high-level overview of your entire operation within HighLevel. Familiarize yourself with the main navigation menu, typically located on the left-hand side, as this is where you’ll find all the core modules required for managing your CRM, marketing, and sales activities. A quick check of the account name at the top will confirm you’re in the right place before proceeding.

Step 2: Navigate to the Contacts Section

With your dashboard in view, locate the “Contacts” section in the main navigation menu. This is usually represented by an icon of a person or a group of people. Clicking on “Contacts” will take you to the main contact management interface, where you can view, filter, and manage all the contacts and leads currently active in your HighLevel account. This central repository is where all your customer interactions and lead data are housed. Take a moment to scan the available options within this section; you’ll typically find functionalities for adding new contacts, importing lists, applying tags, and segmenting your audience. Understanding the layout here is key, as the “Trash Bin” or deleted items functionality is often nested within this area, designed to complement your regular contact management tasks.

Step 3: Locate the “Trash Bin” or “Deleted Contacts”

Once you’re in the “Contacts” section, look for an option or filter that indicates “Trash Bin,” “Deleted Contacts,” or a similar label. This feature is often found at the top of the contact list as a toggle, a separate tab, or within a filter drop-down menu. HighLevel is designed to keep your active contact list clean, so deleted items are moved to a specific archival area rather than permanently vanishing immediately. This safety measure allows for review and potential recovery. If you’re having trouble locating it, try looking for icons like a trash can or a recycling symbol, which are universally recognized indicators for deleted items. Accessing this bin is essential as it lists all the contacts and leads that have been removed from your active database.

Step 4: Search and Select the Deleted Contact or Lead

Inside the “Trash Bin,” you’ll find a list of all recently deleted contacts and leads. To efficiently locate the specific entry you wish to restore, use the search bar provided. You can typically search by the contact’s name, email address, phone number, or any other identifiable information you remember. Once you’ve found the correct contact or lead, select it. HighLevel often allows for individual selection or sometimes multiple selections if you need to restore several items at once. Carefully review the details to ensure you are selecting the precise record. Mistakes at this stage could lead to restoring the wrong contact, causing unnecessary clutter or confusion in your active contact list, so precision here is paramount.

Step 5: Initiate the Restore Process

After selecting the deleted contact(s) or lead(s), look for a “Restore” button or an equivalent action. This button is usually prominently displayed once items are selected, often at the top of the list or as an option within a contextual menu. Clicking “Restore” will move the selected contact(s) or lead(s) out of the Trash Bin and back into your active HighLevel contacts list. Confirm any prompts that appear to finalize the restoration. This action effectively reverses the deletion, making the contact fully accessible again for all your marketing, sales, and communication efforts. The system is designed to seamlessly re-integrate these records, maintaining their original data fields and associations wherever possible, ensuring a smooth transition back into your operational workflow.

Step 6: Verify the Restoration

The final and crucial step is to verify that the contact or lead has been successfully restored to your active database. Navigate back to your main “Contacts” section (outside of the Trash Bin) and use the search functionality to look up the name or email of the restored entry. Confirm that all associated data, such as tags, custom fields, and previous activity logs, are intact. This verification step ensures that the recovery process was complete and that the contact is fully operational within your HighLevel account. If you encounter any issues or find that data is missing, it’s advisable to retrace your steps or contact HighLevel support for further assistance. A quick verification provides peace of mind and confirms your valuable data is safe and ready for use.

If you would like to read more, we recommend this article: HighLevel Multi-Account Data Protection for HR & Recruiting