---
schema_version: "1"
id: 03e4c4e787613fbc8a9694e9e9436500d0a19c90dcab58f2cedc7ec2aa31d8bb
title: Manage Deleted Custom Fields
collection: admin
version: current
locale: en-us
portal_url: https://docs.salesforce.com/admin/current/en-us/platform/264-0-0/fields_managing_deleted_fields.md
canonical_url: https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.fields_managing_deleted_fields.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5
source_site: help.salesforce.com
content_type: documentation
content_hash: 3a4b8c961e1ab40e7c2678b739c50fe6aea918457f7430b83535b45ed7c673f5
description: Deleted custom fields and their data are stored until your org permanently deletes them or 15 days have elapsed, whichever happens first. Until that time, you can restore the field and its data.
products:
  - Salesforce Platform
  - Security
release: "264"
---
# Manage Deleted Custom Fields

Deleted custom fields and their data are stored until your org permanently deletes them or 15 days have elapsed, whichever happens first. Until that time, you can restore the field and its data.

### Required Editions

<table class="slds-table slds-table_bordered slds-max-medium-table_stacked slds-m-bottom_small edition">
      <colgroup>
        <col>
      </colgroup>
      <tbody>
        <tr class="">
          <td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;">Available in: both Salesforce Classic and
            Lightning Experience</td>

        </tr>
        <tr class="">
          <td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;">
            <p>Available in: <strong>Contact Manager</strong>,
              <strong>Group</strong>, <strong>Professional</strong>,
              <strong>Enterprise</strong>, <strong>Performance</strong>,
              <strong>Unlimited</strong>, <strong>Developer</strong>, and
              <strong><strong>Database.com</strong></strong> Editions
            </p>
            <p style="margin-bottom:0;">Page Layouts
              and Lead Fields aren’t available in
              <strong>Database.com</strong>
            </p>
          </td>

        </tr>
      </tbody>
    </table> <table class="slds-table slds-table_bordered slds-max-medium-table_stacked slds-m-bottom_small permission">
      <colgroup>
        <col style="width:50%">
        <col style="width:50%">
      </colgroup>
      <thead class="slds-text-title_caps ">
        <tr class="">
          <th scope="colgroup" class="slds-cell-wrap" colspan="2" style="text-align:center;vertical-align:top;" id="d79661e89">User Permissions Needed</th>
        </tr>
      </thead>
      <tbody>
        <tr class="">
          <td data-label="User Permissions Needed" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d79661e89 ">To restore deleted custom fields and
            relationships:</td>

          <td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d79661e89 ">Customize Application</td>

        </tr>
        <tr class="">
          <td data-label="User Permissions Needed" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d79661e89 ">To permanently delete custom fields or
            relationships:</td>

          <td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d79661e89 ">Customize Application</td>

        </tr>
      </tbody>
    </table>

The field counts against the maximum number of custom fields allowed in your org until the hard-delete process permanently deletes it (see [Considerations for Hard Deleting Custom Fields](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.fields_managing_deleted_fields.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5)). A deleted field also counts against the applicable limit for its field type. For example, a deleted custom roll-up summary field counts against the maximum number of roll-up summary fields for your Salesforce edition. If you receive the error message “Unable to access page” or “No clean data columns available for custom fields” when trying to create or edit custom fields, you must erase some fields.

## Considerations for Restored Custom Fields

- When deleted, the following characters are appended to the end of a custom field's developer name unless a deleted field already has that developer name: “\_del”. These characters remain when you restore the custom field.
- Formula fields are restored in a disabled state, which means they don’t contain updated data until you edit and save them. While a formula field is disabled, “#Error!” displays in place of the formula value.
- Restored fields don’t display in search results immediately after you restore them. It can take a short time before the restored custom field and its data are available in search results.
- Lead fields that are mapped to account, contact, or opportunity fields for lead conversion are still mapped accordingly when restored.
- Auto number fields continue to increment after they’re deleted and contain the correct values when restored.
- Field history data for the deleted custom field is restored.

## Considerations for Hard Deleting Custom Fields

- The estimated time for a hard-delete process varies, and depends on the system demand to maintain overall performance. However, you can monitor and view the details of a hard delete of a custom field by going to the Background Jobs page. From Setup, enter Background Jobs in the Quick Find box, then select **Background Jobs**. A row with the name “Cleanup of custom field data when a custom field definition is hard deleted” indicates that a hard delete job is in progress. The Background Jobs page also shows the details of background jobs, including a percentage estimate of the progress.
- When an org is at or above 75% of its custom field allocation limit for the current object, Salesforce displays a value for the custom fields that are ready for the hard-delete process value. This value increments when you click **Erase** or when a field is beyond the 15-day grace period, until the field is moved into the hard-delete process by Salesforce. The value changes only while Salesforce is actively hard deleting the field.
- Performance and Unlimited Edition orgs can use a Purge button to initiate the hard-delete process immediately.

#### See Also

- [Manage Deleted Fields in Lightning Experience](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.fields_manage_deleted_fields_LEX.htm&language=en_US)
- [Manage Deleted Fields in Salesforce Classic](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.fields_manage_deleted_fields_classic.htm&language=en_US)
- [Manually Restore Attributes of Deleted Fields](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.fields_manually_restore_attributes.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "Custom fields consist of several attributes that provide additional information about the field. Some of these attributes are not restored automatically after a field is undeleted and must be restored manually.")
- [Purge Deleted Custom Fields](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.fields_purge_deleted_fields.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "Custom fields you delete from an object are removed from the object but remain in the system for 15 days until they’re hard deleted automatically by Salesforce. During that time, the deleted custom fields continue to count toward your custom field allocation. When your org reaches 75% of its custom field allocation and it has custom fields that are ready to hard delete, Salesforce displays the Purge button. You can use it to initiate the hard delete process and free up custom field allocation for your org before the hard delete takes place.")
- [Find Object Management Settings](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.extend_click_find_objectmgmt_parent.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "Salesforce lets you personalize your object model with features like custom fields, page layouts, and validation rules. Depending on which experience of Salesforce you have enabled, these customizations are located in different areas of Setup.")