Recover deleted sales records: 4 CRM restore rules

• Record the missing item's type and deletion time.
• Check the appropriate recovery window in the table.
• Confirm account permissions and any required pre-deletion setting.
• Check which linked files and comments the restore excludes.

Before contacting an administrator, identify the specific record type and the exact date it disappeared. The documented recovery windows differ significantly across platforms, and the scope of what can be restored varies by object type. For HubSpot, the documentation states you can restore HubSpot-defined object records such as contacts, companies, emails, products, appointments, and custom objects up to 90 days after they were deleted, according to HubSpot. This specific list defines the supported object types; do not assume every table in your CRM is eligible for restoration.

For Pipedrive, the “Restore data” page provides an overview of items deleted in the last 30 days and tools to manage them effectively, according to Pipedrive. This indicates a 30-day window for the items covered by that specific page. In Microsoft Dataverse, the setting is configurable; in the Keep deleted records (days) box, enter the number of days, between 1 and 90, to keep deleted records, according to Microsoft. This range applies to table records within the Dataverse environment.

Close operates on a different mechanism. Restores are performed from the Event Log and are limited to actions recorded in the last 30 days; the restore does not recover comments, attachments, call recordings or transcripts, workflow subscriptions, or Contact/Custom Object custom fields, according to Close. This 30-day limit is tied to the Event Log recording period.

Do not attempt restoration for privacy deletions in HubSpot, as these are excluded from the standard restore process. Also note that Microsoft recovery does not roll back updates; it only restores deleted records if the setting was enabled before deletion. Write down the record type and deletion timestamp now. Compare these details against the specific publisher’s documented window before proceeding to the next step.

The table below compares recovery windows, stated prerequisites, and exclusions for these four publishers. Verify if a missing sales record falls within the supported scope before attempting restoration.

According to Pipedrive, the “Restore data” page provides an overview of items deleted in the last 30 days and tools to manage them effectively. Admins can restore deleted items within 30 days after deletion, and the linked items will be restored as well. After 30 days, the items are permanently deleted and can’t be accessed or restored.

Verify the specific object type against the quoted types in the publisher paragraphs, rather than treating the table as an object-type list. Check the deletion timestamp against the stated window. Confirm that the necessary permissions or pre-deletion settings were active at the time of deletion. For HubSpot, permanent or GDPR-related deletions are not held in the recycle bin.

Recovery tools address deletion operations, not status changes or field edits. A lost deal is a status update, not a deletion, so restore functions do not apply to it. If a record's stage changed to lost, the record still exists in the system; it is not missing. Check the record's current state before assuming it was deleted.

Microsoft's documentation states that the deleted records setting only supports delete operations, not updates, according to Microsoft. This means restoring a record does not roll back a previous field change. The restore function does not undo updates made before deletion.

Do not attempt recovery for records that were updated rather than deleted. If a sales rep changed a deal's status to lost, the record remains in the pipeline with that status. No restore action is needed or possible for a status change. If a field was edited incorrectly, use the change log to review what changed and when, rather than seeking a restore option. For a date edit, see Close date change log: why the date moved.

Before initiating any recovery process, confirm the record is actually missing from the system. Search for the record by name, ID, or other unique identifier. If the record appears in search results, it was not deleted; it may have been archived, filtered out of view, or updated. Only proceed with recovery if the record is entirely absent from the system.

Before attempting to restore a missing sales record, verify that the user account holds the specific permissions required by the platform. In HubSpot, the documentation states that account access and Add and edit users permissions are required to use the restore records tool, according to HubSpot. If your team members lack these specific permissions, they cannot access the restore function regardless of how recently the record was deleted. Confirm who on your team holds these credentials before assigning the recovery task.

For Pipedrive, the documented restore route names admins. Admins can restore deleted items within 30 days after deletion, and the linked items will be restored as well, according to Pipedrive. You must identify an admin user to execute the restore command if the record falls within the 30-day window.

Microsoft Dataverse requires a different verification step because recovery depends on a pre-deletion setting. You can only restore records deleted after this setting is successfully enabled, according to Microsoft. If the "Keep deleted Dataverse records" setting was not active before the deletion occurred, the record cannot be restored through this tool. Enabling the setting today does not bring back records deleted previously.

Additionally, there is a configuration delay to account for when enabling this feature. Allow 30 minutes for the system to configure the setting, according to Microsoft. If you enable the setting and immediately attempt to restore a record deleted moments later, the system may not yet be ready to process the request. Wait for the configuration period to pass before testing the recovery route.

When restoring a deleted sales record, verify which linked data types return with the parent object and which remain permanently excluded. The scope of restoration varies by platform and specific object type, so do not assume that all associated files, notes, or linked details will reappear. For HubSpot, the documentation for Restore deleted records states that permanent or GDPR-related deletions aren't held in the recycle bin according to HubSpot. This exclusion means that if a record was removed for privacy compliance reasons, the standard restoration workflow does not apply, and the data is not available for recovery through the usual interface.

In Close, the support documentation outlines specific limitations for the restoration process. While this method allows for the recovery of the lead entity itself, the documentation clarifies what accompanies that entity. The same source notes that you can recover previously deleted leads along with their contacts, opportunities, tasks, and activities according to Close. However, this list of included objects is not exhaustive of all possible linked data.

A critical distinction exists for additional data types in Close. The documentation specifies that restores are performed from the Event Log and are limited to actions recorded in the last 30 days; the restore does not recover comments, attachments, call recordings or transcripts, workflow subscriptions, or Contact/Custom Object custom fields according to Close. This means that even if the lead record is successfully restored, any comments, attachments, call recordings, transcripts, workflow subscriptions, or specific custom fields associated with that lead will not be recovered. The restoration process is limited to the actions recorded in the Event Log within that 30-day window, and the excluded data types are explicitly listed as not being recovered.

A deleted item is missing after 20 days. Compare its deletion time with the correct table row, then check permissions, supported types, and exclusions. Being inside a recovery window does not establish that every linked file will return.

For HubSpot, the restore records tool has a specific display and restoration limit. According to HubSpot, the tool can only display and restore up to 10,000 records at a time. If your missing data exceeds this volume, you must note that the tool’s capacity is segmented. This limit applies to the bulk restoration process, so if you are investigating a large-scale data loss event from a recent import or cleanup, you need to account for this batch size in your recovery plan. Record the exact timestamp of the deletion, as the availability of records for restoration depends on how long they have been in the deleted state.

Write down the missing record's type and deletion time, then compare them with the appropriate table row before asking an authorized account user to inspect recovery. This specific documentation step anchors your investigation to the exact product behavior rather than general assumptions. Start by identifying whether the missing item is a HubSpot record, a Pipedrive deleted item, a Microsoft Dataverse table record, or a Close deleted lead. Each system operates under distinct rules for what can be restored and when.

Is a lost deal the same as a deleted record?

A lost deal is a status change on an existing record, while a deleted record is removed from the system. Recovery tools apply only to the latter. If a deal is marked lost, the record still exists in the database with its historical data intact. You do not need to use a restore function to view a lost deal; you simply filter your pipeline view by the "Lost" stage. However, if the record itself is missing from the list, it may have been deleted. In that case, you must check the specific publisher's recovery window to see if the record can be brought back. Do not assume that a missing deal is a lost deal; verify the record's existence first. If the record is truly gone, the recovery process depends on the specific CRM platform you are using and whether the deletion occurred within the supported timeframe.

How long are deleted records available to restore?

The retention windows vary by platform. HubSpot holds deleted records in the recycle bin, but permanent or GDPR-related deletions are not held there, according to HubSpot. Pipedrive states that after 30 days, items are permanently deleted and can’t be accessed or restored, according to Pipedrive. For Microsoft Dataverse, the documentation indicates that records can be restored if they were deleted after the "Keep deleted records" setting was enabled, and the current admin documentation specifies a window of between 1 and 90 days, according to Microsoft. Close performs restores from the Event Log and is limited to actions recorded in the last 30 days, according to Close. These windows are distinct; do not apply one platform's limit to another.

Does recovery need to be enabled before deletion?

Yes, for Microsoft Dataverse, the setting must be active before the deletion occurs. The documentation states, "You can only restore records deleted after this setting is successfully enabled," according to Microsoft. Enabling the setting today does not retroactively allow you to recover records that were deleted while the setting was off. You must verify the historical state of this setting if you are investigating a recent deletion. For other platforms, the documentation provided does not specify a similar pre-deletion enablement requirement for the basic restore function, but you should check your specific account permissions and settings.

Will attachments and comments return with the record?

No, not for all platforms, and the scope of what returns varies significantly. For Close, the documentation explicitly states that the restore does not recover comments, attachments, call recordings or transcripts, workflow subscriptions, or Contact/Custom Object custom fields, according to Close. If you are using Close, you must treat these items as excluded from this restore even if the lead record itself is restored. For Pipedrive, the documentation notes that linked items will be restored as well when an admin restores a deleted item, according to Pipedrive. This suggests that relationships between records are preserved, but the documentation does not explicitly list file attachments or comment threads as part of this linked restoration. For HubSpot, the documentation describes restoring object records such as contacts, companies, emails, products, appointments, and custom objects, according to HubSpot. It does not specify whether associated files or notes are included in this restoration. For Microsoft Dataverse, the setting supports delete operations for table records, according to Microsoft. The documentation does not detail the restoration of related files or comments for these table records. Because the documentation for HubSpot and Microsoft does not explicitly confirm the return of attachments and comments, you should assume these items may not be recovered and verify their existence in your file storage or email archives before relying on the CRM restore function. If you need to preserve comments and attachments, export them to a separate system before performing any deletion work.

Can restoration undo an update rather than a deletion?

No, the documented recovery tools are designed to restore deleted records, not to revert field updates. For Microsoft Dataverse, the documentation explicitly states that the deleted records setting only supports delete operations, not updates, according to Microsoft. If you changed a close date or a deal amount, the restore tool will not revert that change. You must use the platform's change history or audit log features to investigate field changes. For the other platforms, the documentation focuses on restoring deleted items. Pipedrive's "Restore data" page provides an overview of items deleted in the last 30 days, according to Pipedrive. HubSpot's tool is described as restoring deleted records, according to HubSpot. Close's tool recovers previously deleted leads, according to Close. None of these descriptions indicate that the restore function reverses ordinary field edits. If you suspect a field was changed incorrectly, check the activity history or change log for that specific record. If you need to understand why a close date moved, review the change log details. If you need to verify the weighted deal amount, check the relevant fields in your pipeline view. Do not use the restore function to fix data entry errors; use it only when a record is missing entirely.