# Archive or remove a bot

The difference between archiving a bot (reversible, only hides it in your app) and removing it from Machine (permanent, everywhere), and how to do each.

Canonical page: https://themachine.myapps.ai/docs/desktop/bots/archive-and-remove

There are two ways to get rid of a bot. They sound similar but are very
different.

| | **Archive** | **Remove from Machine** |
|---|---|---|
| **Where it applies** | Only your sidebar, in Machine Desktop and the phone app | Machine, and every device |
| **What happens** | The bot leaves your sidebar. Every thread, file, and computer stays exactly as it is. | The bot and all its conversations, files, memory, and computers are deleted. |
| **Can you undo it?** | Yes | **No** |
| **Use it when** | You want a tidier sidebar. | You're certain you'll never need the bot or anything it made. |

**If in doubt, archive.** You can always remove it later.

## Archive a bot

![The Archive confirmation, explaining nothing changes on Machine](/images/docs/desktop/archive-confirm.webp)

1. Right-click the bot in the sidebar and choose **Archive**.
2. The confirmation explains that nothing changes on Machine. Click
   **Archive**.

A message appears saying the bot was archived, with an **Undo** button.

- The bot leaves your list on all your devices: Machine Desktop on your other
  computers and the Machine phone app hide it too. It still appears on the
  Machine website.
- You need at least one active bot, so you can't archive the last one.
- Archived bots don't answer in group chats.

## Find and restore archived bots

![Archived bots with Restore and Remove from Machine](/images/docs/desktop/archived-bots.webp)

1. Click **+** at the top of the sidebar.
2. Choose **Archived bots**. (It only appears when you have some, with a
   count.)
3. Click **Restore** next to a bot, or **Restore all**.

## Remove a bot from Machine

> **This can't be undone**
> Removing a bot deletes it from Machine and from every device: its
> conversations, files, memory, and any computer it owns, including that
> computer's files and browser sign-ins. Download anything you want to keep
> first.

1. Right-click the bot in the sidebar and choose **Remove from Machine**.
2. Read the warning.
3. Click **Remove from Machine**.

The row shows *Deleting bot and any owned computer…* while it works.

You can also remove bots from the **Archived bots** list: **Remove from
Machine** next to one bot, or **Remove all from Machine** for all of them.

## Archive a whole team

Right-click a team's heading and choose **Archive team…**. This:

- archives every bot in the team (restore them any time from **Archived
  bots**), and
- **deletes** the team's group chats, on all your devices.

The bots' projects on Machine are kept.

## Common questions

**I archived a bot by mistake.**
Click **Undo** in the message straight away, or restore it from **Archived
bots**.

**Does archiving stop a bot's automations?**
No. Archiving only hides the bot in your sidebar. To stop scheduled work,
pause its routines in [Automations](/docs/desktop/automations/manage).

**Does an archived bot still cost money?**
Its computers sleep when idle, like any other. Its automations keep running
unless you pause them.