# Recycle Bin restores and permanent deletion

*Marketing Cloud Account Engagement Specialist Study Guide · Administration · Last updated November 3, 2026 · https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/marketing-cloud-account-engagement-specialist/administration/recycle-bin-restores-and-permanent-deletion*

What the Account Engagement recycle bin keeps and what is deleted outright, how to restore assets and prospects, why deleted prospects come back, and how an admin permanently deletes a prospect for good.

- Certification: Salesforce Marketing Cloud Account Engagement Specialist
- Exam section: Administration
- Study guide: https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/marketing-cloud-account-engagement-specialist

**Official exam objective:**

> Describe the capabilities of the Account Engagement Recycle Bin.

## What the exam expects

- Restore a deleted asset or prospect from the recycle bin in the Lightning App.
- Name the items that are deleted permanently instead of being recycled, and the one whose values can be recovered.
- Explain why a deleted prospect reappears without anyone restoring it.
- Permanently delete a prospect, including one synced to a Salesforce lead or contact, and predict what is lost.
- Describe how the recycle bin relates to usage limits and to deleting a campaign that still has assets.
- Key terms: **recycle bin** (where deleted Account Engagement items wait, restorable); **Undelete** (the restore action); **permanent delete** (the admin-only action that erases a prospect); **full sync** (a resync of all values from Salesforce).

## Key facts

| Fact | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Lightning App path | Account Engagement Settings tab, Recycle Bin | [Use the Recycle Bin](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.pardot_admin_recycle_bin.htm&type=5&language=en_US) |
| Emptying the bin | Not possible | [Use the Recycle Bin](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.pardot_admin_recycle_bin.htm&type=5&language=en_US) |
| Usage limits | Recycled items don't count | [Use the Recycle Bin](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.pardot_admin_recycle_bin.htm&type=5&language=en_US) |
| Tags | Deleted permanently; never in the bin | [Use the Recycle Bin](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.pardot_admin_recycle_bin.htm&type=5&language=en_US) |
| Content files | Shown in the bin but can't be restored | [Use the Recycle Bin](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.pardot_admin_recycle_bin.htm&type=5&language=en_US) |
| Opportunity and prospect account custom fields | Deleted permanently; re-create, then full sync for values | [Use the Recycle Bin](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.pardot_admin_recycle_bin.htm&type=5&language=en_US) |
| Undeleted Salesforce record | Restores the deleted prospect it syncs with | [Use the Recycle Bin](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.pardot_admin_recycle_bin.htm&type=5&language=en_US) |
| Permanent delete permission | Account Engagement Administrator role | [Permanently Delete Prospects](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.pardot_admin_prospects_permanently_delete.htm&type=5&language=en_US) |
| Permanent delete duration | Up to 30 days, with an email when complete | [Permanently Delete Prospects](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.pardot_admin_prospects_permanently_delete.htm&type=5&language=en_US) |

## Check yourself

- Why might report numbers shift after a permanent deletion?
- When the business unit allows duplicate emails, what undeletes a prospect on a form submit?
- When a deleted prospect was tied to a person account, what happens to the account record?
- How do you restore many recycled items at once?

## Sources

- [Use the Recycle Bin](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.pardot_admin_recycle_bin.htm&type=5&language=en_US)
- [Permanently Delete Prospects](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.pardot_admin_prospects_permanently_delete.htm&type=5&language=en_US)
- [Remove a Prospect from the Recycle Bin](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.pardot_what_removes_prospect_from_recycle_bin.htm&type=5&language=en_US)
- [Learn Administration Basics (Trailhead)](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/pardot-basics-lightning/learn-pardot-administration-basics-lightning)
- [Create Custom Account Fields](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.pardot_prospect_account_custom_field_create.htm&type=5&language=en_US)
- [Marketing Cloud Account Engagement Specialist Exam Guide](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=005298953&language=en_US&type=1)

## About the full unit

The "Core concepts", "Exam traps" and "Worked scenario" sections of this unit, its 8 linked practice questions, and unlimited timed mock exams are included with the Marketing Cloud Account Engagement Specialist pack (USD $19): https://www.certifyforce.com/practice-exams