Archive vs delete

Archive = hide from default Wevion view but preserve data for historical reports. Delete = soft delete on Wevion side; may permanently delete on platform depending on platform. Archive is reversible (unarchive at any time). Delete is harder (sometimes irreversible). Best practice: archive after campaign ends; delete only for genuinely irrelevant data.

Who is this for

Mediabuyers cleaning up Ads Manager after campaigns end. Anyone wondering "should I archive or delete this old campaign".

The fundamental difference

When to archive

• Campaign ended its run: served its purpose, no longer running

• Wave campaign closed: completed wave, want to keep data for comparison

• Test campaign concluded: hypothesis tested, decided not to scale

• Client engagement ended: client gone, but want their data for archive

Archive preserves the option to reactivate (unarchive) OR to reference historical data.

When to delete

• Accidental campaign creation: typo + immediately realized

• Duplicate created in error: clearly redundant

• Test campaign with no value: created to test Wevion, no real spend, no analysis value

• GDPR / compliance deletion request: actually remove the data (full account deletion is separate — see acc-117)

Delete is permanent in spirit — don't use for normal lifecycle.

How to archive

Single archive

• Right-click campaign / ad set / ad row → Archive

• OR action menu → Archive

• Confirmation modal (you can review the cascade impact)

• Async via SQS worker; effect within 1-2 min on platform

Bulk archive

Select multiple → toolbar Archive. See am-105 bulk actions.

How to delete

Single delete

• Action menu → Delete

• Confirmation modal asks you to type the campaign name (safety)

• Submit → async via worker

• Effect within 5-10 min on platform (platform processes the deletion)

Bulk delete

Select multiple → toolbar Delete → confirmation with name list + typed confirmation. Highly recommended to avoid bulk delete unless you're sure.

Cascade behavior

• Archive campaign: all ad sets + ads in it also archived

• Archive ad set: all ads in it archived; other ad sets in campaign unaffected

• Archive ad: only that ad archived

Same cascade for delete.

Unarchive

For archived items:

• Action menu → Unarchive

• Or filter to show archived + use bulk Unarchive

• Item returns to Paused state (not Active) — review before activating

Recovering deleted

Deleted items go into a recovery window (typically 30 days):

• Filter to show deleted → action menu → Restore

• After 30 days: typically irreversible (contact support for special cases)

Don't rely on recovery as backup — backups should be exports / audit log.

Platform-side effects

Each platform handles archive / delete differently:

So in practice: archive + delete look similar on most platforms (both stop delivery + hide from active view). The main difference is in Wevion's data + your future recovery options.

Data retention

When to use which: decision tree

Was the campaign run intentionally and produced data?
├─ Yes (normal campaign lifecycle)
│   └─ Archive (preserves history, easy to reference)
└─ No (mistake / test / no value)
    └─ Delete (clean up clutter)

RBAC + audit

Audit log records both: action: campaign_archive / campaign_unarchive / campaign_delete / campaign_restore, with metadata.

What you'll see

After archive:

• Row disappears from default view

• Toggle "Show archived" → row reappears with grey "Archived" badge

• Historical reports include the data

After delete:

• Row disappears (default view + most filters)

• Toggle "Show deleted" → reappears with red "Deleted" badge + recovery countdown

• Historical reports may exclude (configurable)

Common issues

• "Archive but still spending": platform may not have synced; force-sync the account. Or pause first, then archive.

• "Cannot delete: child entities active": pause + archive children first, then delete parent.

• "Restore deleted not available": outside 30-day window. Contact support for case-by-case.

• "Bulk delete blocked": typing confirmation didn't match. Verify exact name spelling.

• "Archived campaign appearing in reports": by design (historical preservation). Configure report to exclude if needed.

Best practices

Pause before archive/delete

Always pause first → verify spend stops → then archive or delete. Prevents "archived but still delivering" surprises.

Use archive as default end-state

Most campaigns at end-of-life: archive, don't delete. Preserves comparability + audit trail.

Reserve delete for truly junk

• Test campaigns Wevion onboarding with $0 spend

• Accidental duplicates noticed within an hour

• True compliance erasure requests

Document why you deleted

If you DO delete something: note WHY in audit log if supported. Future you may wonder.

Set up data retention policy at workspace level

Discuss with team: should archived campaigns be auto-deleted after N years? If so, schedule periodic cleanup.

Related

• Pause and resume — pause is step 1 before archive/delete

• Bulk actions — bulk archive/delete

• Audit log — track archive/delete events