How to Delete Word Documents in Microsoft 365

Word itself has no Delete button for documents. You delete a Word file wherever it’s stored. If it’s on your PC, close it, find it in File Explorer, and press Delete. If it’s in OneDrive or SharePoint (common with Microsoft 365), select it on the OneDrive website or in the synced OneDrive folder and choose Delete. If you only want it off Word’s Recent list, right-click it on the Open screen and choose Remove from list, which leaves the file itself alone. Deleted files go to the Recycle Bin first, so you can get them back if you change your mind.

Find out where the document is saved

Open the document in Word and click the file name at the top of the window. The location is shown under the name. Or go to File > Info and look under the title. A path that starts with a drive letter (such as C:\Users\…) means it’s on your PC. OneDrive or a web address means it’s in the cloud.

Delete a document stored on your PC

1. Close the document in Word. Windows won’t delete a file that’s open.
2. Press Windows + E to open File Explorer and go to the folder (often Documents).
3. Click the file, or hold Ctrl and click to select several files.
4. Press Delete, or right-click and choose the Delete (bin) icon.

The file moves to the Recycle Bin. Pressing Shift + Delete skips the Recycle Bin and removes the file permanently, so use it with care.

Delete from inside Word’s Open dialog

Go to File > Open > Browse. The dialog that opens is a File Explorer window, so you can right-click a document there (not the one that’s currently open) and choose Delete.

On a Mac

Close the document, find it in Finder, and drag it to the Trash or press Cmd + Delete.

Delete a document stored in OneDrive or SharePoint

Microsoft 365 saves new documents to OneDrive by default, so this is often where your file is.

On the web

1. Sign in to OneDrive in your browser with the account you use for Microsoft 365.
2. Find the document. Use the search box if you’re not sure which folder it’s in.
3. Tick the circle next to the file, then click Delete in the toolbar and confirm.

In the OneDrive folder on your PC

If OneDrive syncs to your PC, open the OneDrive folder in File Explorer and delete the file there. The deletion syncs to the cloud and to your other devices.

Note: If the document is shared, deleting it removes it for everyone who has access. If you only want to stop seeing a file someone shared with you, remove it from your Shared list instead.

Remove a document from Word’s Recent list

This hides the file name in Word without deleting anything:

1. In Word, go to File > Open (or the Home screen) and find the Recent list.
2. Right-click the document and choose Remove from list.
3. To clear the whole list, right-click any item and choose Clear unpinned items.

Windows keeps its own recent files list too. See how to clear recent files in Windows 10.

Delete unsaved drafts and AutoRecover files

Word keeps temporary copies of documents you never saved. To clear them, go to File > Info > Manage Document and choose Delete All Unsaved Documents, where it’s available. You can see where AutoRecover files are kept under File > Options > Save.

Get a deleted document back

• From your PC: Open the Recycle Bin on the desktop, right-click the file and choose Restore. It goes back to its original folder.
• From OneDrive: On the OneDrive website, click Recycle bin, select the file and click Restore. Personal accounts usually keep deleted files for 30 days. Work and school accounts often keep them longer, depending on your organization’s settings.
• Still can’t find it? See how to recover unsaved or deleted Word documents in Windows and how to recover a Word document.

Delete documents safely

• Check that you’re deleting the right version. If you’ve been working on copies, sort the folder by Date modified first. See how to duplicate a Word document for keeping versions tidy.
• Make sure AutoSave hasn’t been saving your edits to a file you’re about to remove. See how to turn on AutoSave in Word.
• For sensitive documents, empty the Recycle Bin (and the OneDrive recycle bin) afterwards, so the file is really gone.

Troubleshooting

“The action can’t be completed because the file is open in Microsoft Word”

Close every Word window. If the message persists, Word may still be running in the background. Open Task Manager with Ctrl + Shift + Esc, end Microsoft Word, and try again.

The file comes back after I delete it

Another device may be syncing an old copy to OneDrive. Delete the file on the OneDrive website, then check your other devices.

I don’t have permission to delete it

The document belongs to someone else, or it’s in a shared library with restricted permissions. Ask the owner or your IT administrator.

Summary

1. Check where the document is saved under File > Info.
2. Close it, then delete it in File Explorer, Finder or OneDrive.
3. Use Remove from list to hide it from Word’s Recent list without deleting it.
4. Restore it from the Recycle Bin or the OneDrive recycle bin if you need it back.

Related: transfer Word documents.