Why was my project archived, and how do I access it?

Overview

Smartcat automatically archives projects to keep your workspace fast and organized. Archived projects move from the Projects tab to the Archive tab and are not deleted — see How it works for the full archiving and deletion timeline.

Requirements and Limitations

• File downloads from archived projects require a paid subscription

• Archived documents cannot be opened in the Editor

• Forever Free plan users cannot customize archiving settings

• Customizing the archiving period or disabling archiving is only available on paid subscriptions, and only Smartcat support can configure it. It is not available in the standard user interface

How it works

When and how projects are archived

• Projects are automatically archived after 45 days of inactivity or completion

• Adding a document or updating a translation counts as activity; deleting a document does not

• Archived projects are stored for 9 months, during which their files remain available for download

• Users with rights to create projects and manage project resources receive a warning email 10 days before permanent deletion

• After 9 months in the Archive, the project and all its documents are permanently deleted. This cannot be reversed

• Translation memories created during the project remain available on the My linguistic assets → Translation Memory page even after the project is deleted

Find an archived project

Step 1 — Go to the Archive tab

1. Go to your Projects page

2. Click the Archived tab

Step 2 — Locate your project

1. Use the search bar and filters to find your project

⚠️ Filters applied on the Projects tab also apply to the Archived tab. Clear any active filters if you can't find the project.

Download files from an archived project

Step 1 — Expand the project file list

1. Go to the Archived tab and locate your project

2. Click the folder icon to expand the project's file list

Step 2 — Download files

1. Click the arrow next to the Download button

2. Select the file type you want to download:

   • Original file — the source file

   • TMX — the translation memory in TMX format

   • Resulting file — the translated target file

3. Repeat for each file type needed. Only one type can be downloaded at a time

Resume work on an archived project

Archived documents cannot be opened in the Editor. To resume work:

Step 1 — Download the original file

1. Follow the steps above to download the Original file from the archived project

Step 2 — Create a new project

1. Create a new project

2. Upload the downloaded file to the new project

💡 Your translation memory from the original project is still available and will automatically apply to the new project.

Customize or disable archiving

With a paid subscription, you can set a custom archiving period or disable automatic archiving entirely. This setting is not available in the standard user interface. Contact Smartcat support to configure it on your behalf.

Available archiving period options:

• 7 days (1 week)

• 10 days

• 30 days (1 month)

• 60 days (2 months)

• 90 days (3 months)

• 180 days (6 months)

• 270 days (9 months)

• 365 days (1 year)

• 730 days (2 years)

• 1,095 days (3 years)

• Never (archiving disabled)

Restore a canceled project

If a project was canceled (not archived), you can restore it to active status:

1. Locate the canceled project

2. Click the project actions menu

3. Select Restore project

This feature is available to all users regardless of subscription tier.

Troubleshooting

Problem: I can't find my project in the Archive tab either.

Solution: Check whether any filters are active. Filters applied on the Projects tab also apply to the Archived tab. Clear all filters and try again. If the project still doesn't appear, it may have been permanently deleted after the 9-month storage period.

Problem: I want to stop Smartcat from archiving my projects automatically.

Solution: See Customize or disable archiving above. Contact Smartcat support (paid subscriptions only).

Problem: I need to edit an archived document but can't open it in the Editor.

Solution: See Resume work on an archived project above. Download the original file and create a new project.

FAQs

How long does a project need to be inactive before it's automatically archived?

45 days of inactivity moves a project to the Archive tab automatically.

What counts as "activity" that prevents archiving?

Adding documents or updating translations counts as activity. Deleting documents does not count as activity and won't prevent archiving.

Can I still download files from an archived project?

Yes, but only with a paid subscription — Forever Free users cannot download from archived projects, and archived documents can't be opened in the Editor either way.

What happens to an archived project after 9 months?

Files become undownloadable and the project is permanently deleted — this is irreversible. Smartcat sends a warning email 10 days before this final deletion.

How do I resume work on an archived project?

Download the original source file from the Archive tab, create a new project, and upload that file — the original translation memory automatically reapplies.

Can I customize how long projects wait before being archived?

Yes, but only on paid subscriptions, and Smartcat support has to configure it for you (available periods range from 7 days to 1,095 days, or Never). Forever Free users cannot customize this setting.