Delete a notebook you no longer need

To delete a notebook in OneNote, you right-click the notebook name in the left sidebar and select Delete. The notebook moves to your recycle bin, where it stays for 93 days before OneNote removes it permanently. If you change your mind within that window, you can restore it from the recycle bin.

The exact steps differ slightly depending on whether you use OneNote on Windows, Mac, or the web version. The core action is the same — find the notebook, delete it, and confirm — but the menu locations vary. This guide covers all three.

Key Takeaways

  • Deleted notebooks go to a recycle bin for 93 days, so you can restore them if you change your mind.
  • On Windows and Mac, right-click the notebook name in the left sidebar and select Delete from the menu.
  • On OneNote online, click the three dots next to the notebook name and choose Delete Notebook.
  • Permanently deleting a notebook requires you to empty the recycle bin, which cannot be undone.

Delete a notebook on Windows

Open OneNote and look at the left sidebar where your notebook names appear. Right-click directly on the notebook you want to remove. A menu will pop up with several options, including Delete.

Click Delete. OneNote will ask you to confirm — it will say something like "Are you sure you want to delete this notebook?" Click Yes or Confirm depending on your OneNote version. The notebook disappears from your sidebar when ready and moves to the recycle bin.

If the notebook is stored on OneDrive or SharePoint (which is common), OneNote may ask whether you want to delete it from your computer only or from the cloud storage as well. Choose based on whether you want to keep a copy elsewhere. If you delete it from the cloud, it goes to your OneDrive recycle bin instead of OneNote's recycle bin, but the 93-day window still applies.

Delete a notebook on Mac

The Mac version of OneNote works the same way. In the left sidebar, find the notebook you want to delete and right-click it. The context menu appears with a Delete option near the bottom.

Click Delete, then confirm when OneNote asks. The notebook moves to the recycle bin. Like the Windows version, if your notebook is stored on OneDrive, you may see an option to delete it from your Mac only or from OneDrive as well — choose whichever matches what you want to keep.

Delete a notebook on OneNote online

OneNote online (the version you access through a web browser at office.com) works differently because there is no right-click menu in the same way. Instead, look for the three dots (called an ellipsis) next to the notebook name. This appears when you hover over the notebook or in the notebook's header area.

Click the three dots and look for Delete Notebook in the menu that appears. Click it, then confirm when prompted. The notebook moves to your recycle bin, which you can access from the settings menu if you need to restore it later.

Restore a deleted notebook from the recycle bin

If you delete a notebook by mistake, you have 93 days to bring it back. On Windows and Mac, look for a Recycle Bin or Deleted Items option in the OneNote menu — this is usually under File or Settings depending on your version. Click it to see notebooks you have deleted.

Find the notebook you want to restore, right-click it, and select Restore. The notebook returns to your sidebar in the same place it was before. On OneNote online, the recycle bin is usually accessible from the app settings or from your OneDrive recycle bin if the notebook was cloud-stored.

After 93 days, OneNote permanently removes the notebook and you cannot restore it. There is no warning before this happens, so if you think you might need a notebook later, restore it before the 93 days are up.

Permanently delete a notebook

If you want to remove a notebook completely without waiting 93 days, you can empty the recycle bin. This action cannot be undone — once you empty the recycle bin, the notebook is gone forever and cannot be restored.

On Windows and Mac, open the recycle bin from the OneNote menu, find the notebook, right-click it, and select Permanently Delete or Empty Recycle Bin. On OneNote online, the same option appears in your recycle bin settings. Confirm when prompted, and the notebook is removed completely.

What happens to shared notebooks when you delete them

If you delete a notebook that other people have access to, the behavior depends on who owns it. If you are the owner, deleting it removes it for everyone who has access. If someone else owns it and shared it with you, deleting it only removes your copy — the owner still has theirs.

Before you delete a shared notebook, consider whether other people might still need it. If you are unsure, you can remove yourself from the notebook instead of deleting it. On Windows and Mac, right-click the notebook and look for Leave Notebook or Remove. On OneNote online, click the three dots and select Leave. This removes it from your sidebar without affecting anyone else's access.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I delete a notebook without losing the notes inside it?

Not directly in OneNote. When you delete a notebook, all the sections and pages inside it are deleted too. If you want to keep the notes but remove the notebook, you should copy the pages to another notebook first, then delete the original.

What if I delete a notebook by accident and it has been more than 93 days?

Once the 93-day recycle bin window closes, OneNote permanently removes the notebook and there is no way to restore it through OneNote itself. If the notebook was stored on OneDrive, you may be able to restore it from your OneDrive recycle bin, which has a longer retention period. Check your OneDrive settings to see if a recovery option is available.

Does deleting a notebook from OneNote also delete it from OneDrive?

It depends on your choice when you delete. OneNote usually asks whether you want to delete it from your device only or from cloud storage as well. If you choose to delete from cloud storage, it goes to your OneDrive recycle bin. If you choose device only, the notebook remains on OneDrive but is removed from OneNote.

Can I delete a section instead of an entire notebook?

Yes. Right-click a section name (the tabs inside a notebook) instead of the notebook name itself, and select Delete. Sections go to the recycle bin the same way notebooks do and can be restored within 93 days.