Skip to main content

Delete a controlled document

Deleting a controlled document removes it entirely. Better Comply blocks deletion when the document is referenced by training, and records every allowed deletion in the audit trail before it happens.

Who this is for

Administrators. Deletion is a privileged action.

Deletion is permanent

A deleted document and its versions are gone. For a document that has ever been part of your quality record, retiring it with Mark obsolete is almost always the right action: it preserves the history while signalling that the document must not be used. See the obsolete action in Lifecycle and approval.

When deletion is blocked​

Before deleting, Better Comply checks whether any training references the document as a source. If one or more do, deletion is blocked. The dialog tells you how many trainings reference the document and directs you to Mark obsolete instead.

This is intentional. Trainings are anchored to specific document versions to keep training evidence traceable to its source. Deleting a referenced document would break that traceability, so the system refuses.

Screenshot pendingDelete dialog in its blocked state, showing the reference count and the suggestion to mark obsolete
Referenced documents must be obsoleted, not deleted

A document used by any training cannot be deleted. Use Mark obsolete to retire it: the document and its versions move to Obsolete, the content is preserved for the record, and the link from training evidence to its source stays intact. See Used by trainings.

The delete path when it is allowed​

When no training references the document, deletion is allowed:

  1. Open the delete dialog for the document.
  2. Enter a deletion reason of at least 10 characters.
  3. Confirm.

Before the document is removed, Better Comply records a delete_controlled_document event in the audit trail. The audit write happens first: if it fails, the deletion is aborted and the document stays in place. A regulated record never disappears without a matching trail entry.

The audit record is written before the delete

The delete is fail-loud and audited. The delete_controlled_document event - including the deletion reason - is recorded before the destructive step runs. A failed audit aborts the deletion. See the Compliance area for the fail-loud audit model.

If a reference somehow appears between the pre-check and the delete, the database still refuses the removal, and you are told the document is referenced and should be obsoleted.