The fastest way to delete a notebook
To delete a notebook in OneNote, right-click on the notebook name in the left sidebar and select Delete. OneNote will ask you to confirm — click Delete again. The notebook is then removed from your sidebar and no longer appears when you open OneNote.
The process is the same whether you use OneNote on Windows, Mac, or the web version. The notebook itself stays on your device or cloud storage for a short time before being permanently removed, but you won't see it in OneNote anymore.
If you cannot find the notebook in your sidebar, it may be archived or stored in a different location. Check the Open Other Notebooks option at the bottom of your notebook list — archived notebooks sometimes appear there instead of in your main list.
Key Takeaways
- Right-click the notebook name in the left sidebar and select Delete to remove it from OneNote.
- OneNote asks you to confirm the deletion before it removes the notebook permanently.
- Deleted notebooks may stay on your device or cloud storage briefly before being fully removed.
- If a notebook is archived instead of deleted, you can find it under Open Other Notebooks and delete it from there.
- Deleting a notebook removes all sections and pages inside it, so make sure you no longer need the content before confirming.
Where the delete option appears on different devices
On Windows, open OneNote and look at the left sidebar where your notebook names appear. Right-click directly on the notebook name — not on a section or page inside it — and a menu will pop up. Select Delete from that menu.
On Mac, the process is identical. Right-click the notebook name in the sidebar and choose Delete. If you use a trackpad instead of a mouse, hold Control and click the notebook name to bring up the same menu.
On OneNote Online (the web version), click the three dots next to the notebook name instead of right-clicking. A dropdown menu appears with a Delete option. Select it and confirm when prompted.
If you use OneNote through Microsoft 365 or have notebooks stored in OneDrive or SharePoint, the delete option still appears in the same places — the location where the notebook is stored does not change how you delete it.
What happens to your notes when you delete a notebook
When you delete a notebook, every section and page inside it is removed. OneNote does not keep a separate trash or recycle bin for notebooks — once you confirm the deletion, the content is gone from OneNote itself.
However, if your notebook was stored on OneDrive, SharePoint, or another cloud service, the file may still exist in that service's recycle bin for a limited time. You can recover it there if you act quickly. Check your OneDrive or SharePoint recycle bin within 93 days of deletion to restore the notebook file.
If the notebook was stored only on your local device and not synced to the cloud, deletion is permanent. OneNote does not back up local notebooks automatically, so make sure you have copied any important notes elsewhere before you delete.
How to find and delete archived notebooks
Sometimes a notebook appears to be deleted but still shows up in your Open Other Notebooks list. This usually means the notebook is archived rather than deleted. Archived notebooks are hidden from your main sidebar but still exist in OneNote.
To see archived notebooks, scroll to the bottom of your notebook list in the sidebar and click Open Other Notebooks. A list appears showing notebooks you have archived or notebooks stored in locations OneNote is not currently syncing from. Find the notebook you want to remove and right-click it.
Select Delete from the menu that appears. Confirm the deletion when OneNote asks. The notebook will then be removed from the archived list as well.
Deleting a notebook without losing your notes
If you want to remove a notebook from OneNote but keep your notes, export the notebook before you delete it. In OneNote, right-click the notebook name and select Export. Choose a location on your computer to save the file — OneNote will create a copy of the entire notebook.
You can then delete the notebook from OneNote without losing the exported copy. The exported file remains on your device and can be reopened or imported into another note-taking app if you switch later.
Alternatively, you can move individual sections or pages to a different notebook before deleting. Right-click a section or page, select Move, and choose the destination notebook. This way you keep the notes you want and delete only the notebook structure itself.
Troubleshooting: Why you might not see a delete option
If the Delete option does not appear when you right-click a notebook, the notebook may be synced to a shared location like SharePoint or a shared OneDrive folder. Shared notebooks sometimes have restricted permissions — you may not have the authority to delete them even if you created them.
Check with the person or team who manages the shared location. They may need to delete the notebook, or they may need to change your permissions first. If the notebook is shared with your entire organization, contact your IT department or the notebook owner.
If you own the notebook but still cannot delete it, try signing out of OneNote and signing back in. Sometimes a permission cache prevents the delete option from appearing until you refresh your connection. Close OneNote completely, wait a few seconds, and reopen it.
Deleting sections or pages instead of the whole notebook
If you only want to remove part of a notebook, you can delete individual sections or pages instead. Right-click a section name in the sidebar and select Delete Section. OneNote will ask you to confirm — the section and all pages inside it will be removed.
To delete a single page, right-click the page name and select Delete Page. The page disappears from that section, but the section itself remains. This approach is useful when you want to clean up old notes without removing the entire notebook structure.
Deleted sections and pages follow the same rules as deleted notebooks — they are gone from OneNote when ready, but may still exist in your cloud storage's recycle bin if the notebook is synced there.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I undo a notebook deletion?
If the notebook was stored on OneDrive or SharePoint, you can recover it from that service's recycle bin within 93 days. If it was stored only on your device, the deletion is permanent and cannot be undone. Always export or back up important notebooks before deleting them.
What if I delete a notebook by accident?
Check your OneDrive or SharePoint recycle bin when ready if the notebook was synced to the cloud. If it was local only, the notebook is permanently gone. In the future, export important notebooks before deleting them so you have a backup copy.
Do I need to delete sections before I delete a notebook?
No. When you delete a notebook, all sections and pages inside it are automatically removed. You do not need to delete them separately — deleting the notebook removes everything at once.
Why does my deleted notebook still appear in my recent files?
Recent files lists sometimes show notebooks for a short time after deletion. This is normal and the notebook will disappear from the list within a few days. The notebook itself is already deleted from OneNote.
Can I delete a notebook I share with other people?
If you own the shared notebook, you can delete it. However, deleting a shared notebook removes it for everyone who has access to it. Make sure all collaborators have copied any notes they need before you delete a shared notebook.