Right-click the notebook name and select Delete

The fastest way to delete a notebook in OneNote is to find it in the left sidebar, right-click on the notebook name itself (not a section inside it), and choose Delete from the menu. OneNote will ask you to confirm — click Delete again. The notebook disappears from your sidebar when ready.

This works the same way whether you use OneNote on Windows, Mac, or the web version. The notebook file stays on your computer or cloud storage for a few days in case you change your mind, but it no longer appears in OneNote and you cannot open it from the app.

Key Takeaways

  • Right-click the notebook name in the left sidebar and select Delete to remove it from OneNote in one step.
  • OneNote asks you to confirm the deletion, but does not permanently erase the file for several days.
  • If you delete a notebook by mistake, you can restore it from your cloud storage or recycle bin within a few days.
  • Deleting a notebook does not affect other notebooks or sections — only the one you selected is removed.
  • Notebooks stored in OneDrive or SharePoint can be recovered through those services even after OneNote forgets them.

Where the notebook actually goes after deletion

When you delete a notebook from OneNote, the app stops showing it, but the file itself does not vanish right away. If your notebook is stored in OneDrive, it moves to your OneDrive recycle bin for 93 days. If it is stored on your local computer, it goes to your Windows Recycle Bin (or Mac Trash) for the standard retention period on your system.

This means you have time to recover the notebook if you realize you deleted it by mistake. Open OneDrive on the web, go to the recycle bin, find the notebook folder, and click Restore. The notebook reappears in OneNote the next time you open the app. On a local computer, open your Recycle Bin, find the notebook folder, right-click it, and select Restore.

Deleting a single section instead of the whole notebook

If you only want to remove one section from a notebook — not the entire notebook — right-click the section name (the tabs at the top of the page) and select Delete Section. The section disappears, but the notebook and all other sections stay intact.

You can also delete individual pages by right-clicking the page name in the left sidebar and selecting Delete Page. This removes only that one page, leaving the section and notebook untouched. Use this when you want to keep the notebook but clean up old or unwanted content inside it.

Removing a notebook from your sidebar without deleting it

Sometimes you want a notebook out of your sidebar but do not want to delete it entirely. Right-click the notebook name and select Unpinned (or Unpin from Sidebar, depending on your version). The notebook stays on your computer or in the cloud, but stops appearing in your sidebar.

You can still open the notebook later by going to File > Open and browsing for it, or by searching for it in OneNote's search bar. This is useful when you have notebooks you rarely use but want to keep around. To bring it back to your sidebar, open it and right-click the name again, then select Pin to Sidebar.

Notebooks stored in OneDrive versus local storage

The deletion process is the same whether your notebook lives in OneDrive or on your computer, but recovery works differently. OneDrive notebooks are easier to recover because OneDrive keeps deleted files in its recycle bin for 93 days. Local notebooks depend on your computer's recycle bin, which may empty automatically or have a shorter retention period depending on your settings.

If you are not sure where your notebook is stored, right-click it and look for a Properties or Info option. The file path will show you whether it is in a OneDrive folder or a local folder on your computer. Notebooks in OneDrive are generally safer to delete by accident because you have more time to recover them.

What happens to shared notebooks when you delete them

If you delete a notebook that you share with other people, the notebook disappears from your OneNote, but the other people who have access to it can still see it and use it. They will not know you deleted it from your own copy — the deletion only affects your view.

If you are the owner of a shared notebook and want to remove it completely so that no one can access it, you need to delete it from the shared location itself. For notebooks in OneDrive or SharePoint, go to that service directly, find the notebook folder, and delete it there. This removes it for everyone who has access.

Freeing up storage space by deleting notebooks

Deleting a notebook from OneNote does not when ready free up storage space on your computer or cloud account, because the file stays in the recycle bin for several days. To actually reclaim that space, you need to empty the recycle bin. On Windows, right-click the Recycle Bin on your desktop and select Empty Recycle Bin. On Mac, empty the Trash from the Finder menu.

For OneDrive notebooks, go to OneDrive on the web, open the recycle bin, and click Empty Recycle Bin at the top. This permanently removes the notebook and frees up the storage it was using. If you are running low on storage and have old notebooks you no longer need, deleting them and emptying the recycle bin is the fastest way to make room.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I undo a notebook deletion right after I delete it?

OneNote does not have an undo button for deletions, but you can recover the notebook from your recycle bin or trash within a few days. For OneDrive notebooks, go to OneDrive.com, open the recycle bin, find the notebook folder, and click Restore. For local notebooks, open your Windows Recycle Bin or Mac Trash and restore it from there.

What if I deleted a notebook and emptied the recycle bin?

If the notebook was in OneDrive, contact Microsoft Support — they may be able to recover it from backup within a limited window. If it was stored locally on your computer, recovery is much harder and may require professional data recovery software. This is why it is important to keep backups of important notebooks.

Does deleting a notebook delete it from all my devices?

If your notebook is in OneDrive, deleting it removes it from all devices that sync with that OneDrive account. If it is stored locally on one computer, deletion only affects that computer. Other devices with their own local copies will still have the notebook unless you delete it from each one separately.

Can I delete a notebook if I do not own it?

No. If someone else owns the notebook and shared it with you, you can only remove it from your sidebar by unpinning it. You cannot delete the notebook itself. To actually delete a shared notebook, you must be the owner or have permission from the owner to delete it.

How much storage space does a notebook take up?

This varies widely depending on how many pages, images, and attachments the notebook contains. Right-click the notebook and select Properties or Info to see its file size. If you are trying to free up space, deleting large notebooks with many images or videos will have the biggest impact.