Guide: Delete a comment, and what the Bin keeps
This page: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/inbox/delete-a-comment-and-what-the-bin-keeps
Topic: Inbox and comments
Time: about 3 minutes
Who can do it: Anyone on your team
Author: https://anantgupta.xyz (Anant Gupta, founder of CommentWatchDog)
Start in the app: https://app.commentwatchdog.com/en/inbox?tab=bin
Result when done: A comment is gone from the platform for good, and you keep the record of what it said.
Context: Deleting removes the comment from Facebook or Instagram. It cannot be undone, on either platform, by anyone. The Bin is what you keep afterwards: the text, the author, and what removed it.

Before you start:
1. Deleting is permanent. Hide instead if there is any chance you will want it back.
2. The person may notice their comment is gone; the platform does not tell them why.
3. A comment deleted by a rule lands in the Bin the same way as one you deleted by hand.

Steps:
Step 1 of 4: Delete a comment.
Where: The delete icon under the comment, or Delete in the phone sheet. A confirmation says plainly that deleting is permanent and that the commenter may notice it is gone.
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/inbox.en.webp (Delete, in the row under the comment.)
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/inbox-phone.en.webp (The same on a phone.)
You should see: The row leaves the Inbox and appears in the Bin with your name against it.

Step 2 of 4: Read the Bin.
Where: The Bin tab above the list. Each row keeps the comment text, the author, the page, and what deleted it: a rule by name, a person by name, or Post cleanup.
Link: https://app.commentwatchdog.com/en/inbox?tab=bin (Open the bin)
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/inbox-bin.en.webp (The Bin: what was deleted and what deleted it.)
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/inbox-bin-phone.en.webp (The same on a phone.)
You should see: A record you can search and filter like any other tab, so you can always answer for a removal.

Step 3 of 4: Find it again later.
Where: The Bin keeps the record for good: the same search and filters find any deleted comment, with what deleted it and when. There is no clearing by hand.
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/inbox-bin.en.webp (Search the Bin like the inbox.)
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/inbox-bin-phone.en.webp (The same on a phone.)
You should see: The deleted comment, with the rule or the person that deleted it.

Step 4 of 4: Know what cannot be deleted.
Where: Meta refuses deletion on some comments, for example on an ad that has stopped running, or when the author has already removed it. The row keeps the reason instead of pretending it worked.
You should see: The comment stays where it is, with the error, so you know it is still on the post.

If something is off:
Problem: I deleted the wrong comment
Fix: It cannot be brought back, on either platform. The Bin keeps the text so you can answer the person if they ask.
Problem: The comment is still on Facebook
Fix: Give Meta a moment. If it is still there, it was deleted outside the app or Meta refused the deletion; the row shows which.
Problem: Deletion queued appears
Fix: Meta is limiting actions. The deletion finishes on its own and you can follow it under Tasks.
Problem: My rules are deleting too much
Fix: Change the rule action from Delete to Hide on the page Moderation tab; hiding can always be undone.

Common questions:
Question: Is the person told why their comment was deleted?
Answer: No. The person may notice their comment is gone, but the platform does not tell them why. The confirmation in CommentWatchDog says so before you delete, and the Bin keeps the text in case they ask.
Question: Does the Bin show who deleted a comment?
Answer: Yes. Each Bin row keeps the comment text, the author, the page, when it went, and what deleted it: a rule by name, a person by name, or Post cleanup. The same search box and filters work in the Bin.
Question: Can deleting a comment fail?
Answer: Yes. Meta refuses deletion on some comments, for example on an ad that has stopped running, or when the author has already removed it. The row keeps the reason and the comment stays where it is, so you know it is still on the post.
Question: Is a comment deleted by a rule recorded the same way as one I deleted?
Answer: Yes. A comment deleted by a rule lands in the Bin exactly like one you deleted by hand; the only difference is that the row names the rule instead of a person.

Related guides:
- Hide, unhide and undo: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/inbox/hide-unhide-and-undo
- Inbox, Archive and Bin: what goes where: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/inbox/inbox-archive-and-bin-what-goes-where
- Act on many comments at once: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/inbox/act-on-many-comments-at-once

Plain text of this guide: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/inbox/delete-a-comment-and-what-the-bin-keeps.md
All guides for assistants: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/llms.txt