Guide: Inbox, Archive and Bin: what goes where
This page: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/inbox/inbox-archive-and-bin-what-goes-where
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
Result when done: You know which of the three tabs a comment is in, and why it went there.
Context: Every comment lives in one of three tabs. Inbox is what still needs you, Archive is what you have finished with, and Bin is the record of what was deleted. Nothing moves between them on its own except when a rule deletes a comment.

Before you start:
1. The three tabs sit above the list and each carries its own count.
2. Hiding a comment does not move it: a hidden comment stays in the Inbox with a chip naming the rule.
3. Deleting is the only action that removes a comment from Facebook or Instagram.

Steps:
Step 1 of 4: Open the Inbox tab.
Where: All comments in the left sidebar, or a single page under Pages. The Inbox tab holds every comment that has not been archived, newest first, including the ones your rules hid.
Link: https://app.commentwatchdog.com/en/inbox (Open the inbox)
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/inbox.en.webp (The Inbox tab: everything live.)
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/inbox-phone.en.webp (The same on a phone.)
You should see: Every comment waiting for you, with the counts for Inbox, Archive and Bin above the list.

Step 2 of 4: Open the Archive tab.
Where: The Archive tab, beside Inbox. A comment arrives here only because you archived it, by hand, by Reply and archive, or by an agent or automation set to archive after replying. Nothing changes on Facebook or Instagram when you archive.
Link: https://app.commentwatchdog.com/en/inbox?tab=archive (Open the archive)
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/inbox-archive.en.webp (The Archive tab.)
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/inbox-archive-phone.en.webp (The same on a phone.)
You should see: The comments you have finished with. They keep their replies and their chips, and Unarchive sends one back.

Step 3 of 4: Open the Bin tab.
Where: The Bin tab, at the end of the row. A comment arrives here when it is deleted, by you or by one of your rules. The comment itself is already gone from the platform; the Bin keeps the record of what it said and what removed it.
Link: https://app.commentwatchdog.com/en/inbox?tab=bin (Open the bin)
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/inbox-bin.en.webp (The Bin tab.)
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/inbox-bin-phone.en.webp (The same on a phone.)
You should see: Each row shows the comment that was deleted and what deleted it, so you can answer for every removal.

Step 4 of 4: Find a deleted comment again later.
Where: The Bin is the record of every deletion: the comment, who or which rule deleted it, and when. The same search box and filters work here, so a deleted comment is always findable. The record is not cleared by hand; it stays.
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/inbox-bin.en.webp (The search box above the Bin list.)
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/inbox-bin-phone.en.webp (The same on a phone.)
You should see: Only the deletions that match your words, each with what deleted it.

If something is off:
Problem: A comment I archived is back in the Inbox
Fix: Someone unarchived it, or an automation moved it. The row keeps its history; check who replied last.
Problem: I cannot find a comment
Fix: Search only looks inside the tab you are on. The empty state offers to search the archive or the bin instead.
Problem: The Bin has comments I did not delete
Fix: Your moderation rules delete when a rule is set to Delete rather than Hide. The chip on each row names the rule.
Problem: Deleted comments still appear on Facebook
Fix: Meta can take a moment. If one is still there after a few minutes, it was deleted outside the app or the author removed it themselves.

Common questions:
Question: Does hiding a comment move it out of the Inbox?
Answer: No. A hidden comment stays in the Inbox, greyed, with a chip naming the rule that hid it. Only archiving moves a comment to the Archive, and only deleting puts it in the Bin.
Question: Are comments in the Bin still on Facebook or Instagram?
Answer: No. A comment reaches the Bin when it is deleted, by you or by one of your rules, and by then it is already gone from the platform. The Bin keeps the record of what it said and what removed it.
Question: Can the Bin be emptied?
Answer: No. The Bin is not cleared by hand. It keeps the record of every deletion, the comment, who or which rule deleted it, and when, so a deleted comment is always findable with the same search box and filters.
Question: In what order does the Inbox show comments?
Answer: Newest first. The Inbox tab holds every comment that has not been archived, including the ones your rules hid. Sort, at the end of the filter row, switches between Newest first and Oldest first.

Related guides:
- Archive and unarchive: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/inbox/archive-and-unarchive
- Delete a comment, and what the Bin keeps: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/inbox/delete-a-comment-and-what-the-bin-keeps
- What the chips on a comment mean: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/inbox/what-the-chips-on-a-comment-mean

Plain text of this guide: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/inbox/inbox-archive-and-bin-what-goes-where.md
All guides for assistants: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/llms.txt