# Archiving Environments

## Overview

Archiving moves an environment to the **Archived** tab, removing it from your active environment list. Archived environments no longer trigger new runs, but all existing infrastructure remains untouched. Archiving is purely a visibility and state change: no resources are created, modified, or destroyed.

You can archive an environment regardless of its install status (live, uninstalled, or draft). However, you cannot archive an environment while a run is in progress. Wait for the current run to complete before archiving.

Archived environments are excluded from collection cost calculations.

{% hint style="info" %}
Archiving does **not** destroy infrastructure. If you want to tear down resources, uninstall the environment first. See [Runs](/docs/orchestration/runs.md) for details on the uninstall workflow.
{% endhint %}

## How to archive an environment

{% stepper %}
{% step %}
**Open the environment actions menu**

From the [**Environments**](https://app.bluebricks.co/environments) page, go to the environment you want to archive and click the he **three-dot menu**.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Click Archive**

Select **Archive** from the dropdown menu.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Confirm**

Review the confirmation message and confirm. The environment moves to the **Archived** tab.
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

## How to unarchive an environment

{% stepper %}
{% step %}
**Open the Archived tab**

Navigate to the [**Archived**](https://app.bluebricks.co/environments?tab=archive) tab in the environments list.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Click Unarchive**

Find the environment you want to restore and click **Unarchive**. The environment returns to the active list and can trigger runs again.
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

{% hint style="warning" %}
You cannot unarchive an environment if its parent collection has been deleted or locked. To unarchive an environment in a locked collection, unlock the collection first.
{% endhint %}


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