When work looks missing
Use workspace switching, search, filters, trash, and access checks when work seems to disappear.
Missing work is often hidden, moved, filtered, archived, or under another account
When work seems to disappear, do not recreate it immediately. First check account, workspace, search, filters, recent activity, shared access, archives, and Trash. Many "missing" cases are actually wrong account, changed permission, an active filter, archived work, or a deleted item that can still be restored.
If you have a direct link and it says no access, use When you can't access work. If the item opens but cannot be edited, use When work is read-only.
Availability
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Applies to | Canvases, projects, dashboards, files, comments, and shared work |
| Who can recover | Owner, workspace admin, item editor, or support depending on item state |
| Best first check | Correct account and workspace |
| Destructive risk | Avoid recreating or deleting more work until you understand what happened |
Quick recovery sequence
- Confirm you are signed into the correct account email.
- Switch to the correct workspace.
- Clear filters and sorting in the list you are viewing.
- Search by name, owner, keyword, or file name.
- Check Home → Recent and Activity.
- Check Shared with Me if someone else owns it.
- Check archived dashboards/projects if relevant.
- Check Trash.
- Ask the owner or admin whether permissions changed.
Check account and workspace first
If you use several emails, compare the email in ALLO with the email that created, received, or was invited to the work. A canvas created under a personal account will not appear under a work account unless it was shared there.
Then check Switch workspaces. Workspaces are separate. A file or dashboard in one workspace will not appear in another just because you belong to both.
Search everywhere sensible
Use Global search and search for:
| Search term | Why it helps |
|---|---|
| Canvas or project name | Most direct match. |
| Owner or teammate name | Useful if someone else created it. |
| Client, campaign, or topic | Helpful when the title changed. |
| File name or extension | Useful for PDFs, images, videos, and docs. |
| Comment text or decision words | Helpful when you remember discussion but not title. |
If search finds it but opening fails, the issue is access, not missing data.
Clear filters and sorting
List views can hide work because of filters, search terms, sort order, owner filters, archive toggles, or view modes. Clear filters before assuming something is gone.
Check:
| Area | Common hiding cause |
|---|---|
| All Canvases | Filter, owner, sort, archive, workspace |
| Files | Folder, type, owner, search, storage state |
| Shared with Me | Wrong account or share revoked |
| Dashboards | Active versus archived dashboards |
| Projects | Archived project, member permission, status filter |
For canvas list controls, see Search, filter, and sort canvases. For files, see Find files by project or canvas.
Check Recent and activity
Home → Recent and Activity can show work you opened recently even if you forgot where it lives. If a teammate moved or renamed something, activity may help identify what changed.
If activity shows deletion, archive, move, or permission changes, ask the person who made the change before restoring or duplicating work.
Check Shared with Me
If someone else owns the work, it may appear in Shared with Me rather than your own canvas or file list. If the owner revoked the share or changed your role, it may disappear from Shared with Me.
Ask the owner to resend the link and confirm your exact account email.
Check Trash and archives
Deleted work may be recoverable from Trash depending on item type, permissions, and retention. Archived work may leave active lists without being deleted.
Use:
| Place | Use it for |
|---|---|
| Trash | Deleted canvases, files, or other recoverable work |
| Archived dashboards | Dashboards removed from active list |
| Archived project views | Projects or workstreams hidden from active work |
See How Trash works, Restore deleted work, and Archive and restore dashboards.
Check permissions
If work disappeared only for you, permissions may have changed. Workspace membership can also be removed or deactivated. A direct project or canvas grant cannot override deactivated workspace membership.
Ask an owner or admin to confirm:
| Check | Why |
|---|---|
| Your account email | Prevents wrong-account sharing. |
| Workspace membership | Confirms you still belong and are active. |
| Item permission | Confirms view/comment/edit access. |
| Link status | Confirms the shared link was not revoked. |
| Trash/archive state | Confirms the item still exists. |
Storage and file visibility
If files are old or downloads fail, the issue may be storage quota rather than missing files. Over-quota workspaces can restrict preview or download access for older stored files until storage is fixed.
Use Fix storage limits for quota problems and Preview, open, and download files for file behavior.
What not to do
Do not recreate a missing canvas or file before checking Trash, search, and permissions. Do not delete more files to "fix" a missing-data issue unless you understand storage and Trash. Do not assume a refresh will restore work that was deleted or permissioned away.
When to contact support
Contact support when the owner confirms the item exists, you are using the correct account, filters are clear, Trash/archive checks do not explain it, and the work is still missing. Include workspace name, item name, item type, last known link, owner, approximate last-seen time, and screenshots of search or error states.
Related articles
- Search, filter, and sort canvases
- Find files by project or canvas
- Shared with me overview
- Search across ALLO
- How Trash works
- Switch workspaces