Enhancement: Extend the existing Archive feature to ChatGPT Projects

What version of the Codex App are you using?

26.721.41059

What subscription do you have?

ChatGPT Plus

What platform is your computer?

Windows 11 x64

What enhancement would you like to see?

Please extend the existing Archive functionality so that it can be applied to entire ChatGPT Projects.

This limitation is reproducible in both:

• ChatGPT Web
• The ChatGPT/Codex desktop app

ChatGPT conversations already support the relevant lifecycle actions:

• Archive
• Unarchive
• Delete

ChatGPT Projects already support a whole-project Delete Project action.

The remaining gap is that the project container itself does not have an archived state or corresponding project-level archive actions.

Current behavior

A user can archive individual conversations inside a ChatGPT Project.

However, even after every conversation in a project has been archived:

• The project remains visible in the active project list.
• The project itself cannot be archived.
• There is no Archived Projects view or filter.
• The only project-level removal action is Delete Project.

Deleting the project is not an alternative to archiving because it permanently deletes the project and its included content.

This forces users to choose between:

• Keeping completed or inactive projects permanently visible.
• Permanently deleting the project and all retained content.

Requested enhancement

Add an Archive Project action alongside the existing Delete Project action.

Archive Project should follow the same whole-project scope already established by Delete Project, but it should preserve the project and its contents instead of permanently deleting them.

From the user's perspective:

• Delete Project applies deletion to the project and its included conversations and data.
• Archive Project should apply archive behavior to the project and its included conversations and data.

Users should not need to archive every conversation manually before archiving the project.

Expected behavior

Archive Project

Archive Project should:

• Change the project from active to archived.
• Remove the project from active project views.
• Archive any active conversations included in the project.
• Preserve conversations that are already archived.
• Preserve uploaded files.
• Preserve project instructions.
• Preserve project configuration and metadata.
• Make the complete project available in an Archived Projects view or filter.
• Allow the project to be restored later.
• Avoid permanently deleting project content.

Restore Project

Restore Project should:

• Change the project from archived back to active.
• Return the project container to active project views.
• Preserve its conversations, files, instructions, configuration, and metadata.
• Preserve the archived state of individual conversations unless the product intentionally defines a different restoration behavior.

Delete Project

Delete Project should retain its existing destructive behavior:

• Apply to the complete project and its included content.
• Permanently delete the project and its retained data.
• Remain clearly separate from Archive Project.
• Remain irreversible.

Expected project lifecycle

The project lifecycle should support:

• Active project
• Archived project
• Restored project
• Deleted project

The project interface should provide:

• Archive Project for active projects
• Restore Project for archived projects
• Delete Project as the existing permanent action
• An Archived Projects view or filter

Existing functionality that can be reused

The required conversation-level behavior already exists.

Conversations already support:

• Archive
• Unarchive
• Delete

Projects already support a whole-project operation through Delete Project.

The enhancement is therefore primarily the addition of:

• A project-level archived state
• An Archive Project action
• A Restore Project action
• An Archived Projects view or filter
• Integration with the existing conversation archive behavior

Possible implementation approach

As a possible implementation approach, the existing project model could be extended to support an archived state, reusing the archive behavior already available for conversations and the whole-project action pattern established by Delete Project.

This could allow the existing project entity, relationships, permissions, and project-management behavior to be reused rather than introducing a separate project type.

The exact data model, storage mechanism, state transitions, and internal implementation would depend on the product's existing architecture.

Example workflow

1. Open a completed or inactive ChatGPT Project.
2. Open the project menu.
3. Select Archive Project.
4. Confirm the project-level archive operation.
5. The project is removed from active project views.
6. The project and its contents remain available under Archived Projects.
7. Restore the project later when its conversations, files, or instructions are needed again.

Why this enhancement would be useful

ChatGPT Projects often represent:

• Completed work
• Paused work
• Seasonal work
• Historical reference material
• Long-term projects that are temporarily inactive

The existing conversation archive feature already allows inactive conversations to be retained without permanent deletion.

Extending the same lifecycle to projects would make the behavior consistent and allow users to preserve completed projects without cluttering active project views.

Scope clarification

This enhancement concerns ChatGPT Projects, not local Codex folder or workspace projects.

It applies across ChatGPT Web and the desktop application.

It does not require a new conversation-level archive mechanism.

The specific gap is the absence of:

• A project-level archived state
• Project-level archive and restore actions
• A way to browse archived projects

The requested enhancement is to extend the existing Archive functionality from conversations to the project container, using the same whole-project scope already demonstrated by Delete Project.