The Live / Archived switch on a list is how users see, again, the records an archive rule moved out of the live database — read-only, on the record's usual page. An archive rule moves cold records into an archive table in the analytics warehouse, and from then on those records leave every normal list. The switch is the way back to them for everyday lookups ("what did we ship this customer two years ago?"); reports and dashboards have their own Read from archive switch for analysis.
A list shows either live records or archived records — never both together.
Overview
- What it is. A two-way switch, Live and Archived, next to the view picker on every list view of an entity whose records can be archived. Nothing is configured on the views: an entity gets the switch as soon as it has an archive rule.
- What users get. On Archived, the view they are on lists archived records only — same columns, same view filter, same sort — and each one opens read-only, with an Archived status in the header and its related lists read from the archive too.
- What it is not. It is not a way to restore records. Archived records cannot be edited, deleted, restored or un-archived, and they never appear in the recycle bin.
When to use it
- Users need to look up individual old records — an archived order, last year's visits — after an archive rule has moved them.
- You want to keep the working lists lean while still giving people a self-service way to find history.
For totals, trends or exports across archived data, use a report or dashboard with Read from archive instead — see Create a report.
How xMatix handles it
- Which lists get the switch. An entity that has an archive rule, and every entity whose records an archive run takes along with a parent through a cascading relationship (an order's lines, and their taxes, go with the order). Other entities show no switch. Tree views and the related lists on a live record never show it.
- Where the rows come from. The archived list reads the archive table named on the entity's archive rule (an active rule first), or the default archive table for the entity when no rule names one. Until something has been archived for the entity, the archived list is simply empty — not an error.
- The same list rules apply. The view's own filter condition, the user's search, filters and sort, record types, record access rules and paging all work on the archive the same way they do on live data — within the limits below.
- The entity's own fields only. The archive holds each record's own fields. A filter or sort on a custom field, a filter that walks to a related record (such as the account's name), or a record access rule that depends on a related record cannot be answered from the archive, so the list refuses with a message instead of showing a partial answer. Custom fields are still shown in columns and on the record page.
- Read-only everywhere. On Archived there is no New, no inline create or edit, no export, no bulk, row or header actions, and a board (kanban) display cannot be dragged. Summary cards are hidden, because they count live records. Opening a row goes to the archived record page, not the live one, and record links show no hover preview.
- Related records come along. An archive run takes records linked to the parent by a cascading relationship with it, so an archived record's related lists are read from the archive as well. A related list linked only through a custom field shows no rows.
Prerequisites
- The entity has an archive rule, or its records are archived along with a parent that has one — see Archive rules.
- The rule has run at least once. Before that, the archived list is empty.
- An analytics warehouse for your organization.
- The entity is a standard entity or one built on it. Custom objects are never archived, so they have no switch.
There is nothing to set up on the views themselves.
Procedure
Step 1 — Switch the list to Archived
Open the entity's list and pick the view you want from the view picker. Next to it, set the switch from Live to Archived. The list reloads with the archived records that view would show.
Step 2 — Find archived records
Search, filters and sorting work on the entity's own fields. Change views with the view picker as usual; the list stays on Archived until you switch it back.
Step 3 — Open an archived record
Selecting a row opens the record on its usual page layout, with the notice "This record is archived. It is read-only and can't be edited, deleted or restored." and an Archived status in the header. There is no edit mode and no actions. Its related lists — an archived order's lines, for example — are read from the archive. Fields the user is not allowed to read stay hidden, as on a live record.
Step 4 — Go back to live records
Set the switch back to Live. Opening another entity's list always starts on Live.
Expected result
On Archived, the list shows the records the archive rule moved; on Live, it no longer lists them. Every archived record opens read-only with the Archived status.
Business rules
- A list reads the archive only while its switch is on Archived; otherwise it reads the live database.
- Archived rows and live rows are never listed together.
- Nothing on an archived list or an archived record page writes: no create, edit, delete, actions, drag or restore.
- The user needs read access to the entity, and record access rules and field-level access apply to archived records as they do to live ones.
- A filter or sort on a custom field, or anything that reaches a related record, is refused rather than answered from the live database.
Example
Your organization archives sales orders closed more than two years ago, so the Orders list — and the Order Lines list — show the Live / Archived switch.
A customer asks for a copy of an order from three years back. A sales user opens Orders, sets the switch to Archived, filters by the order date, and opens the order. The page shows Archived in the header, the read-only notice, and the order's lines underneath. The user notes the figures; there is nothing to edit.
Training
Practice exercise
In a sandbox where an archive rule has already run for an entity, open that entity's list, set the switch to Archived, and open one record.
Expected result: the list shows only archived records; the record opens with the Archived status and the read-only notice; there is no New button and no edit mode. Now add a filter on a custom field — it is refused with a message that the archived records can't be filtered or sorted by that field. Open the list of an entity with no archive rule: there is no switch.
Quick reference
- Archived records = any list view with the switch on Archived.
- The switch appears only for entities that an archive rule reaches.
- Tree views and related lists on live records always read live data.
- Archived records are read-only: no edit, delete, actions, export or restore.
- Filter and sort on the entity's own fields only.
- An empty archived list usually means the archive rule has not run yet.
- For totals over archived data, use a report with Read from archive.
Permissions
- Seeing archived records needs read access to the entity in the user's security profile. Record access rules decide which archived records each user sees, and fields the user may not read are hidden.
- Creating and running archive rules — which is what makes the switch appear — is a separate capability (
setup.metadata.archive.manage); see Archive rules.
Configuration
- What is in the archive — the entity's archive rule under Setup → Platform → Data → Archive Rules: which records qualify, the schedule, and the Archive table the archived list reads.
- What the archived list shows — the entity's ordinary views (columns, filter condition), under Setup → Design Studio → Entities → (entity) → Experience → Views. See Entity behavior.
- Who can see it — security profiles and record access rules, exactly as for the live list.
Common problems
There is no Live / Archived switch
The entity has no archive rule and is not archived along with a parent that has one. Create an archive rule first — see Archive rules. The switch is also not shown on tree views or on a record's related lists.
The archived list is empty
The archive rule has not run yet, has not moved any records, or has moved none that you are allowed to see. Check the rule's History.
"Archived … records can't be filtered or sorted by …"
The filter or sort uses a custom field, which the archive cannot filter or sort on. Remove that filter or sort, or use a report with Read from archive.
"Archived … records can't be shown with this filter or with your record access rules"
A filter refers to a related record's field (such as the account's name), or a record access rule that applies to you depends on a related record. The archive holds each entity's own fields only. Filter on the entity's own fields instead, or ask your administrator about the access rule.
"Archived records can't be read here: the analytics warehouse is not configured for this environment."
Your organization has no analytics warehouse in this environment, so there is no archive to read. Ask your administrator.
"The archive could not be reached"
The analytics warehouse did not respond. Try again later; if it persists, ask your administrator.
A lookup to another archived record shows no name
Names come from the live records they point to. A record the archive also moved — an archived line's order, for example — is no longer in the live database. Open it from its own list on Archived.
Common questions
Can an archived record be edited, deleted or restored?
No. Archived records are read-only, and there is no un-archive. They do not appear in the recycle bin, so they cannot be restored from there either. If a record must be worked on again, it has to be entered again as a new record. Before activating an archive rule, make sure its condition only takes history nobody needs to change — see Archive rules.
Can one list show live and archived records together?
No. The switch shows one or the other.
Can reports and dashboards read the archive?
Yes. A Live report has a Read from archive switch that shows the archived rows instead of the live ones, related entities included — see Create a report. Dashboards have the same switch. Archive tables can also be sources in data models.