# Manage and delete knowledge

Rename or replace document content from its detail panel. Use deletion only after reviewing its effect on current agent configurations and drafts.

## Edit a document

Changing a document name does not require new embeddings. Changing its content creates a replacement index first. If that processing fails, Operade preserves the previous content and index instead of replacing a working document with a failed one.

After a successful content change, verify the document is ready and retest the agents that depend on it.

## What document deletion changes

Deleting a document permanently removes the knowledge item and its index. Operade also removes the document reference from every current branch tip, including Main and non-Main branches, and updates the active version when a Main tip is changed. Every draft that references the document is cleaned as well.

This cleanup does not rewrite historical immutable versions or conversation snapshots. They preserve the configuration that existed when they were created.

## Recursive delete and folder delete

A normal folder delete is non-recursive and requires an empty folder. The bulk selected-items action uses recursive delete: each selected folder and everything inside it is permanently deleted. If both a folder and one of its children are selected, the child is still deleted once.

Before a recursive delete:

1. Open the affected document details and review active agent usage.
2. Confirm which active version and which draft references will be cleaned.
3. Move anything that must be kept out of selected folders.
4. Delete, then retest affected agents and verify their new current tips.

For folder mechanics, see [organize knowledge](/docs/knowledge/organize). For failed source cleanup, see [limits and troubleshooting](/docs/knowledge/limits-and-troubleshooting).