For employers wanting to clean up the candidate list on a position.
You can delete candidates from a position as a single-row action or in bulk from the multi-select bar. Deleted candidates are soft-deleted: they disappear from every list, filter, and search immediately, and the record is permanently purged after 30 days. If you need to recover one within that window, contact [email protected]. For "I've decided against this candidate" — use Reject, which keeps the record intact and easy to revisit.
Pick the action that matches your goal
"I want them out of my For Review queue." Change their status to Reject (or Hold if you might come back to them). They move to the corresponding tab, out of your active queue, but remain viewable. See How do I change multiple candidates at once? for the bulk flow.
"I want to remove a candidate from this position entirely." Use Delete on the candidate row. They're soft-deleted (removed from every list and filter, recoverable for 30 days, then purged permanently).
"I'm done hiring for this role and want to tidy up." Close the position. All candidates stay attached to it, but the position drops out of your default Positions list once archived. See How do I close or archive a position?.
"A candidate asked to be deleted (privacy/legal request)." This is a support request. See Candidate deletion on request below.
How to delete a candidate
To delete one candidate at a time, use the row's overflow menu.
Open the candidate list for the position.
Hover the candidate's row and click the ··· menu.
Click Delete.
Confirm. The candidate disappears from every list and filter immediately.
How to delete candidates in bulk
The multi-select bar supports bulk deletion alongside the existing bulk status changes.
Open the candidate list and use the row checkboxes to select multiple candidates.
The multi-select action bar appears at the bottom of the screen.
Click Delete on the action bar and confirm.
The 30-day recovery window
Deleted candidates are soft-deleted, not erased.
The candidate disappears from every list, filter, search result, and team activity feed immediately.
The underlying record (video, transcript, AI summary, notes, ratings) is retained for 30 days.
Within 30 days, support can restore the candidate on request.
After 30 days, the record is permanently purged and is not recoverable.
To recover a candidate within the window, email [email protected] with the candidate's name or email and the position they were on.
Rejection vs. deletion
These actions look similar but have different long-term effects.
Reject keeps the record fully intact and accessible (on the Rejected tab). Use this when you've decided against a candidate but want a paper trail and the option to revisit. Almost always the right action.
Delete removes the candidate from view immediately and purges the record after 30 days. Use this when the candidate doesn't belong on the position at all (added by mistake, test invite, retention cleanup).
Candidate deletion on request
If a candidate contacts you asking to have their Truffle data removed under a privacy law (GDPR, CCPA), forward the request to [email protected] with:
The candidate's email address.
The position they applied to.
A brief note that the candidate requested deletion.
Support confirms receipt within one business day and processes the deletion immediately (rather than waiting for the 30-day purge). Once run, the candidate's record is fully erased and cannot be recovered. This does not affect other candidates on the position.
What doesn't delete candidates
Some things that sound like deletion but aren't:
Closing a position. Keeps all candidate records, hides the position from default views.
Archiving a position. Same; removes from counts and the default list but preserves candidate data.
Canceling your subscription. Account becomes read-only for 90 days; all candidate data stays intact. See What happens if I cancel or pause?.