Separate work-in-progress from the historical record without losing a single document
Not every old document can be deleted, and not every saved document is still operational. Mstnd helps you manage a document's transition from daily use to the archive according to your organization's rules, while search, browsing, and restore remain available to authorized roles.
What is electronic archiving?
Electronic archiving is keeping non-operational or expired documents in an organized, secure record — with their metadata, categories, numbers, and permissions — so they can be retrieved when needed without crowding active work. Mstnd supports archiving, restore, hierarchical browsing, custom numbering, and document-lifecycle rules.
Expired contracts and old licenses stay mixed in with operational documents, and every department archives its files its own way. Numbers repeat, folders get crowded, and the team doesn't know what should stay active and what has moved to systematic retention.
The organization defines archiving rules by document type, status, expiry date, or elapsed time. Mstnd moves the content to the archive while keeping its metadata, permissions, number, and log, and lets you browse it hierarchically or by category and status — and restore it when needed.
A clear separation between operational and reference documents, a unified lifecycle policy, and organized retrieval without losing context.
Storage alone can't tell 'active' from 'historical reference'
When expired contracts, old licenses, and previous versions sit next to active documents, the chance of using an invalid copy grows, and the folder turns into a store that doesn't show the status of its content. Deleting outright, on the other hand, can cost the organization a record it needs in an audit, a dispute, or a regulatory review.
The answer isn't a manual folder named 'old'. What's needed is a lifecycle that knows when a document's status changes, where it moves, who can restore it, and how it stays searchable.
How does Mstnd manage the archive?
Archive a document or folder while keeping its context
When the operational need ends, the document moves to the archive without losing its metadata, category, number, or log — and archived items can be browsed by permission instead of staying among active files.
Archiving rules by organization policy
You can set archiving logic based on expiry, elapsed time, document status, or other rules your organization defines, so the system applies the policy automatically and consistently instead of relying on manual reminders.
Hierarchical and category browsing
View the archive as a folder tree, a detailed list, or cards, and use categories, fields, and search to reach the document you need — a full overview, not a closed folder that's hard to explore.
Restore when needed
If a document returns to use or the team needs to work on it, it can be restored from the archive by permission, with the action kept in the log.
Flexible numbering that applies Document Control rules
Mstnd lets you build automatic numbering templates for documents and folders using fixed text and variables such as year, prefix, counter, and metadata fields. A template can be applied to a folder and its subfolders, inherit the parent folder's number, be searched by number, and have the document log displayed and exported.
Example: LEGAL-2026-CONTRACT-000145 or PRJ-99-DOC-001 — by your organization's rules, not a template imposed on it.
A supplier contract expires and reaches its non-renewal date. Its status changes per the approved procedure, and the expired copy moves to the archive with its number, metadata, and approval log. When a new contract is signed, it is saved as a separate operational document. A year later, a reviewer can search by supplier name or contract number and reach the old copy without mixing it up with the active contract.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between archiving and deletion?
Archiving keeps the document and its log retrievable within defined permissions, while deletion removes the content per the approved deletion-and-retention policy. Deletion should not be used as a substitute for the archiving cycle.
Can a document be restored from the archive?
Yes. Mstnd supports restoring from the archive for an authorized user, while keeping the audit trail.
Can archiving be applied automatically?
Yes. You can define automatic archiving rules by expiry, elapsed time, document status, or category, applying the policy your organization adopts.
Can the document number be customized?
Yes. You can build a numbering template that combines prefix, date, sequence, and metadata fields, apply it to files or files and folders, and search by number.
Do archived documents disappear from search?
They remain retrievable within the archive scope, permissions, and search settings, with filtering by status, category, and metadata.
Organize a document's lifecycle from the day it's created until it's archived.
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