Accidentally Deleted a Fact Explorer Question

Last updated: February 23, 2026

Can I Recover a Deleted Fact Explorer Question?

Quick answer: No. Deleted Fact Explorer questions and their answers are permanently removed and cannot be restored. This is by design for data security. If you need the answer again, you can re-ask the question, but the new answer may differ slightly from the original.

If you are trying to find specific information in your documents, Fact Explorer may be the fastest route. Ask Mary a direct question and she will find the answer with full source references -- no scrolling required. Look for the Fact Explorer tab on your matter.

Why Deleted Questions Cannot Be Recovered

When you delete a Fact Explorer question, both the question and its answer are permanently discarded from our systems. This is a deliberate security measure -- legal documents contain sensitive information, and we do not retain data that you have chosen to delete.

This action is irreversible. Our support team cannot retrieve deleted Fact Explorer questions or answers. The data is fully removed and no backup copy is retained.

Re-Asking the Same Question

You can ask the same question again and Fact Explorer will generate a fresh answer. However, be aware that:

The new answer may not be identical to the original. AI-generated responses can vary slightly in wording, structure, and the number of source references cited.
The underlying information and source documents will be the same, but the presentation may differ. For example, the original answer may have cited 12 source references while the new answer cites 11, or vice versa.
If you have uploaded additional documents since the original question was asked, the new answer may include information from those newer documents.

How to Protect Important Answers

Before deleting any Fact Explorer question, save the answer externally if you may need it later. Recommended approaches:

Copy to a Word document. Select the answer text, copy it, and paste it into a Word document. Include the question text and the date you asked it for your records.
Save to your practice management system. If your firm uses a system like LEAP, Clio, or Actionstep, paste the answer into the relevant case file or memo.
Take a screenshot. If you want to preserve the exact formatting and source references as they appeared in Mary, take a screenshot before deleting.

Tip: Make it a habit to save any Fact Explorer answer you plan to rely on in your case preparation. Copying answers to an external document means you will always have a record, regardless of what happens in Mary.

If This Doesn't Work

If you re-ask a question and Fact Explorer returns "Not able to answer," see our article "Why Fact Explorer Says 'Not Able to Answer' and How to Get Better Results" for troubleshooting tips.
If you believe the deletion was caused by a platform issue (for example, a single misclick with no confirmation prompt), let us know at support@marytechnology.com. While we cannot restore the data, your feedback helps us improve the product -- including adding confirmation prompts before deletion.