A Pear Deck Session is a single presentation run of a Deck or Vocabulary List. Each time you present to a class, Pear Deck creates a new Session and saves every student response inside it. If you present the same Deck to 3 different classes, you get 3 separate Sessions . one per run.
Sessions cannot be permanently deleted. This is intentional: deleting a Session would destroy the student responses inside it. To keep your Sessions page organized, archive Sessions instead.
Session Statuses
Every Session has a status that controls how students can interact with it. There are 3 statuses.
Sessions also appear in one of 2 lists on your Sessions page: Active or Archived. Status and list location are independent. An archived Session can have any status.
Vocabulary and Flashcard Factory Sessions work differently. They stay in Live status and cannot be set to Closed, though you can archive them. To keep students in a Flashcard Factory Session, keep your Projector View open in a browser tab. When you close it, students lose access.
Change a Session’s Status
You can change the status of a Slides Session in 2 ways.
From the Sessions page:
- Go to Sessions in Pear Deck.
- Locate the Session.
- Select More Actions on the Session card.
- Choose Turn on Student-Paced, End this Session, or Reopen Session depending on the current status.
From the Projector or Dashboard View:
- Open the Projector or Dashboard View for the Session.
- Hover over the Navigation Bar.
- Select More Actions.
- Choose End this Session, Turn on Student-Paced, or Reopen Session.
To turn on Student-Paced, the Session must currently be Live. If the Session is Closed, reopen it first, then switch to Student-Paced.
Archive a Session
Sessions with no new student responses for 30 days are automatically archived. You can also archive a Session manually at any time.
- Go to Sessions in Pear Deck.
- Locate the Session you want to archive.
- Select More Actions on the Session card.
- Select Archive Session.
The Session moves from the Active list to the Archived list.
Restore an Archived Session
- Go to Sessions in Pear Deck.
- Select the Archived tab.
- Find the Session and select Restore.
The Session moves back to the Active list.
If a student joins an archived Session using its permanent Join Link, Pear Deck automatically restores the Session to the Active list. Join Codes expire after 1 week, but Join Links are permanent.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Delete a Session?
No. Sessions cannot be permanently deleted. Pear Deck preserves Sessions to protect student responses. To remove a Session from your Active list, archive it instead.
Where Did My Session Go?
Sessions with no new student responses for 30 days are automatically archived. Your Session and all its data are still available. To find it, go to Sessions and select the Archived tab.
How Long Do Join Codes and Join Links Last?
Join Codes expire after 1 week. Join Links are permanent and can be used to rejoin a Session at any time. If a student uses a Join Link to enter an archived Session, Pear Deck restores it to the Active list automatically.
How Do I Name a Session?
Open the Projector or Dashboard View and select More Actions. Select Unnamed Session or the current Session name to rename it.
Does Archiving a Session Prevent Students from Rejoining?
No. Archiving is for organization only. It does not close the Session or restrict access. Students can still join an archived Session using its Join Link, which restores it to Active automatically. To prevent students from joining, set the Session status to Closed before archiving. 
