---
type: api
title: Delete indices
description: Deleting an index deletes its documents, shards, and metadata.
url: https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/4493/api/doc/elasticsearch/v8/operation/operation-indices-delete
resource: https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/4493/api/doc/elasticsearch/v8/operation/operation-indices-delete
products:
  - Elasticsearch
---

# Delete indices

## Paths

- `DELETE` `/{index}`

#### Path parameters

- `index` (union string | string[]) — required
  Comma-separated list of indices to delete.
You cannot specify index aliases.
By default, this parameter does not support wildcards (`*`) or `_all`.
To use wildcards or `_all`, set the `action.destructive_requires_name` cluster setting to `false`.

## Description

Deleting an index deletes its documents, shards, and metadata.
It does not delete related Kibana components, such as data views, visualizations, or dashboards.

You cannot delete the current write index of a data stream.
To delete the index, you must roll over the data stream so a new write index is created.
You can then use the delete index API to delete the previous write index.

## Required authorization

- Index privileges: `delete_index`

## Authentication

- Api key: `Authorization: <value>`
  Elasticsearch APIs support key-based authentication.
  You must create an API key and use the encoded value in the request header.
  For example:
  
  
  ```
  curl -X GET "${ES_URL}/_cat/indices?v=true" \
    -H "Authorization: ApiKey ${API_KEY}"
  ```
  
  To get API keys, use the `/_security/api_key` APIs.
- Basic: `Authorization: Basic <credentials>`
- Bearer: `Authorization: Bearer <token>`
  Elasticsearch APIs support the use of bearer tokens in the `Authorization` HTTP header to authenticate with the API.
  For examples, refer to [Token-based authentication services](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/current/token-authentication-services.html)

## Query string parameters

- `allow_no_indices` (boolean · default: true) — optional
  If `false`, the request returns an error if any wildcard expression, index alias, or `_all` value targets only missing or closed indices.
This behavior applies even if the request targets other open indices.
- `expand_wildcards` (string · default: open,closed) — optional
  Type of index that wildcard patterns can match.
If the request can target data streams, this argument determines whether wildcard expressions match hidden data streams.
Supports comma-separated values, such as `open,hidden`.

Supported values include:
  - `all`: Match any data stream or index, including hidden ones.
  - `open`: Match open, non-hidden indices. Also matches any non-hidden data stream.
  - `closed`: Match closed, non-hidden indices. Also matches any non-hidden data stream. Data streams cannot be closed.
  - `hidden`: Match hidden data streams and hidden indices. Must be combined with `open`, `closed`, or `both`.
  - `none`: Wildcard expressions are not accepted.
  Values: `all`, `open`, `closed`, `hidden`, `none`
- `ignore_unavailable` (boolean · default: false) — optional
  If `false`, the request returns an error if it targets a missing or closed index.
- `master_timeout` (string · default: 30s) — optional
  Period to wait for a connection to the master node.
If no response is received before the timeout expires, the request fails and returns an error.
- `timeout` (string · default: 30s) — optional
  Period to wait for a response.
If no response is received before the timeout expires, the request fails and returns an error.

## Response

`application/json`

- `acknowledged` (boolean)
  For a successful response, this value is always true. On failure, an exception is returned instead.
- `_shards` (object)
  - `failed` (number)
    The number of shards the operation or search attempted to run on but failed.
  - `successful` (number)
    The number of shards the operation or search succeeded on.
  - `total` (number)
    The number of shards the operation or search will run on overall.
  - `failures` (object[])
    - `index` (string)
    - `node` (string)
    - `reason` (object)
      - `type` (string)
        The type of error
      - `reason` (union string) — nullable
        A human-readable explanation of the error, in English.
        One of: `string`
      - `stack_trace` (string)
        The server stack trace. Present only if the `error_trace=true` parameter was sent with the request.
      - `caused_by` (object) — recursive
        Same fields as `reason` in `failures`
      - `root_cause` (object[]) — recursive
        Same fields as `reason` in `failures`
      - `suppressed` (object[]) — recursive
        Same fields as `reason` in `failures`
    - `shard` (number)
    - `status` (string)
    - `primary` (boolean)
  - `skipped` (number)
## Code examples

#### Console

```console
DELETE /books
```

#### JavaScript

```javascript
const response = await client.indices.delete({
  index: "books",
});
```

#### Python

```python
resp = client.indices.delete(
    index="books",
)
```

#### curl

```curl
curl -X DELETE "$ELASTICSEARCH_URL/books" \
  -H "Authorization: ApiKey $ELASTIC_API_KEY"
```

#### Java

```java
client.indices().delete(d -> d
    .index("books")
);
```

#### C#

```c#
var response = await client.Indices.DeleteAsync(indices: new[] { "books" });
```

#### PHP

```php
$resp = $client->indices()->delete([
    "index" => "books",
]);
```

#### Ruby

```ruby
response = client.indices.delete(
  index: "books"
)
```