docs-v2/content/shared/influxdb3-admin/tables/delete.md

Use the influxdb3 delete table command or the HTTP API to delete a table from a specified database in {{< product-name >}}.

With {{< product-name >}}, tables and measurements are synonymous. By default, {{< product-name >}} performs a soft delete, which schedules the table for deletion and makes it unavailable for querying. You can also schedule a hard deletion to permanently remove the table and its data.

[!Caution]

Deleting a table cannot be undone

Deleting a table is a destructive action. Once a table is deleted, data stored in that table cannot be recovered.

• Delete a table using the influxdb3 CLI
• Delete a table using the HTTP API

Delete a table using the influxdb3 CLI

1. If you haven't already, download and install the influxdb3 CLI.

2. Use the influxdb3 delete table command to delete a table:

{{% code-placeholders "DATABASE_NAME|TABLE_NAME|AUTH_TOKEN" %}}

influxdb3 delete table \
  --database DATABASE_NAME \
  --token AUTH_TOKEN \
  TABLE_NAME

{{% /code-placeholders %}}

Replace the following:

• {{% code-placeholder-key %}}DATABASE_NAME{{% /code-placeholder-key %}}: the name of the database containing the table
• {{% code-placeholder-key %}}TABLE_NAME{{% /code-placeholder-key %}}: the name of the table to delete
• {{% code-placeholder-key %}}AUTH_TOKEN{{% /code-placeholder-key %}}: your {{% token-link "admin" %}}

Hard delete a table immediately

To permanently delete a table and its data immediately, use the --hard-delete now flag:

{{% code-placeholders "DATABASE_NAME|TABLE_NAME|AUTH_TOKEN" %}}

influxdb3 delete table \
  --database DATABASE_NAME \
  --token AUTH_TOKEN \
  --hard-delete now \
  TABLE_NAME

{{% /code-placeholders %}}

Schedule a hard deletion

To schedule a table for hard deletion at a specific time, use the --hard-delete flag with a timestamp:

{{% code-placeholders "DATABASE_NAME|TABLE_NAME|AUTH_TOKEN" %}}

influxdb3 delete table \
  --database DATABASE_NAME \
  --token AUTH_TOKEN \
  --hard-delete "2025-12-31T23:59:59Z" \
  TABLE_NAME

{{% /code-placeholders %}}

Delete a table using the HTTP API

To delete a table using the HTTP API, send a DELETE request to the /api/v3/configure/table endpoint:

{{% api-endpoint method="DELETE" endpoint="{{< influxdb/host >}}/api/v3/configure/table" %}}

Include the following in your request:

• Query parameters:
  • db: Database name
  • table: Table name to delete
  • hard_delete_at: (Optional) Timestamp for hard deletion
• Headers:
  • Authorization: Bearer with your authentication token

Soft delete a table

{{% code-placeholders "DATABASE_NAME|TABLE_NAME|AUTH_TOKEN" %}}

curl -X DELETE "{{< influxdb/host >}}/api/v3/configure/table?db=DATABASE_NAME&table=TABLE_NAME" \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer AUTH_TOKEN"

{{% /code-placeholders %}}

Replace the following:

• {{% code-placeholder-key %}}DATABASE_NAME{{% /code-placeholder-key %}}: the name of the database containing the table
• {{% code-placeholder-key %}}TABLE_NAME{{% /code-placeholder-key %}}: the name of the table to delete
• {{% code-placeholder-key %}}AUTH_TOKEN{{% /code-placeholder-key %}}: your {{% token-link "admin" %}}

Schedule a hard deletion

To schedule a hard deletion at a specific time, include the hard_delete_at parameter with an ISO 8601 timestamp:

{{% code-placeholders "DATABASE_NAME|TABLE_NAME|AUTH_TOKEN" %}}

curl -X DELETE "{{< influxdb/host >}}/api/v3/configure/table?db=DATABASE_NAME&table=TABLE_NAME&hard_delete_at=2025-12-31T23:59:59Z" \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer AUTH_TOKEN"

{{% /code-placeholders %}}

Response

A successful deletion returns HTTP status 200 with no content body.

Example error response

If the table doesn't exist, the API returns HTTP status 404:

{
  "error": "Table not found"
}