What is a DELETE Request?

The HTTP DELETE method is used to delete a specified resource from the server. It removes the resource identified by the URI, and once deleted, subsequent requests to that resource should return a 404 Not Found or 410 Gone status.

Key characteristics of DELETE requests:

• Idempotent - multiple identical requests have the same effect as a single request
• Removes the specified resource from the server
• Not cached
• May or may not have a request body (typically doesn't)
• Successful deletion often returns 200, 202, or 204 status codes
• Safe to retry without additional side effects

When to Use DELETE Requests

Use DELETE requests when you need to:

• Remove a user account
• Delete a post, comment, or article
• Remove an item from a shopping cart
• Delete a file or image
• Revoke access tokens or sessions
• Remove a database record

How to Make a DELETE Request

Using our Postboy, follow these steps to make a DELETE request:

1. Select DELETE from the method dropdown
2. Enter the URL of the resource you want to delete
3. Add headers in the "Headers" tab if needed (e.g., Authorization)
4. Optionally add a request body in the "Body" tab (some APIs require this)
5. Click the "Send" button

The response will appear in the response section below.

Example DELETE Requests

DELETE https://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com/posts/1 HTTP/1.1
Host: jsonplaceholder.typicode.com

{}

DELETE https://api.example.com/users/123 HTTP/1.1
Host: api.example.com
Authorization: Bearer your_token_here

{
  "message": "User successfully deleted",
  "userId": 123,
  "deletedAt": "2024-01-15T10:30:00Z"
}

DELETE https://api.store.com/cart/items/789 HTTP/1.1
Host: api.store.com
Authorization: Bearer your_token_here
Content-Type: application/json

HTTP/1.1 204 No Content

DELETE https://api.example.com/comments/456 HTTP/1.1
Host: api.example.com
Content-Type: application/json
Authorization: Bearer your_token_here

{
  "reason": "spam",
  "notifyUser": false
}

{
  "message": "Comment deleted successfully",
  "commentId": 456,
  "reason": "spam"
}

Common HTTP Status Codes for DELETE Requests

• 200 OK - The resource was successfully deleted and a response body is returned
• 202 Accepted - The deletion request has been accepted but not yet completed
• 204 No Content - The resource was successfully deleted with no response body
• 400 Bad Request - The request was malformed or invalid
• 401 Unauthorized - Authentication is required and has failed or not been provided
• 403 Forbidden - The client does not have permission to delete the resource
• 404 Not Found - The resource to delete doesn't exist
• 405 Method Not Allowed - DELETE method is not allowed for this resource
• 409 Conflict - The deletion conflicts with the current state (e.g., resource is locked)
• 410 Gone - The resource was previously deleted and is no longer available
• 500 Internal Server Error - The server encountered an error while deleting

Best Practices for DELETE Requests

• Use proper authorization - Always verify the user has permission to delete the resource
• Be specific with URIs - Include the exact resource ID to avoid accidental deletions
• Implement soft deletes - Consider marking records as deleted instead of permanent removal
• Return appropriate status codes - Use 204 for no content or 200 with confirmation data
• Consider cascade effects - Think about related data that may need to be deleted
• Add confirmation mechanisms - For critical resources, require additional confirmation
• Log deletion activities - Keep audit trails for accountability
• Handle idempotency correctly - Return 404 or 410 for already-deleted resources

Soft Delete vs Hard Delete

Try It in JavaScript

Here's how you can make a DELETE request in JavaScript:

// Using fetch API
fetch('https://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com/posts/1', {
  method: 'DELETE'
})
.then(response => {
  if (!response.ok) {
    throw new Error('Network response was not ok');
  }
  // Some APIs return 204 No Content, which has no body
  if (response.status === 204) {
    console.log('Resource deleted successfully (no content)');
    return null;
  }
  return response.json();
})
.then(data => {
  if (data) {
    console.log('Resource deleted:', data);
  }
})
.catch(error => console.error('Error:', error));

// Using async/await with authorization
async function deleteResource(resourceId) {
  try {
    const response = await fetch(`https://api.example.com/posts/${resourceId}`, {
      method: 'DELETE',
      headers: {
        'Authorization': 'Bearer your_token_here',
        'Content-Type': 'application/json'
      }
    });
    
    if (!response.ok) {
      throw new Error(`HTTP error! status: ${response.status}`);
    }
    
    // Handle different response types
    if (response.status === 204) {
      console.log('Resource deleted successfully');
      return { success: true };
    }
    
    const data = await response.json();
    console.log('Resource deleted:', data);
    return data;
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('Error deleting resource:', error);
    throw error;
  }
}

// Example with confirmation
async function deleteWithConfirmation(resourceId) {
  if (!confirm('Are you sure you want to delete this resource?')) {
    return;
  }
  
  try {
    await deleteResource(resourceId);
    alert('Resource deleted successfully!');
  } catch (error) {
    alert('Failed to delete resource. Please try again.');
  }
}

// Delete with request body (if API requires it)
async function deleteWithReason(resourceId, reason) {
  try {
    const response = await fetch(`https://api.example.com/items/${resourceId}`, {
      method: 'DELETE',
      headers: {
        'Authorization': 'Bearer your_token_here',
        'Content-Type': 'application/json'
      },
      body: JSON.stringify({
        reason: reason,
        timestamp: new Date().toISOString()
      })
    });
    
    if (!response.ok) {
      throw new Error(`HTTP error! status: ${response.status}`);
    }
    
    return await response.json();
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('Error:', error);
    throw error;
  }
}

// Example usage
deleteWithConfirmation(123);