Deleting resources

Deleting Resources (DELETE)

When to Use

Removing entities from Drupal. Requires authentication and delete permissions. Irreversible without backups.

Pattern

DELETE request:

curl -X DELETE "https://example.com/jsonapi/node/article/{uuid}" \
  -H "Accept: application/vnd.api+json" \
  -H "Authorization: Basic dXNlcjpwYXNz"

Response: - Success: 204 No Content (empty body) - Errors: 403 Forbidden, 404 Not Found

JavaScript example:

fetch(`/jsonapi/node/article/${uuid}`, {
  method: 'DELETE',
  headers: {
    'Accept': 'application/vnd.api+json',
    'Authorization': 'Basic ' + btoa('user:pass')
  }
})
  .then(response => {
    if (response.status === 204) {
      console.log('Deleted successfully');
    }
  });

Common Mistakes

Expecting response body: DELETE returns 204 No Content with empty body. WHY: Spec says no content on successful delete. Check status code, not body.

Not handling 404 errors gracefully: Deleting already-deleted entity returns 404. WHY: Entity no longer exists. Treat 404 as success in idempotent delete operations.

Deleting without confirmation: DELETE is permanent (unless content moderation enabled). WHY: No trash/recycle bin by default. Implement client-side confirmation dialogs.

Assuming cascade deletes work via API: Deleting parent doesn't auto-delete children. WHY: Entity reference field configuration controls cascade behavior. Check field settings.

Deleting resources