[[indices-delete-index]]
=== Delete index API
++++
<titleabbrev>Delete index</titleabbrev>
++++

Deletes an existing index.

[source,console]
--------------------------------------------------
DELETE /my-index-000001
--------------------------------------------------
// TEST[setup:my_index]


[[delete-index-api-request]]
==== {api-request-title}

`DELETE /<index>`

[[delete-index-api-prereqs]]
==== {api-prereq-title}

* If the {es} {security-features} are enabled, you must have the `delete_index`
or `manage` <<privileges-list-indices,index privilege>> for the target index.

[[delete-index-api-path-params]]
==== {api-path-parms-title}

`<index>`::
+
--
(Required, string) Comma-separated list of indices to delete. You cannot specify
<<indices-aliases,index aliases>>.

By default, this parameter does not support wildcards (`*`) or `_all`. To use
wildcards or `_all`, change the `action.destructive_requires_name` setting to
`false`. You can update this setting in the `elasticsearch.yml` file or using
the <<cluster-update-settings,cluster update settings>> API. Wildcard patterns
only match open, concrete indices.

NOTE: You cannot delete the current write index of a data stream. To delete the
index, you must <<data-streams-rollover,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.
--


[[delete-index-api-query-params]]
==== {api-query-parms-title}

include::{es-repo-dir}/rest-api/common-parms.asciidoc[tag=allow-no-indices]
+
Defaults to `true`.

include::{es-repo-dir}/rest-api/common-parms.asciidoc[tag=expand-wildcards]
+
Defaults to `open`.

include::{es-repo-dir}/rest-api/common-parms.asciidoc[tag=index-ignore-unavailable]

include::{es-repo-dir}/rest-api/common-parms.asciidoc[tag=timeoutparms]
