---
source_url: https://www.pubnub.com/docs/privacy/data-deletion-options
title: Data deletion options
updated_at: 2026-09-30T07:20:08.000Z
---

# Data deletion options

## Documentation index

To discover more PubNub resources:

1. Fetch [PubNub's llms.txt](https://www.pubnub.com/llms-full.txt) for a list of available pages in Markdown format.
2. Identify relevant URLs from that index.
3. Fetch the target pages.

Do not assume a path exists, always check the index first.

PubNub stores nine kinds of data across Message Persistence, App Context, File Sharing, Functions, and Access Manager. Each has its own removal method:

* an SDK call
* an Admin Portal or [BizOps Workspace](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/data-storage/metadata/overview.md) action
* a time-based expiry with no manual trigger

Every SDK deletion call on this page is permanent once PubNub acknowledges it. There's no recovery path for a completed delete. For where each data type lives and how long it stays before you delete it, see [Data persistence and privacy](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/privacy/overview.md).

## Deletion methods by data type

| Data type | Method | Where |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Messages | `deleteMessages()` (name varies by SDK) | SDK, server-side with the secret key |
| Message actions | `removeMessageAction()` (name varies by SDK) | SDK |
| Files | `deleteFile()` (name varies by SDK) | SDK |
| User metadata | `removeUUIDMetadata()` (name varies by SDK) | SDK, Admin Portal, or BizOps Workspace |
| Channel metadata | `removeChannelMetadata()` (name varies by SDK) | SDK, Admin Portal, or BizOps Workspace |
| Memberships | `removeMemberships()` or `removeChannelMembers()` (names vary by SDK) | SDK, Admin Portal, or BizOps Workspace |
| Channel groups | `deleteGroup()` (name varies by SDK) | SDK |
| Mobile push registrations | `push.removeChannels()` or `push.deleteDevice()` (names vary by SDK) | SDK |
| Revoked Access Manager tokens | `revokeToken()` (name varies by SDK). The deny-list entry expires with the token's TTL | SDK, once enabled in the Admin Portal |
| Functions KV store data | `kvstore.removeItem()`, or a TTL you set on write | Functions code |

## Messages

Message Persistence deletion removes messages between two [timetokens](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/architecture/core-concepts.md#timetoken), or a channel's entire history. Prerequisites:

| Prerequisite | Description |
| --- | --- |
| Message Persistence | Enabled for the keyset in the [Admin Portal](https://admin.pubnub.com/). |
| Enable Delete-From-History | Turned on for the keyset in the [Admin Portal](https://admin.pubnub.com/). |
| Secret key | SDK instance initialized with the secret key. |
| `delete` permission | Required on the channel if [Access Manager](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/security/access-control/overview.md) is enabled. |

The method is `deleteMessages()` (name varies by SDK). Set `start` and `end` one timetoken apart to delete a single message, provide a wider range to delete several, or omit both to delete everything on the channel.

For full examples in every supported SDK, prerequisites in detail, and how the deletion affects usage metrics, see [Delete messages](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/data-storage/message-history/delete-messages-from-history.md).

## Message actions

Removing a message action (a reaction, a read receipt, or another annotation) deletes the action record without touching the message it's attached to. Prerequisites:

| Prerequisite | Description |
| --- | --- |
| Message Persistence | Enabled for the keyset in the [Admin Portal](https://admin.pubnub.com/). PubNub stores each action the way it stores the message it's attached to. |
| Enable Delete-From-History | Turned on for the keyset in the [Admin Portal](https://admin.pubnub.com/). |
| `delete` permission | Required on the channel if [Access Manager](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/security/access-control/overview.md) is enabled. A trusted server can sign the request with the secret key instead of using a granted token. |

The method is `removeMessageAction()` (name varies by SDK). A successful call returns an empty response. A `207` status means the action was deleted but PubNub couldn't publish the deletion event to subscribers. Treat the action as removed either way.

For full examples in every supported SDK, see [Remove message actions](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/pub-sub/message-actions/remove-message-actions.md).

## Files

Deleting a file removes it from File Sharing storage. It doesn't remove the file event from Message Persistence history, so if Message Persistence is enabled, the file event record remains in history after the file itself is gone. Prerequisites:

| Prerequisite | Description |
| --- | --- |
| File ID and name | Returned by `listFiles()` (name varies by SDK) or the original upload response. |
| `delete` permission | Required on the channel if Access Manager is enabled. |

Unlike message deletion, this call doesn't require the secret key.

For full examples in every supported SDK, see [List and manage stored files](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/data-storage/files/list-and-manage-stored-files.md#delete-a-file).

## User and channel metadata

Removing an [App Context](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/data-storage/metadata/overview.md) record deletes all custom fields for that user or channel. Prerequisites:

| Prerequisite | Description |
| --- | --- |
| App Context | Enabled for the keyset in the [Admin Portal](https://admin.pubnub.com/). |
| `delete` permission | Required on the User ID or channel if [Access Manager](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/security/access-control/overview.md) is enabled. A trusted server can sign the request with the secret key instead of using a granted token. |

Deleting a user's or channel's metadata doesn't require a special setting. It always deletes the metadata record. What it does to that user's or channel's *memberships* depends on a separate cascade choice: turning on **Enforce referential integrity for memberships** in the Admin Portal makes the delete cascade, removing every membership that points at the record you just deleted. With that setting off, those memberships stay in place, pointing at a User ID or channel with no metadata record. See [Membership connects users and channels](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/data-storage/metadata/overview.md#membership-connects-users-and-channels) for the full referential-integrity behavior.

You can also delete a user or channel record without code, from [BizOps Workspace](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/data-storage/metadata/overview.md)'s User Management or Channel Management modules. A record you delete there is the same record your SDK calls read and write.

For full examples in every supported SDK, see [Set, get, and remove user metadata](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/data-storage/metadata/manage-user-metadata.md#remove-user-metadata), [Set, get, and remove channel metadata](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/data-storage/metadata/manage-channel-metadata.md#remove-channel-metadata), [Delete users](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/data-storage/metadata/manage-user-metadata.md), and [Delete channels](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/data-storage/metadata/manage-channel-metadata.md).

## Memberships

A [membership](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/architecture/core-concepts.md#membership) connects one user to one channel. You remove it from either side of that relationship:

* **From the user's side**, to take a user out of one or more channels: `removeMemberships()` (name varies by SDK).
* **From the channel's side**, to take one or more users out of a single channel: `removeChannelMembers()` (name varies by SDK).

Both calls delete the same underlying membership record. They only differ in which entity, user or channel, you call the operation on.

Deleting a user's or channel's own metadata can also delete its memberships as a side effect. See [User and channel metadata](#user-and-channel-metadata) for the referential-integrity setting that controls this.

You can also remove a membership without code, from BizOps Workspace's [Delete membership](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/data-storage/metadata/manage-channel-metadata.md) action, including in bulk.

For full examples in every supported SDK, see [Remove a user from channels](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/data-storage/metadata/manage-memberships.md#remove-a-user-from-channels) and [Remove members from a channel](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/data-storage/metadata/manage-members.md#remove-members-from-a-channel).

## Channel groups

A [channel group](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/architecture/core-concepts.md#channel) is a server-managed list of channels. Deleting it removes the group itself. The member channels aren't affected. Prerequisites:

| Prerequisite | Description |
| --- | --- |
| Stream Controller | Enabled for the keyset in the [Admin Portal](https://admin.pubnub.com/). |
| `manage` permission | Required on the group if [Access Manager](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/security/access-control/overview.md) is enabled. |

Example in JavaScript:

```javascript
// assuming an initialized PubNub instance already exists
// and channel group which is getting deleted already exist to see the deletion effect.
try {
  const response = await pubnub.channelGroups.deleteGroup({
    channelGroup: 'family',
  });
  console.log('deleteChannelGroup response:', response);
} catch (error) {
  console.error(`Delete channel group error: ${error}`);
}
```

To remove specific channels from a group instead of deleting the whole group, use the group's remove-channels operation. For the full method signature, every supported SDK, and the group's other operations, see the [Channel Groups API reference](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/sdks/javascript/api-reference/channel-groups.md) for your language, listed on [Available SDKs](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/getting-started/available-sdks.md).

## Mobile push registrations

A push registration links a device token to the channels that can wake it. You remove it from either side:

* **For specific channels** on one device, remove those channels from the registration: `push.removeChannels()` (name varies by SDK).
* **For a device entirely**, remove all of its channels at once: `push.deleteDevice()` (name varies by SDK).

Prerequisites:

| Prerequisite | Description |
| --- | --- |
| Mobile Push Notifications | Enabled for the keyset. |
| `read` permission | Required on the affected channels if Access Manager is enabled. |

Example in JavaScript, removing specific channels from one device:

```javascript
// for APNs2
try {
  const response = await pubnub.push.removeChannels({
    channels: ['a', 'b'],
    device: 'niceDevice',
    pushGateway: 'apns2',
    environment: 'production',
    topic: 'com.example.bundle_id',
  });

  console.log('removing device from channel response:', response);
} catch (error) {
  console.error(`Error removing device from channel: ${error}`);
}

// for FCM
try {
  const response = await pubnub.push.removeChannels({
    channels: ['a', 'b'],
    device: 'niceDevice',
    pushGateway: 'fcm',
  });

  console.log('removing device from channel response:', response);
} catch (error) {
  console.error(`Error removing device from channel: ${error}`);
}
```

For the full method signature and every supported SDK, see the [Mobile Push API reference](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/sdks/javascript/api-reference/mobile-push.md) for your language, listed on [Available SDKs](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/getting-started/available-sdks.md).

## Revoked Access Manager tokens

Revoking an [Access Manager](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/security/access-control/overview.md) token doesn't delete a stored record. Tokens aren't stored anywhere until you revoke one. Revoking adds it to a deny list so PubNub can reject future calls that use it. A request that uses a revoked token fails with `403 Revoked Token`.

A revoked token's deny-list entry persists until the token's original TTL would have expired. There's no call that removes a deny-list entry early. A revoked token can't be re-enabled. Token revocation can take up to one minute to take effect, because PubNub caches a token's non-revoked state for that long. Prerequisites:

| Prerequisite | Description |
| --- | --- |
| Revoke v3 Token | Enabled for the keyset. See [Configure access control](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/security/access-control/configure-access-control.md#enable-token-revocation). |

Each revoke call accepts a single token, so batch revocation isn't supported.

For full examples in every supported SDK, see [Revoke a token](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/security/access-control/manage-permissions.md#revoke-a-token).

## Functions KV store data

Functions code can delete its own [KV store](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/serverless-sdk/modules-and-libraries/kvstore.md) entries in two ways:

* Immediately with `kvstore.removeItem(key)`, called from within a Function.

   ```javascript
   const db = require("kvstore");
   db.removeItem("key");
   ```

* Automatically by setting a TTL when you write the value. `db.set(key, value, ttlInMinutes)` and `db.setItem(key, value, ttlInMinutes)` both accept a TTL in minutes. A KV store entry lives for 1 day by default, and a per-entry TTL can range from 1 minute up to 1 year. A [counter](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/serverless-sdk/modules-and-libraries/kvstore.md#counters) isn't subject to TTL and only goes away when you delete it directly.

There's no SDK method for this from your client app. It only runs from inside Functions code. For every KV store operation, see the [KV Store module reference](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/serverless-sdk/modules-and-libraries/kvstore.md).

## Related resources

* [Data persistence and privacy](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/privacy/overview.md). Where each data type lives, how long it stays before you delete it, and PubNub's compliance program.
* [Data storage](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/data-storage/overview.md). The four storage systems this page's deletion methods act on.
* [Operations to permissions mapping](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/security/access-control/operations-permissions-mapping.md). The exact permission each deletion call needs when Access Manager is enabled.
* [API limits](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/architecture/limits.md). Batch sizes and other limits that apply to some of these calls.

Last updated at: 2026-09-30T07:20:08.000Z