rclone/docs/content/commands/rclone_delete.md

---
title: "rclone delete"
description: "Remove the files in path."
slug: rclone_delete
url: /commands/rclone_delete/
# autogenerated - DO NOT EDIT, instead edit the source code in cmd/delete/ and as part of making a release run "make commanddocs"
---
# rclone delete

Remove the files in path.

## Synopsis


Remove the files in path.  Unlike `purge` it obeys include/exclude
filters so can be used to selectively delete files.

`rclone delete` only deletes files but leaves the directory structure
alone. If you want to delete a directory and all of its contents use
the `purge` command.

If you supply the `--rmdirs` flag, it will remove all empty directories along with it.
You can also use the separate command `rmdir` or `rmdirs` to
delete empty directories only.

For example, to delete all files bigger than 100 MiB, you may first want to
check what would be deleted (use either):

    rclone --min-size 100M lsl remote:path
    rclone --dry-run --min-size 100M delete remote:path

Then proceed with the actual delete:

    rclone --min-size 100M delete remote:path

That reads "delete everything with a minimum size of 100 MiB", hence
delete all files bigger than 100 MiB.

**Important**: Since this can cause data loss, test first with the
`--dry-run` or the `--interactive`/`-i` flag.


```
rclone delete remote:path [flags]
```

## Options

```
  -h, --help     help for delete
      --rmdirs   rmdirs removes empty directories but leaves root intact
```

See the [global flags page](/flags/) for global options not listed here.

## SEE ALSO

* [rclone](/commands/rclone/)	 - Show help for rclone commands, flags and backends.
Use cobra autogenerated docs * put the most up to date docs into the code * generate command docs using rclone gendocs * put command docs into own directory * remake them into MANUAL.md 2016-08-04 04:36:28 +08:00			`---`
			`title: "rclone delete"`
Version v1.54.0 2021-02-02 21:42:35 +08:00			`description: "Remove the files in path."`
Use cobra autogenerated docs * put the most up to date docs into the code * generate command docs using rclone gendocs * put command docs into own directory * remake them into MANUAL.md 2016-08-04 04:36:28 +08:00			`slug: rclone_delete`
			`url: /commands/rclone_delete/`
gendocs: add autogenerated header to all docs 2020-02-10 20:31:45 +08:00			`# autogenerated - DO NOT EDIT, instead edit the source code in cmd/delete/ and as part of making a release run "make commanddocs"`
Use cobra autogenerated docs * put the most up to date docs into the code * generate command docs using rclone gendocs * put command docs into own directory * remake them into MANUAL.md 2016-08-04 04:36:28 +08:00			`---`
docs: make command docs titles be one higher 2020-05-22 18:17:37 +08:00			`# rclone delete`
Use cobra autogenerated docs * put the most up to date docs into the code * generate command docs using rclone gendocs * put command docs into own directory * remake them into MANUAL.md 2016-08-04 04:36:28 +08:00
Version v1.54.0 2021-02-02 21:42:35 +08:00			`Remove the files in path.`
Use cobra autogenerated docs * put the most up to date docs into the code * generate command docs using rclone gendocs * put command docs into own directory * remake them into MANUAL.md 2016-08-04 04:36:28 +08:00
docs: make command docs titles be one higher 2020-05-22 18:17:37 +08:00			`## Synopsis`
Use cobra autogenerated docs * put the most up to date docs into the code * generate command docs using rclone gendocs * put command docs into own directory * remake them into MANUAL.md 2016-08-04 04:36:28 +08:00

Version v1.45 2018-11-24 21:44:25 +08:00			Remove the files in path. Unlike `purge` it obeys include/exclude
Use cobra autogenerated docs * put the most up to date docs into the code * generate command docs using rclone gendocs * put command docs into own directory * remake them into MANUAL.md 2016-08-04 04:36:28 +08:00			`filters so can be used to selectively delete files.`

Version v1.54.0 2021-02-02 21:42:35 +08:00			`rclone delete` only deletes files but leaves the directory structure
Version v1.45 2018-11-24 21:44:25 +08:00			`alone. If you want to delete a directory and all of its contents use`
Version v1.54.0 2021-02-02 21:42:35 +08:00			the `purge` command.
Version v1.45 2018-11-24 21:44:25 +08:00
Version v1.54.0 2021-02-02 21:42:35 +08:00			If you supply the `--rmdirs` flag, it will remove all empty directories along with it.
			You can also use the separate command `rmdir` or `rmdirs` to
			`delete empty directories only.`
docs: add description to commands and index page 2020-05-16 22:11:55 +08:00
make commanddocs for v1.56 (#5383) 2021-06-08 23:57:04 +08:00			`For example, to delete all files bigger than 100 MiB, you may first want to`
			`check what would be deleted (use either):`
Use cobra autogenerated docs * put the most up to date docs into the code * generate command docs using rclone gendocs * put command docs into own directory * remake them into MANUAL.md 2016-08-04 04:36:28 +08:00
			`rclone --min-size 100M lsl remote:path`
			`rclone --dry-run --min-size 100M delete remote:path`

Version v1.54.0 2021-02-02 21:42:35 +08:00			`Then proceed with the actual delete:`
Use cobra autogenerated docs * put the most up to date docs into the code * generate command docs using rclone gendocs * put command docs into own directory * remake them into MANUAL.md 2016-08-04 04:36:28 +08:00
			`rclone --min-size 100M delete remote:path`

Use binary prefixes for size and rate units Includes adding support for additional size input suffix Mi and MiB, treated equivalent to M. Extends binary suffix output with letter i, e.g. Ki and Mi. Centralizes creation of bit/byte unit strings. 2021-03-03 03:11:57 +08:00			`That reads "delete everything with a minimum size of 100 MiB", hence`
make commanddocs for v1.56 (#5383) 2021-06-08 23:57:04 +08:00			`delete all files bigger than 100 MiB.`
Use cobra autogenerated docs * put the most up to date docs into the code * generate command docs using rclone gendocs * put command docs into own directory * remake them into MANUAL.md 2016-08-04 04:36:28 +08:00
Version v1.53.0 2020-09-02 23:59:04 +08:00			`Important: Since this can cause data loss, test first with the`
			`--dry-run` or the `--interactive`/`-i` flag.

Use cobra autogenerated docs * put the most up to date docs into the code * generate command docs using rclone gendocs * put command docs into own directory * remake them into MANUAL.md 2016-08-04 04:36:28 +08:00
			```
Version v1.38 2017-09-30 21:19:47 +08:00			`rclone delete remote:path [flags]`
			```

docs: make command docs titles be one higher 2020-05-22 18:17:37 +08:00			`## Options`
Version v1.38 2017-09-30 21:19:47 +08:00
			```
docs: add description to commands and index page 2020-05-16 22:11:55 +08:00			`-h, --help help for delete`
			`--rmdirs rmdirs removes empty directories but leaves root intact`
Use cobra autogenerated docs * put the most up to date docs into the code * generate command docs using rclone gendocs * put command docs into own directory * remake them into MANUAL.md 2016-08-04 04:36:28 +08:00			```

docs: add a new page with global flags and link to it from the command docs In f544234 we removed the global flags from each command as it was making each page very big and causing 1000s of lines of duplication in the man page. This change adds a new flags page with all the global flags on and links each command page to it. Fixes #3273 2019-06-20 23:18:02 +08:00			`See the [global flags page](/flags/) for global options not listed here.`

docs: make command docs titles be one higher 2020-05-22 18:17:37 +08:00			`## SEE ALSO`
Use cobra autogenerated docs * put the most up to date docs into the code * generate command docs using rclone gendocs * put command docs into own directory * remake them into MANUAL.md 2016-08-04 04:36:28 +08:00
Version v1.44 2018-10-15 18:03:08 +08:00			`* [rclone](/commands/rclone/) - Show help for rclone commands, flags and backends.`
Version v1.40 2018-03-19 18:06:13 +08:00