---
title: "Delete Knowledge Base Article"
url: "https://help.productfruits.com/en/article/knowledge-base-api-delete-article-endpoint"
language: "en"
last_updated: "2025-12-22T12:31:28.201Z"
---

# Delete Knowledge Base Article

## DELETE /articles/{correlationId} - Delete Knowledge Base Article

Permanently delete an article and all its content from the knowledge base. This operation cannot be undone and will remove the article in all languages.

## Endpoint

```
DELETE /v1/knowledgebase/articles/{correlationId}
```

## Request Headers

| Header | Value | Required |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `Authorization` | `Bearer YOUR_API_TOKEN` | Yes |

## Path Parameters

| Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `correlationId` | `string` | Yes | The correlation ID of the article to delete. Can be custom ID or internal ID prefixed with 'pf\_' |

### Correlation ID Format

-   **Custom IDs**: Use your own correlation ID as provided during import (e.g., `"my-article-001"`)
-   **Internal IDs**: Use internal database ID prefixed with `"pf_"` (e.g., `"pf_123"`)

## Response Format

### Success Response (200 OK)

```json
{
  "message": "Article deleted successfully"
}
```

## Examples

### Example 1: Delete Article by Custom Correlation ID

```bash
curl -X DELETE "https://api.productfruits.com/v1/knowledgebase/articles/getting-started-001" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_TOKEN"
```

**Response:**

```json
{
  "message": "Article deleted successfully"
}
```

### Example 2: Delete Article by Internal ID

```bash
curl -X DELETE "https://api.productfruits.com/v1/knowledgebase/articles/pf_123" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_TOKEN"
```

**Response:**

```json
{
  "message": "Article deleted successfully"
}
```

### Example 3: Error Handling Example

```bash
# Attempt to delete non-existent article
curl -X DELETE "https://api.productfruits.com/v1/knowledgebase/articles/non-existent-id" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_TOKEN"
```

**Response (400 Bad Request):**

```json
{
  "error": "Article with correlation ID 'non-existent-id' not found"
}
```

## What Gets Deleted

When you delete an article, the following items are permanently removed:

### Article Data

-   Article metadata (title, description, settings)
-   Category assignment
-   Feature and ordering information
-   Version information
-   Alternate slugs configuration

### All Content Versions

-   All content in all languages
-   All published and unpublished versions
-   Content metadata (slugs, keywords, leads)
-   Content creation and modification history

## Considerations Before Deleting

### Content Impact

-   **Broken Links**: External links to the article will become invalid
-   **SEO Impact**: Search engine rankings and indexed pages will be lost
-   **User Bookmarks**: User-saved bookmarks will become invalid

### Alternative Actions

Before deleting, consider these alternatives:

-   **Make Private**: Set `isPrivate: true` to hide from end users
-   **Unpublish**: Set content `publishStatus: "unpublished"` to hide specific versions
-   **Archive**: Move to an archive category instead of deleting
-   **Redirect**: Set up redirects before deletion if the content is moving

### Backup Recommendations

-   Export article content before deletion
-   Save important analytics data
-   Document any external references to the article
-   Notify team members of planned deletions

## Best Practices

-   **Verify Before Deletion**: Use `GET /articles` to confirm the article exists and review its content
-   **Backup Important Content**: Export article data before deletion using `GET /articles`
-   **Check External References**: Ensure no external systems or documentation link to this article
-   **Consider Alternatives**: Instead of deletion, consider making articles private or unpublished
-   **Handle Errors Gracefully**: Implement proper error handling for non-existent articles
-   **Respect Rate Limits**: Add delays between multiple deletions to avoid hitting limits

## Common Error Scenarios

### Article Not Found

**Cause**: Using incorrect correlation ID or article already deleted  
**Solution**: Verify correlation ID using `GET /articles` endpoint first

### Authentication Issues

**Cause**: Invalid or expired API token  
**Solution**: Regenerate API token and update authorization header

### Rate Limiting

**Cause**: Too many deletion requests in short time  
**Solution**: Implement delays between requests and batch operations appropriately

## Rate Limiting

For detailed information about API limits and optimization strategies, please consult our [guide](https://https//help.productfruits.com/en/article/rest-api-rate-limiting) on rate limiting.

### Error Response Examples

#### 400 Bad Request - Missing Correlation ID

```json
{
  "error": "Correlation ID is required"
}
```

#### 400 Bad Request - Article Not Found or Other Error

```json
{
  "error": "Article with correlation ID 'invalid-id' not found"
}
```

#### 401 Unauthorized

```json
{
  "error": "Authentication required or invalid API token"
}
```

#### 500 Internal Server Error

```json
{
  "error": "Internal server error occurred while deleting article"
}
```