---
title: Delete access rule
description: Delete a rule and apply the next governing rule to its files.
doc_version: 0.1.0-preview
last_updated: 2026-09-14
---

# Delete access rule

`DELETE /namespaces/{namespace}/collections/{collection}/access-rules/{rule_id}`

Delete a rule and apply the next governing rule to its files.

**Permission:** Cluster key, or a scoped key with write on this collection.

[API key types and authentication](/engine/reference/authentication.md).

Access rules require an enforced collection. Rule targets use logical paths. API-key actions control writes independently of these reader rules.

The root rule cannot be deleted. Affected files remain hidden until the apply_access_rule job succeeds.

Use events webhooks for live status. Read the job to inspect its current state or recover after a missed event.

## Example request

```http
DELETE /namespaces/acme/collections/incident-logs/access-rules/acr_01K6Q6N7D8E9F0G1H2J3K4M5N6 HTTP/1.1
Host: engine.example.com
Authorization: Bearer <GRAPHON_ENGINE_API_KEY>
```

## Path parameters

### `namespace`

**string · required**

Namespace name or ns_ ID. It must be visible to this key.

### `collection`

**string · required**

Collection name or col_ ID within the namespace. It must be visible to this key.

### `rule_id`

**string · required**

Access-rule ID with the acr_ prefix, returned by create or list.

## Responses

### 202 · Accepted

The operation was accepted. The returned job records its progress.

Content type: `application/json`.

#### Response headers

##### `x-request-id`

**string · required**

Request correlation ID. Retain it when investigating a failed or unexpected request.

```json
{
  "id": "job_01K6Q6N7D8E9F0G1H2J3K4M5N6",
  "type": "apply_access_rule",
  "status": "running",
  "namespace": "acme",
  "collection": "incident-logs",
  "error": null,
  "created_at": "2026-10-06T10:00:00Z",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-06T10:00:00Z"
}
```

#### Response fields

##### `collection`

**string · optional · nullable**

Collection name when this job belongs to a collection. Otherwise omitted.

##### `created_at`

**string (date-time) · required**

Time the resource was created, as an ISO 8601 UTC timestamp.

##### `error`

**object · required · nullable**

Failure details, or null when no failure is recorded.

###### `error.code`

**string · required**

Machine-readable reason for the failure. Use this value for program logic and message for display or diagnostics.

###### `error.message`

**string · required**

Human-readable explanation of the failure. Do not parse this text to decide how to retry.

##### `file_id`

**string · optional · nullable**

File ID when this job acts on one file. Otherwise omitted.

##### `id`

**string · required**

Immutable job ID with the job_ prefix. Use it to read the current state.

##### `namespace`

**string · optional · nullable**

Namespace name when this job belongs to a namespace.

##### `status`

**string · required**

Current state of the asynchronous work. succeeded, failed, and canceled are terminal states.

- `queued`: Accepted and waiting to start.
- `running`: Work is in progress.
- `succeeded`: Work completed successfully.
- `failed`: Work ended with an error.
- `canceled`: Work ended after cancellation.

##### `type`

**string · required**

Kind of work accepted by the API.

- `index_file`: Index a new or replacement file.
- `delete_file`: Remove a file and clean its derived data.
- `reindex_collection`: Rebuild the collection’s derived data.
- `delete_collection`: Remove a collection and its derived data.
- `delete_namespace`: Remove a namespace and its collections.
- `apply_access_rule`: Apply changed governing rules to affected files.

##### `updated_at`

**string (date-time) · required**

Time the resource last changed, as an ISO 8601 UTC timestamp.

## Errors

[Error format and retry guidance](/engine/reference/errors.md).

### 400 · `invalid_request`

A field, path, parameter, or conditional request rule is invalid.

Correct the request. Unknown fields are rejected.

```json
{
  "error": {
    "code": "invalid_request",
    "message": "A field, path, parameter, or conditional request rule is invalid.",
    "request_id": "req_example",
    "retryable": false,
    "details": {}
  }
}
```

### 401 · `unauthenticated`

The API key is missing, invalid, or revoked.

Send an active key in Authorization: Bearer or X-API-Key.

```json
{
  "error": {
    "code": "unauthenticated",
    "message": "The API key is missing, invalid, or revoked.",
    "request_id": "req_example",
    "retryable": false,
    "details": {}
  }
}
```

### 403 · `forbidden`

The key can see the resource but lacks permission for this operation.

Use a key with the required action or scope kind.

```json
{
  "error": {
    "code": "forbidden",
    "message": "The key can see the resource but lacks permission for this operation.",
    "request_id": "req_example",
    "retryable": false,
    "details": {}
  }
}
```

### 404 · `not_found`

The resource is absent, deleted, or outside this key’s scope.

Check the identifier and the key’s namespace and collection scope.

```json
{
  "error": {
    "code": "not_found",
    "message": "The resource is absent, deleted, or outside this key’s scope.",
    "request_id": "req_example",
    "retryable": false,
    "details": {}
  }
}
```

### 409 · `operation_in_progress`

An unfinished operation conflicts with this request.

Inspect the existing job and wait for its completion event before retrying.

```json
{
  "error": {
    "code": "operation_in_progress",
    "message": "An unfinished operation conflicts with this request.",
    "request_id": "req_example",
    "retryable": true,
    "details": {}
  }
}
```

### 503 · `temporarily_unavailable`

A dependency, cluster readiness condition, or capacity limit prevents this operation.

Inspect retryable and details. Retry only when permitted, preserving the idempotency key for the same write.

```json
{
  "error": {
    "code": "temporarily_unavailable",
    "message": "A dependency, cluster readiness condition, or capacity limit prevents this operation.",
    "request_id": "req_example",
    "retryable": true,
    "details": {}
  }
}
```

### 500 · `internal_error`

An unexpected server failure prevented this request from completing.

Retain x-request-id for investigation. Follow retryable before retrying a write.

```json
{
  "error": {
    "code": "internal_error",
    "message": "An unexpected server failure prevented this request from completing.",
    "request_id": "req_example",
    "retryable": false,
    "details": {}
  }
}
```

## Other request languages

### cURL

```bash
curl -sS -X DELETE "$GRAPHON_ENGINE_URL/namespaces/acme/collections/incident-logs/access-rules/acr_01K6Q6N7D8E9F0G1H2J3K4M5N6" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $GRAPHON_ENGINE_API_KEY"
```

### Python

```python
import json
import os
import urllib.request

request = urllib.request.Request(
    os.environ["GRAPHON_ENGINE_URL"] + "/namespaces/acme/collections/incident-logs/access-rules/acr_01K6Q6N7D8E9F0G1H2J3K4M5N6",
    headers={
        "Authorization": "Bearer " + os.environ["GRAPHON_ENGINE_API_KEY"],
    },
    method="DELETE",
)
with urllib.request.urlopen(request) as response:
    print(response.read().decode())
```

### JavaScript

```javascript
const response = await fetch(process.env.GRAPHON_ENGINE_URL + "/namespaces/acme/collections/incident-logs/access-rules/acr_01K6Q6N7D8E9F0G1H2J3K4M5N6", {
  method: "DELETE",
  headers: {
    "Authorization": `Bearer ${process.env.GRAPHON_ENGINE_API_KEY}`,
  },
});
console.log(response.status, await response.text());
```

## Sitemap

See the full [sitemap](/sitemap.md) for all pages.