> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.mediarithmics.io/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.mediarithmics.io/setup-and-monitor/collect-and-manage-your-data/clean-and-delete-data/delete-user-data.md).

# Delete user data

Remove a person's data - a single UserPoint, a device point, or many at once.

## Your goal

Delete the data the platform holds about a specific person, on request, without waiting for a retention rule to expire it.

## Expected outcome

The UserPoint and every document related to it are gone, and you can say so with confidence.

## Choose the right operation

Three different things can be deleted, and they are not interchangeable.

| You want to remove               | Operation                          | Effect on the UserPoint                                                                                                                                             |
| -------------------------------- | ---------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **A person's whole record**      | UserPoint deletion - API or import | The UserPoint and all related documents are deleted.                                                                                                                |
| **A device and its identifiers** | Device point deletion import       | The device point and its identifiers go; **the UserPoint stays**.                                                                                                   |
| **One identifier**               | Identifier deletion import         | The identifier goes; **the UserPoint stays**. See [Import identifiers](/setup-and-monitor/collect-and-manage-your-data/import-data-in-batch/import-identifiers.md). |

## Delete one UserPoint, by API

Deleting a UserPoint removes it and all related documents - user identifiers, activities, profiles, and the rest. Any identifier can be used to select it:

{% tabs %}
{% tab title="By UserPoint ID" %}

```
DELETE https://api.mediarithmics.com/v1/datamarts/:datamartId/user_points/:userPointId
```

{% endtab %}

{% tab title="By email hash" %}

```
DELETE https://api.mediarithmics.com/v1/datamarts/:datamartId/user_points/email_hash=:emailHash
```

{% endtab %}

{% tab title="By account ID" %}

```
DELETE https://api.mediarithmics.com/v1/datamarts/:datamartId/user_points/compartment_id=:compartmentId,user_account_id=:userAccountId
```

{% endtab %}

{% tab title="By user agent ID" %}

```
DELETE https://api.mediarithmics.com/v1/datamarts/:datamartId/user_points/user_agent_id=:userAgentId
```

The user agent ID looks like `vec:xxx`.
{% endtab %}
{% endtabs %}

These operations can be performed manually, or automated from your centralised systems through the API.

{% hint style="info" %}
Before deleting, you may need to **retrieve** the data first - for an access request, for instance. See [Explore a user profile](/setup-and-monitor/operate-and-monitor/explore-a-user-profile.md) and [Exercise rights of the user](/setup-and-monitor/ensure-privacy-and-compliance/exercise-rights-of-the-user.md).
{% endhint %}

## Delete UserPoints in bulk

Use a document import when you have a list.

{% hint style="info" %}
UserPoint deletion imports are only supported for datamarts using a UserPoint system version of `v202205` or later.
{% endhint %}

{% stepper %}
{% step %}

### Create the document import

Document type `USER_POINTS_DELETION`, mime type `APPLICATION_X_NDJSON`. Only `ndjson` is supported.

```bash
curl -X POST \
  https://api.mediarithmics.com/v1/datamarts/<DATAMART_ID>/document_imports \
  -H 'Authorization: <YOUR_API_TOKEN>' \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -d '{
    "document_type": "USER_POINTS_DELETION",
    "mime_type": "APPLICATION_X_NDJSON",
    "encoding": "utf-8",
    "name": "<YOUR_DOCUMENT_IMPORT_NAME>"
}'
```

{% endstep %}

{% step %}

### Create an execution with one identifier per line

Each line is an identifier linked to a UserPoint, or a UserPoint ID directly. For each one, the job finds the associated UserPoint and deletes it, along with all of its identifiers, segments, scenarios, and its profile.

```bash
curl -X POST \
  https://api.mediarithmics.com/v1/datamarts/<DATAMART_ID>/document_imports/<DOCUMENT_IMPORT_ID>/executions \
  -H 'Authorization: <API_TOKEN>' \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/x-ndjson' \
  -d '
    { "type": "USER_ACCOUNT", "compartment_id": "1000", "user_account_id": "8541254132" }
    { "type": "USER_EMAIL", "hash": "<EMAIL_HASH>" }
    { "type": "USER_AGENT", "user_agent_id": "vec:89998434" }
    { "type": "USER_AGENT", "user_agent_id": "udp:987654" }
    { "type": "USER_POINT", "user_point_id": "95772db3-e762-45da-8cf1-4893debffae7" }
  '
```

The command shapes are the ones described in [Import identifiers](/setup-and-monitor/collect-and-manage-your-data/import-data-in-batch/import-identifiers.md), plus `USER_POINT` with a `user_point_id`.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

### Read the result

Check `total_success`, `total_failure`, and the error file. See [reading the result](/setup-and-monitor/collect-and-manage-your-data/import-data-in-batch.md#reading-the-result).
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

## Delete device points in bulk

Use this when a device must go but the person's record must stay.

{% hint style="info" %}
Device point deletion is only supported for datamarts using a UserPoint system version of `v202205` or later. **It only deletes the device point and its identifiers, not the associated UserPoint.**
{% endhint %}

Create a document import with document type `USER_DEVICE_POINT_DELETION` and mime type `APPLICATION_X_NDJSON`, then send one user agent per line:

```bash
curl -X POST \
  https://api.mediarithmics.com/v1/datamarts/<DATAMART_ID>/document_imports/<DOCUMENT_IMPORT_ID>/executions \
  -H 'Authorization: <API_TOKEN>' \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/x-ndjson' \
  -d '
    { "type": "USER_AGENT", "user_agent_id": "vec:89998434" }
    { "type": "USER_AGENT", "user_agent_id": "udp:987654" }
  '
```

{% hint style="warning" %}
A device point may be linked to **several** user agent identifiers. **All of them are deleted once their device point is** - including identifiers that do not appear in your file. Deleting one identifier you know about can therefore remove others you did not list.
{% endhint %}

To pass device point IDs directly - `udp:987654` - use the `USER_AGENT` type. Note the contrast with [Import identifiers](/setup-and-monitor/collect-and-manage-your-data/import-data-in-batch/import-identifiers.md), where a `udp:` value **rejects the job**: that import deletes an identifier, this one deletes a device point.

## Verify

* A lookup on the deleted person's identifiers returns nothing.
* For a device point deletion, the UserPoint still exists, without that device.
* The execution's success count matches the number of lines.
* Downstream copies are updated too: if you run a [datamart replication](/setup-and-monitor/collect-and-manage-your-data/export-your-data/datamart-replication.md), the `DELETE` operations reach your cloud - deleting in the platform does not clean up an export you made earlier.

## Related pages

<table data-view="cards" data-search="false"><thead><tr><th></th><th></th><th data-hidden data-card-target data-type="content-ref"></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Exercise rights of the user</strong></td><td>The full procedure for an individual request.</td><td><a href="/setup-and-monitor/ensure-privacy-and-compliance/exercise-rights-of-the-user.md">Exercise rights of the user</a></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Cleaning rules</strong></td><td>Deletion by policy rather than on request.</td><td><a href="/setup-and-monitor/collect-and-manage-your-data/clean-and-delete-data/cleaning-rules.md">Cleaning rules</a></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Import identifiers</strong></td><td>Removing an identifier without the UserPoint.</td><td><a href="/setup-and-monitor/collect-and-manage-your-data/import-data-in-batch/import-identifiers.md">Import identifiers</a></td></tr></tbody></table>


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