How to Destroy a Droplet from the DigitalOcean Control Panel

Validated on 21 Jun 2023 • Last edited on 18 Dec 2024

DigitalOcean Droplets are Linux-based virtual machines (VMs) that run on top of virtualized hardware. Each Droplet you create is a new server you can use, either standalone or as part of a larger, cloud-based infrastructure.

Deleting a Droplet permanently and irreversibly destroys the Droplet. Optionally, you can also destroy a Droplet and its associated snapshots, volumes, and volume snapshots.

To save one or more of the backup images, convert the backup into a snapshot before deleting the Droplet.

Destroying a Droplet does not destroy its automated backups. Automated backups remain for four weeks after creation and then expire. To save backup images, convert the backups into snapshots.

Destroy a Droplet from the Control Panel

To destroy a Droplet from the control panel, open the Droplet’s More menu and click Destroy. Alternately, you can click the Droplet’s name to access its main page and select Destroy from the left menu.

On the Destroy page, in the Destroy Droplet section, click the Destroy the Droplet button.

Destroy Droplet page

In the confirmation window that opens, you can choose to destroy the Droplet. If the Droplet has associated resources, you can also choose to delete some or all of them, but they are not destroyed by default.

Check the boxes next to any of the Droplet’s associated snapshots, volumes, or volume snapshots that you would like to destroy along with the Droplet.

The Destroy Droplet confirmation window with associated resources

Type the name of the Droplet in the text field, then click Destroy to destroy the Droplet and any selected associated resources.

Any resources that you do not destroy appear in their respective category in the control panel’s Manage section.

Automate the Destruction of a Droplet

How to Permanently Delete a Droplet Using the DigitalOcean CLI
  1. Install doctl, the DigitalOcean command-line tool.
  2. Create a personal access token and save it for use with doctl.

  3. Use the token to grant doctl access to your DigitalOcean account.

    doctl auth init

  4. Finally, run doctl compute droplet delete. Basic usage looks like this, but you can read the usage docs for more details:

    doctl compute droplet delete <droplet-id|droplet-name>... [flags]

    The following example deletes a Droplet with the ID 386734086:

    doctl compute droplet delete 386734086
How to Delete an Existing Droplet Using the DigitalOcean API
  1. Create a personal access token and save it for use with the API.

  2. Send a DELETE request to https://api.digitalocean.com/v2/droplets/{droplet_id}

    cURL

    Using cURL:

    curl -X DELETE \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $DIGITALOCEAN_TOKEN" \
"https://api.digitalocean.com/v2/droplets/3164494"

    Go

    Using Godo, the official DigitalOcean V2 API client for Go:

    import (
    "context"
    "os"

    "github.com/digitalocean/godo"
)

func main() {
    token := os.Getenv("DIGITALOCEAN_TOKEN")

    client := godo.NewFromToken(token)
    ctx := context.TODO()

    _, err := client.Droplets.Delete(ctx, 3164494)
}

    Ruby

    Using DropletKit, the official DigitalOcean V2 API client for Ruby:

    require 'droplet_kit'
token = ENV['DIGITALOCEAN_TOKEN']
client = DropletKit::Client.new(access_token: token)

client.droplets.delete(id: 3164494)

    Python

    import os
from pydo import Client

client = Client(token=os.environ.get("DIGITALOCEAN_TOKEN"))

resp = client.droplets.destroy(droplet_id=553456)
How to Destroy a Droplet and All of Its Associated Resources (Dangerous) Using the DigitalOcean API
  1. Create a personal access token and save it for use with the API.

  2. Send a DELETE request to https://api.digitalocean.com/v2/droplets/{droplet_id}/destroy_with_associated_resources/dangerous

    cURL

    Using cURL:

    curl -X DELETE -H "X-Dangerous: true" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $DIGITALOCEAN_TOKEN" \
"https://api.digitalocean.com/v2/droplets/187000742/destroy_with_associated_resources/dangerous"

    Python

    import os
from pydo import Client

client = Client(token=os.environ.get("DIGITALOCEAN_TOKEN"))

resp = client.droplets.destroy_with_associated_resources_dangerous(droplet_id=524512)
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