# Delete branch

`DELETE /projects/{project_id}/branches/{branch_id}`

Deletes the specified branch from a project and places all compute endpoints into an idle state, breaking existing client connections.

The deletion completes after all operations finish. You cannot delete a project's root or default branch, or a branch that has a child branch. A project must have at least one branch.

For related information, see [Manage branches](/guides/manage-operate-manage-branches).

[Markdown for AI context](/guides/apis-sdks-reference-api-branches-delete-project-branch)

```bash title="REST API - curl"
curl "https://console.neon.tech/api/v2/projects/$PROJECT_ID/branches/$BRANCH_ID" \
  -X DELETE \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $NEON_API_KEY"
```

Every field below is optional. An empty body works too.

Also available in

::::tabs
:::tab{title="CLI"}
```bash
neon branches delete <branch_id>
```
:::

:::tab{title="SDK"}
:::

:::tab{title="MCP"}
Tool: `delete_branch`

Delete a branch and all its data. NEVER run autonomously; always ask the user first. For deleting an entire project, use `delete_project` instead.

- `projectId` (string, required)
  The ID of the project containing the branch
- `branchId` (string, required)
  The ID of the branch to delete
:::

:::tab{title="Console"}
Console path: Projects → Branches
:::
::::

## Parameters

Project ID

`project_id`

string

The Neon project ID

Branch ID

`branch_id`

string

The branch ID

## Response

200

Deleted the specified branch

::::tabs
:::tab{title="schema"}
Depth
:::

:::tab{title="example"}
:::
::::

## Errors

default

General error

This endpoint can return the standard Neon API error response.

Response fields

- `message` Required. Human-readable error message.
- `code` Required. Machine-readable error code.
- `request_id` Optional. Request identifier for debugging. You can provide one with the `X-Request-ID` header.

Retry guidance

If no response is returned, the request may still have reached the server. This is why retry safety depends on the method and status code.

Idempotent methods (`GET`, `HEAD`, `OPTIONS`) are generally safe to retry after a network error or timeout. Non-idempotent methods (`POST`, `PATCH`, `DELETE`, `PUT`) can change state, so avoid automatic retries unless your workflow can tolerate duplicate effects.

Responses with `423 Locked` or `503 Service Unavailable` are safe to retry. `423 Locked` means the resource is temporarily locked, usually because another operation is in progress.

## Related pages

- [Compare database schema](./apis-sdks-reference-api-branches-get-project-branch-schema-comparison.md)
- [Create anonymized branch](./apis-sdks-reference-api-branches-create-project-branch-anonymized.md)
- [Create branch](./apis-sdks-reference-api-branches-create-project-branch.md)
- [Create database](./apis-sdks-reference-api-branches-create-project-branch-database.md)
- [Create role](./apis-sdks-reference-api-branches-create-project-branch-role.md)
- [Delete database](./apis-sdks-reference-api-branches-delete-project-branch-database.md)
- [Delete role](./apis-sdks-reference-api-branches-delete-project-branch-role.md)
- [Finalize branch restore from snapshot](./apis-sdks-reference-api-branches-finalize-restore-branch.md)
- [List branch endpoints](./apis-sdks-reference-api-branches-list-project-branch-endpoints.md)
- [List branches](./apis-sdks-reference-api-branches-list-project-branches.md)

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