# Introducing permanently delete post functionality
**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/introducing-permanently-delete-post-functionality/207109
**Category:** Announcements
**Tags:** new-feature, permanently-delete
**Created:** [November 17, 2021, 9:32am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/introducing-permanently-delete-post-functionality/207109 "2021-11-17T09:32:17Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@nbianca](https://meta.discourse.org/u/nbianca)
#### Post date: [November 17, 2021, 9:32am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/introducing-permanently-delete-post-functionality/207109/1 "2021-11-17T09:32:17Z")
When a post is deleted in Discourse, we perform a soft-delete. This means that post is still present in the database in case an administrator wants to recover it later. A soft-delete is not sufficient when the deleted post contains sensitive information and must be pruned from the database completely. For those situations, we are introducing the ability to permanently delete a post.
To use this feature, enable the `can permanently delete` setting. However, please be aware of the risks involved with this feature — as the setting name suggests, **if you permanently delete a topic, post, or post revisions, there is no way to restore this content.** As such, there are a few safeguards in place:
- When you enable the `can permanently delete` setting, we present a modal that asks for your explicit confirmation that you understand the risks:
- After initially deleting a topic (which is “soft delete” that can be reversed via the Un-Delete Topic button), you must wait 5 minutes before you can initiate a permanent deletion via the Permanently delete button. If you need to move faster, another admin can complete the permanent deletion immediately.
- After those 5 minutes have passed or if another admin is helping out, when you click the Permanently delete button we will present an additional confirmation modal that you must complete before proceeding:
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### Author:  [@JammyDodger](https://meta.discourse.org/u/JammyDodger)
#### Post date: [January 22, 2024, 7:25pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/introducing-permanently-delete-post-functionality/207109/29 "2024-01-22T19:25:08Z")
A post was split to a new topic: [Introduce a way to also permanently delete the sensitive info from the staff logs](https://meta.discourse.org/t/introduce-a-way-to-also-permanently-delete-the-sensitive-info-from-the-staff-logs/292546)
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### Author:  [@JammyDodger](https://meta.discourse.org/u/JammyDodger)
#### Post date: [January 22, 2024, 7:24pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/introducing-permanently-delete-post-functionality/207109/30 "2024-01-22T19:24:01Z")
14 posts were split to a new topic: [Where is the option to permanently delete?](https://meta.discourse.org/t/where-is-the-option-to-permanently-delete/292545)
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### Author:  [@JammyDodger](https://meta.discourse.org/u/JammyDodger)
#### Post date: [January 22, 2024, 7:26pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/introducing-permanently-delete-post-functionality/207109/31 "2024-01-22T19:26:07Z")
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### Author:  [@JammyDodger](https://meta.discourse.org/u/JammyDodger)
#### Post date: [January 22, 2024, 7:33pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/introducing-permanently-delete-post-functionality/207109/32 "2024-01-22T19:33:32Z")
A small update on the functionality of this feature…
You can now also permanently delete post revisions when this setting is enabled. 🥳
This can be done from the Revision History by first hiding the revision, and then the option to ‘Delete revisions’ appears:
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### Author:  [@lindsey](https://meta.discourse.org/u/lindsey)
#### Post date: [April 22, 2026, 2:10pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/introducing-permanently-delete-post-functionality/207109/33 "2026-04-22T14:10:01Z")
We have updated this feature to make the `can permanently delete` setting visible to admins. This means you no longer need to contact the Discourse team or use the console to manage this setting.
However, we have added a few additional safeguards to make sure admins are completely aware of the risks of this feature:
- When you enable the `can permanently delete` setting, we present a modal that asks for your explicit confirmation that you understand the risks:
- After initially deleting a topic (which is “soft delete” that can be reversed via the Un-Delete Topic button), if you initiate the permanent deletion (i.e. click the Permanently delete button), we’ll present an additional confirmation modal that you must complete before proceeding:
**Note:** If the same admin is performing the soft delete and permanent delete, they still must wait 5 minutes between these actions.