yacy_search_server/help/IndexDeletion_p.md

page, help, title, package, access, kind, backend_java

page	help	title	package	access	kind	backend_java
htroot/IndexDeletion_p.html	help/IndexDeletion_p.md	Index Deletion	index-management	admin	admin-page	source/net/yacy/htroot/IndexDeletion_p.java

Index Deletion

Purpose

Index Deletion removes selected documents from the index.

Use it only with a clear query, host, collection, or URL scope.

What You Can Do Here

• Index Deletion removes selected documents from the index.
• Select the narrowest URL, host, field, query, queue, or collection scope.
• Treat deletion, rebuilding, and reloading as maintenance operations with visible search impact.

Page Architecture

Index pages expose stored documents through URL, host, path, Solr field, or queue views. Read-only inspection and destructive maintenance often share the same page, so the target scope matters more than the button label.

Control	Meaning	Values or examples
urldelete	Deletion or termination action. Use only with explicit intent.	URL or URL-derived value; use the exact format shown by the page.
urldelete-mm	Choice value. Options: subpath, regexp.	subpath, regexp
simulate-urldelete	Deletion or termination action. Use only with explicit intent.	Simulate Deletion
engage-urldelete	Deletion or termination action. Use only with explicit intent.	Engage Deletion
timedelete-number	Choice value. Options: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 14, 21, 24, 28, 30, 60, 90.	1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 14, 21, 24, 28, 30
timedelete-unit	Choice value. Options: year = years, month = months, day = days, hour = hours.	year = years, month = months, day = days, hour = hours
timedelete-source	Choice value. Options: loaddate, lastmodified.	loaddate, lastmodified
simulate-timedelete	Deletion or termination action. Use only with explicit intent.	Simulate Deletion
engage-timedelete	Deletion or termination action. Use only with explicit intent.	Engage Deletion
collectiondelete-mode	Choice value. Options: unassigned, assigned.	unassigned, assigned
collectiondelete	Deletion or termination action. Use only with explicit intent.	Text value; use the page label and surrounding context to choose the exact content.
simulate-collectiondelete	Deletion or termination action. Use only with explicit intent.	Simulate Deletion
engage-collectiondelete	Deletion or termination action. Use only with explicit intent.	Engage Deletion
querydelete	Deletion or termination action. Use only with explicit intent.	Text value; use the page label and surrounding context to choose the exact content.
simulate-querydelete	Deletion or termination action. Use only with explicit intent.	Simulate Deletion
engage-querydelete	Deletion or termination action. Use only with explicit intent.	Engage Deletion

Correct Use

Use inspection before maintenance. First identify the exact URL, host, field, queue, collection, or query scope, then choose the action. Deletion and re-indexing can be expensive or irreversible from the user's point of view, so never broaden the scope just to make a command easier.

Access And Safety

Administrator access is required. YaCy protects _p pages as administration pages.

Protected related endpoint(s): /IndexDeletion_p.html.

Backend checks: transaction token for protected POST, transaction token issued for forms.

Automation And API

Page backend: source/net/yacy/htroot/IndexDeletion_p.java.

Endpoint	Method	Access	Backend
/IndexDeletion_p.html	POST	admin	source/net/yacy/htroot/IndexDeletion_p.java

Parameter Guide

The table explains values that an agent or script must set deliberately. Parameters not relevant to a task should be omitted or left at the page default. Low-level generated parameters are omitted when they are only meaningful inside the rendered YaCy form.

Parameter	Meaning and valid values	Care
urldelete	Deletion or termination action. Use only with explicit intent.	Can remove data, stop work, expose access, or make a broad operational change. Use only with explicit confirmation and an exact target.
urldelete-mm	Choice value. Options: subpath, regexp.	Can remove data, stop work, expose access, or make a broad operational change. Use only with explicit confirmation and an exact target.
simulate-urldelete	Deletion or termination action. Use only with explicit intent.	Can remove data, stop work, expose access, or make a broad operational change. Use only with explicit confirmation and an exact target.
engage-urldelete	Deletion or termination action. Use only with explicit intent.	Can remove data, stop work, expose access, or make a broad operational change. Use only with explicit confirmation and an exact target.
timedelete-number	Choice value. Options: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 14, 21, 24, 28, 30, 60, 90.	Can remove data, stop work, expose access, or make a broad operational change. Use only with explicit confirmation and an exact target.
timedelete-unit	Choice value. Options: year = years, month = months, day = days, hour = hours.	Can remove data, stop work, expose access, or make a broad operational change. Use only with explicit confirmation and an exact target.
timedelete-source	Choice value. Options: loaddate, lastmodified.	Can remove data, stop work, expose access, or make a broad operational change. Use only with explicit confirmation and an exact target.
simulate-timedelete	Deletion or termination action. Use only with explicit intent.	Can remove data, stop work, expose access, or make a broad operational change. Use only with explicit confirmation and an exact target.
engage-timedelete	Deletion or termination action. Use only with explicit intent.	Can remove data, stop work, expose access, or make a broad operational change. Use only with explicit confirmation and an exact target.
collectiondelete-mode	Choice value. Options: unassigned, assigned.	Can remove data, stop work, expose access, or make a broad operational change. Use only with explicit confirmation and an exact target.
collectiondelete	Deletion or termination action. Use only with explicit intent.	Can remove data, stop work, expose access, or make a broad operational change. Use only with explicit confirmation and an exact target.
simulate-collectiondelete	Deletion or termination action. Use only with explicit intent.	Can remove data, stop work, expose access, or make a broad operational change. Use only with explicit confirmation and an exact target.
engage-collectiondelete	Deletion or termination action. Use only with explicit intent.	Can remove data, stop work, expose access, or make a broad operational change. Use only with explicit confirmation and an exact target.
querydelete	Deletion or termination action. Use only with explicit intent.	Can remove data, stop work, expose access, or make a broad operational change. Use only with explicit confirmation and an exact target.
simulate-querydelete	Deletion or termination action. Use only with explicit intent.	Can remove data, stop work, expose access, or make a broad operational change. Use only with explicit confirmation and an exact target.
engage-querydelete	Deletion or termination action. Use only with explicit intent.	Can remove data, stop work, expose access, or make a broad operational change. Use only with explicit confirmation and an exact target.
count	SRU-style result count. It is an alternative to maximumRecords on search endpoints.	Controls the scope or format of the result. Prefer the narrowest value that answers the request.

Example request shape:

POST /IndexDeletion_p.html
Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded

urldelete=...&urldelete-mm=...&simulate-urldelete=...&engage-urldelete=...&timedelete-number=...

What To Expect

The response should make the selected index scope clearer: records listed, queues changed, errors shown, fields rebuilt, or deletion confirmed. Verify user-visible impact with search after maintenance actions.

Related Pages

• IndexControlURLs_p.html