destroy

destroy

A destroy action on a store resource. Removes a record from the database. Destroy actions can be declared as named actions or included in the defaults shorthand. Compiles to an Ash Framework destroy action at runtime.

When to use

Use destroy when you need to:

• Permanently delete a record from a store resource
• Remove records as part of a machine’s workflow (e.g., cleanup, expiration)
• Allow governed deletion with policy checks

For most resources, defaults: [destroy] is sufficient. Define a named destroy action when you need custom logic, such as soft-delete behavior or cascade restrictions.

Syntax

Using defaults shorthand

resource <resource_name>
  defaults: [destroy]

Named destroy action

resource <resource_name>
  destroy <action_name>

Parameters

Parameter	Required	Description
action_name	Yes (for named actions)	Bare identifier naming this action. If using defaults: [destroy], the action is named destroy automatically.

Examples

Standard destroy via defaults

resource session
  id as uuid, is primary_key
  user_id as uuid, is required
  expires_at as datetime
  timestamps

  defaults: [read, destroy]

Named destroy action

resource document
  id as uuid, is primary_key
  title as text, is required
  archived as boolean, default: false
  timestamps

  destroy remove

Resource with policy-gated deletion

resource project
  id as uuid, is primary_key
  name as text, is required
  owner_id as uuid, is required
  timestamps

  destroy delete_project

  policy action_type(destroy)
    authorize_if actor_attribute(role, "admin")
    forbid_if always()

Only actors with the "admin" role can delete projects. All other actors are forbidden.

Governance

Destroy actions are governed effects. When a machine executes a destroy action:

1. The governance interpreter checks the db capability
2. The action is subject to any policy blocks on the resource
3. The deletion is recorded in the behavioral ledger with the record identifier and action name
4. The machine’s ensures > permissions section can restrict or require approval for deletions

Destroy is the most consequential data action. Consider using policies to restrict who can delete records, and consider soft-delete patterns (an archived boolean field with an update action) for data that should be recoverable.

Translations

Language	Keyword
English	destroy
Spanish	destruir
French	supprimer
German	loeschen
Japanese	削除
Chinese	销毁
Korean	삭제

See also

• resource - Resource declarations
• create - Create actions for inserting data
• read - Read actions for querying data
• update - Update actions for modifying records
• policy - Authorization policies on actions