> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.narrative.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# DELETE
> Reference for the DELETE statement
The `DELETE` statement removes rows from a dataset. A `WHERE` clause restricts which rows are removed.
DELETE runs against datasets you own. To drop an entire dataset rather than delete rows, delete the dataset through the platform UI or API.
## Syntax
```sql theme={null}
DELETE FROM table_reference
[WHERE condition]
```
* The `WHERE` clause is optional. If omitted, **every row in the dataset is removed**. The dataset itself remains but is empty.
* The `WHERE` condition can reference any column on the target dataset and use any NQL [operators](/nql/operators) or [functions](/nql/functions/index).
* The `WHERE` condition can reference only the target dataset. Subqueries that read from another dataset (for example, `WHERE name IN (SELECT name FROM company_data."456")`) are not supported.
## Examples
**Delete a single row by key:**
```sql theme={null}
DELETE FROM company_data."123"
WHERE user_id = 42
```
**Delete rows matching a condition:**
```sql theme={null}
DELETE FROM company_data.pipeline_log
WHERE
status = 'stale'
AND created_at < CURRENT_TIMESTAMP - INTERVAL '90' DAY
```
**Delete rows with null required fields:**
```sql theme={null}
DELETE FROM company_data."123"
WHERE email IS NULL
```
## Execution context
DELETE statements can run in two places:
| Execution surface | When to use |
| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------- |
| NQL query endpoint | Ad-hoc deletes from an API client or Data Studio |
| [`ExecuteDml` workflow task](/guides/workflows/workflow-orchestration#supported-tasks) | Scheduled or event-driven deletes inside a workflow |
DELETE is irreversible. Running `DELETE FROM table_reference` without a `WHERE` clause empties the dataset. Run the equivalent `SELECT` with the same predicate first to confirm exactly which rows will be removed.
***
## Related content
Add rows to a dataset
Modify existing rows in a dataset
Preview rows before deleting
Run DML statements from a workflow