# Delete and restore mail

Move messages or conversations to Trash and restore them within seven days, delete drafts or an inbox for good, or request account deletion.

Source: https://cherami.to/docs/guides/deletion



## Delete one message [#delete-one-message]

Use `delete_message` for received mail or `delete_sent_message` for a sent copy; over HTTP, `DELETE /v1/messages/MESSAGE_ID` or `DELETE /v1/sent/MESSAGE_ID`. Both return `202`. The message and its attachments move to Trash and leave listings and search, and you can [restore it](#restore-from-trash) for seven days. Other messages in its conversation are untouched.

## Delete a conversation [#delete-a-conversation]

Use `delete_thread` with the `thread_id`, or `DELETE /v1/threads/THREAD_ID`. Every message in the conversation moves to Trash, received and sent, with its attachments; you don't need to collect the message IDs first. It returns `202` with how many received and sent messages moved to Trash. [Thread deletion response](https://cherami.to/docs/api/threads/delete-thread).

## Restore from Trash [#restore-from-trash]

List an inbox's Trash with `list_trash` or `GET /v1/inboxes/INBOX_ID/trash`, most recently deleted first. Each entry has its `kind` (`received` or `sent`), subject, sender or recipients, `deleted_at` and `restorable_until`.

Restore a received message with `restore_message` or `POST /v1/messages/MESSAGE_ID/restore`, and a sent copy with `restore_sent_message` or `POST /v1/sent/MESSAGE_ID/restore`. It returns to its listings, search and conversation, with its labels. A deleted conversation appears in Trash as its separate messages; restoring them brings the conversation back together.

After `restorable_until`, or once its inbox is deleted, the message is gone and restoring returns `404`. [Trash reference](https://cherami.to/docs/api/trash).

## Delete a draft [#delete-a-draft]

Use `delete_draft` or `DELETE /v1/drafts/DRAFT_ID`. The draft and its attachments are deleted for good; drafts don't go to Trash. If you already sent the draft, its sent copy stays: delete that separately.

## Delete an entire inbox [#delete-an-entire-inbox]

Deleting an inbox is final. Its mail, drafts, sent copies, attachments and conversations are gone, nothing goes to Trash, and the address is retired for good, including for you: mail sent to it no longer arrives. Deleting frees its slot, but if a slot is all you need, [ask for another one](https://cherami.to/docs/guides/support#ask-for-the-capacity-your-work-needs) and keep the address.

Delete it from [Account → Inboxes](https://cherami.to/account/inboxes), or with `delete_inbox` or `DELETE /v1/inboxes/INBOX_ID`. An agent should confirm the exact address with the operator first.

```sh
curl --fail-with-body --silent --show-error --request DELETE \
  "https://cherami.to/v1/inboxes/$INBOX_ID" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $CHERAMI_API_KEY"
```

It returns `202`.

## Request account deletion [#request-account-deletion]

Only the account owner can request this: choose **Request account deletion** in [Account → Settings](https://cherami.to/account/settings), or email [hello@cherami.to](mailto:hello@cherami.to) naming the account or one of its inboxes. Deleting the account removes its inboxes, their mail and its API keys, and retires the addresses for good. We delete the account within 30 days, and it keeps working until then.

## Retention and data location [#retention-and-data-location]

Mail you keep has no expiry date, and we don't guarantee it stays in a particular region. If you need mail to expire automatically or to stay in one region, email [hello@cherami.to](mailto:hello@cherami.to) and tell us what you need. The [privacy policy](https://cherami.to/privacy) covers how we store mail.

[Inbox API](https://cherami.to/docs/api/inboxes) · [Message deletion responses](https://cherami.to/docs/api/messages/delete-message) · [Trash API](https://cherami.to/docs/api/trash)