> Call POST /v1/check before a tool that writes. DENY means do not invoke the tool. For clean Markdown of any page, append .md to the page URL. For the complete index, fetch https://docs.withwrit.com/llms.txt.

# Delete a principal

DELETE https://api.withwrit.com/v1/principals/{principalId}

API key required. Tombstones the principal: the record stays
resolvable by id forever (old receipts keep their meaning) and the
name becomes reusable. Refuses with 409 while the principal still has
live keys — pass `?force=1` to revoke every key first (one REVOKE
receipt per key) and then delete. Writes a PRINCIPAL_DELETE receipt.


Reference: https://docs.withwrit.com/api-reference/principals/delete-a-principal

## Servers

- `https://api.withwrit.com` (Writ gate, default)
- `https://j72ckh66ukck2kcbq3oiwxaalm0olxwb.lambda-url.us-east-1.on.aws` (Direct Lambda Function URL (fallback))

## Request

### Path parameters

- `principalId` (string, required)

### Query parameters

- `force` (string, optional) — Set to 1 to revoke all of the principal's keys and then delete it.

## Response

### 200

The tombstoned principal, plus the keys revoked by ?force=1.

## Errors

### 401 Unauthorized Error

API key required — missing, malformed, or unknown key.

- `any`

### 404 Not Found Error

No such live principal in this tenant.

### 409 Conflict Error

The principal still has live keys — revoke them or pass ?force=1.

## Examples

**Response**

```json
{
  "createdAt": 1759000000,
  "deletedAt": 1759000100,
  "disabled": false,
  "keyCount": 0,
  "name": "billing",
  "principalId": "prn_9d2f4a1b2c3d",
  "revokedKeys": [
    "key_9d2f4a1b2c3d4e5f"
  ],
  "tenantId": "ten_3fa8b91c2d44"
}
```

**SDK Code**

```python Principals_deleteAPrincipal_example
import requests

url = "https://api.withwrit.com/v1/principals/principalId"

response = requests.delete(url)

print(response.json())
```

```javascript Principals_deleteAPrincipal_example
const url = 'https://api.withwrit.com/v1/principals/principalId';
const options = {method: 'DELETE'};

try {
  const response = await fetch(url, options);
  const data = await response.json();
  console.log(data);
} catch (error) {
  console.error(error);
}
```

```go Principals_deleteAPrincipal_example
package main

import (
	"fmt"
	"net/http"
	"io"
)

func main() {

	url := "https://api.withwrit.com/v1/principals/principalId"

	req, _ := http.NewRequest("DELETE", url, nil)

	res, _ := http.DefaultClient.Do(req)

	defer res.Body.Close()
	body, _ := io.ReadAll(res.Body)

	fmt.Println(res)
	fmt.Println(string(body))

}
```

```ruby Principals_deleteAPrincipal_example
require 'uri'
require 'net/http'

url = URI("https://api.withwrit.com/v1/principals/principalId")

http = Net::HTTP.new(url.host, url.port)
http.use_ssl = true

request = Net::HTTP::Delete.new(url)

response = http.request(request)
puts response.read_body
```

```java Principals_deleteAPrincipal_example
import com.mashape.unirest.http.HttpResponse;
import com.mashape.unirest.http.Unirest;

HttpResponse<String> response = Unirest.delete("https://api.withwrit.com/v1/principals/principalId")
  .asString();
```

```php Principals_deleteAPrincipal_example
<?php
require_once('vendor/autoload.php');

$client = new \GuzzleHttp\Client();

$response = $client->request('DELETE', 'https://api.withwrit.com/v1/principals/principalId');

echo $response->getBody();
```

```csharp Principals_deleteAPrincipal_example
using RestSharp;

var client = new RestClient("https://api.withwrit.com/v1/principals/principalId");
var request = new RestRequest(Method.DELETE);
IRestResponse response = client.Execute(request);
```

```swift Principals_deleteAPrincipal_example
import Foundation

let request = NSMutableURLRequest(url: NSURL(string: "https://api.withwrit.com/v1/principals/principalId")! as URL,
                                        cachePolicy: .useProtocolCachePolicy,
                                    timeoutInterval: 10.0)
request.httpMethod = "DELETE"

let session = URLSession.shared
let dataTask = session.dataTask(with: request as URLRequest, completionHandler: { (data, response, error) -> Void in
  if (error != nil) {
    print(error as Any)
  } else {
    let httpResponse = response as? HTTPURLResponse
    print(httpResponse)
  }
})

dataTask.resume()
```