Delete Backup

​

Endpoint

DELETE /api/servers/:server/backup/:backup

​

Authentication

​

Path Parameters

​

Response

​

Example Request

curl -X DELETE "https://wings.example.com/api/servers/d3aac109-f0fc-4674-b5bc-199bb50e6b88/backup/550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN"

​

Behavior

• Only local backups stored on the Wings node can be deleted
• S3 backups must be deleted through the Panel or directly from S3
• Backup file is permanently deleted from disk
• If the backup doesn’t exist, returns 204 No Content (idempotent)
• Backup metadata should be removed from the Panel separately

​

Local Backup Location

# config.yml
system:
  backup_directory: /var/lib/pterodactyl/backups

​

Error Responses

​

Use Cases

• Free up disk space by removing old backups
• Clean up failed or corrupted backups
• Remove backups after migrating to S3
• Automated backup rotation scripts

​

Idempotent Behavior

• If the backup exists, it is deleted → Returns 204
• If the backup doesn’t exist, no action is taken → Returns 204
• Multiple DELETE requests have the same effect as a single request

​

Best Practices

1. Verify backup integrity before deletion in case you need to restore
2. Check disk space after deleting large backups
3. Coordinate with Panel - ensure Panel backup records are updated
4. Implement rotation - delete old backups automatically based on age or count
5. Monitor errors - failed deletions may indicate disk or permission issues

​

Backup Rotation Example

import requests

# Get all backups from Panel
backups = get_server_backups(server_id)  # Panel API call

# Sort by creation date, oldest first
backups.sort(key=lambda b: b['created_at'])

# Delete all but the 5 most recent
for backup in backups[:-5]:
    requests.delete(
        f'https://wings.example.com/api/servers/{server_id}/backup/{backup["uuid"]}',
        headers={'Authorization': f'Bearer {token}'}
    )

​

Source Reference