# Delete by query api - ClusterBlockException\[blocked by: \[FORBIDDEN/8/index write (api)\];\] status": 403 **URL:** \ **Category:** Elasticsearch\ **Created:** [December 4, 2014, 1:54pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/delete-by-query-api-clusterblockexception-blocked-by-forbidden-8-index-write-api-status-403/21082 "2014-12-04T13:54:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![pmiles\_mail](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9de053/32.png) [@pmiles\_mail](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/pmiles_mail)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2014, 1:54pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/delete-by-query-api-clusterblockexception-blocked-by-forbidden-8-index-write-api-status-403/21082/1 "2014-12-04T13:54:01Z")
Hi, I'm trying to delete data by query from our elastic search cluster. If i run the delete on the current active index it works fine. However if i try to run the delete against an older index ( which is still open ) I get an exception. { "error": "ClusterBlockException[blocked by: [FORBIDDEN/8/index write (api)];]", "status": 403 } The query is [http://1.2.3.4:9200/graylog2\_102/message/\_query](http://1.2.3.4:9200/graylog2_102/message/_query) { "size": 3, "query": { "match": {"message": "apples"} }} Can you advise on how to delete these specifc 'apple' messages without deleting the whole index ? Thanks Paul. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "elasticsearch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [elasticsearch+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com](mailto:elasticsearch+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com). To view this discussion on the web visit [https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/elasticsearch/e1807c73-3edd-4a86-b419-2197a0d95e30%40googlegroups.com](https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/elasticsearch/e1807c73-3edd-4a86-b419-2197a0d95e30%40googlegroups.com). For more options, visit [https://groups.google.com/d/optout](https://groups.google.com/d/optout). ---
**Author:** ![pmiles\_mail](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9de053/32.png) [@pmiles\_mail](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/pmiles_mail)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2014, 9:55am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/delete-by-query-api-clusterblockexception-blocked-by-forbidden-8-index-write-api-status-403/21082/2 "2014-12-08T09:55:59Z")
Does anyone have any experience of this problem ? -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "elasticsearch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [elasticsearch+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com](mailto:elasticsearch+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com). To view this discussion on the web visit [https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/elasticsearch/70d27670-a9f3-43a5-b6ab-2f0c93e2b5ba%40googlegroups.com](https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/elasticsearch/70d27670-a9f3-43a5-b6ab-2f0c93e2b5ba%40googlegroups.com). For more options, visit [https://groups.google.com/d/optout](https://groups.google.com/d/optout). ---
**Author:** ![pmiles\_mail](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9de053/32.png) [@pmiles\_mail](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/pmiles_mail)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2014, 4:21pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/delete-by-query-api-clusterblockexception-blocked-by-forbidden-8-index-write-api-status-403/21082/3 "2014-12-09T16:21:48Z")
Bump... Anyone ? -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "elasticsearch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [elasticsearch+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com](mailto:elasticsearch+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com). To view this discussion on the web visit [https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/elasticsearch/53b9506b-78c9-4219-b46b-86b4125a42ae%40googlegroups.com](https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/elasticsearch/53b9506b-78c9-4219-b46b-86b4125a42ae%40googlegroups.com). For more options, visit [https://groups.google.com/d/optout](https://groups.google.com/d/optout). ---
**Author:** ![magicalbob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@magicalbob](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/magicalbob)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2015, 9:12am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/delete-by-query-api-clusterblockexception-blocked-by-forbidden-8-index-write-api-status-403/21082/4 "2015-12-09T09:12:53Z")
Did you get an answer to this? I've just had the same {"error":"ClusterBlockException[blocked by: [FORBIDDEN/8/index write (api)];]","status":403} response ..... ---
**Author:** ![n4nagappan](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/n4nagappan/32/6687_2.png) [@n4nagappan](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/n4nagappan)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2015, 7:44am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/delete-by-query-api-clusterblockexception-blocked-by-forbidden-8-index-write-api-status-403/21082/5 "2015-12-17T07:44:00Z")
Came across the same issue. Any solution yet ? Request to Elasticsearch failed: "ClusterBlockException[blocked by: [FORBIDDEN/8/index write (api)];]" ---
**Author:** ![n4nagappan](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/n4nagappan/32/6687_2.png) [@n4nagappan](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/n4nagappan)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2015, 8:09am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/delete-by-query-api-clusterblockexception-blocked-by-forbidden-8-index-write-api-status-403/21082/6 "2015-12-17T08:09:38Z")
The reason for this in my case was that the ES machine ran out of space. I had to increase disk space. Hope that helps. ---
**Author:** ![Khalid\_Al\_Mahmud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/73ab20/32.png) [@Khalid\_Al\_Mahmud](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Khalid_Al_Mahmud)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2017, 12:49am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/delete-by-query-api-clusterblockexception-blocked-by-forbidden-8-index-write-api-status-403/21082/7 "2017-03-10T00:49:00Z")
Yap, Check your free space ---
**Author:** ![deerawan](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/deerawan/32/14676_2.png) [@deerawan](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/deerawan)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2017, 4:19am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/delete-by-query-api-clusterblockexception-blocked-by-forbidden-8-index-write-api-status-403/21082/8 "2017-04-26T04:19:04Z")
I also got same issue but my disk still have a lot free storage space. wondering why it can happen. ---
**Author:** ![mukesh2802](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3ab097/32.png) [@mukesh2802](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/mukesh2802)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2017, 3:48am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/delete-by-query-api-clusterblockexception-blocked-by-forbidden-8-index-write-api-status-403/21082/9 "2017-04-28T03:48:42Z")
Having the same issue , could someone help to find the root cause ? ---
**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/original/3X/1/a/1ac57faf039f6b580b3f104ef42a2a89e41014de.png) [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2017, 10:00pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/delete-by-query-api-clusterblockexception-blocked-by-forbidden-8-index-write-api-status-403/21082/10 "2017-07-05T22:00:51Z")