# How to Delete (Hard Delete) document from Elasticsearch Disk?
**URL:** https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-delete-hard-delete-document-from-elasticsearch-disk/158351
**Category:** Elasticsearch
**Created:** [November 27, 2018, 1:45pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-delete-hard-delete-document-from-elasticsearch-disk/158351 "2018-11-27T13:45:37Z")
**Posts on this page:** 12
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@HARSHAL\_CHAUDHARI](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/HARSHAL_CHAUDHARI)
#### Post date: [November 27, 2018, 1:45pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-delete-hard-delete-document-from-elasticsearch-disk/158351/1 "2018-11-27T13:45:37Z")
Hi,
I am trying to delete a document from elastic search (using .Net NEST library), but a document is not deleted from a segment, just marked as deleted. (does not free the disk space.)
Could you please let us know **how to delete a document** from elastic search **disk** and in other words **how to free the disk space**.
Thanks in advance.
Regards
Harshal
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### Author:  [@Christian\_Dahlqvist](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Christian_Dahlqvist)
#### Post date: [November 27, 2018, 1:51pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-delete-hard-delete-document-from-elasticsearch-disk/158351/2 "2018-11-27T13:51:18Z")
Perform the delete and then run a [force merge](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/6.5/indices-forcemerge.html) with `max_num_segments` set to 1 or the `only_expunge_deletes` parameter. Be aware that this is an expensive operation in terms of processing and disk I/O.
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### Author:  [@HARSHAL\_CHAUDHARI](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/HARSHAL_CHAUDHARI)
#### Post date: [November 27, 2018, 2:15pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-delete-hard-delete-document-from-elasticsearch-disk/158351/3 "2018-11-27T14:15:27Z")
I have deleted the existing all index and document and now i want to free the space from Elastic search, Please let me know how i can.
Thank you!, I will try above fix.
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### Author:  [@HARSHAL\_CHAUDHARI](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/HARSHAL_CHAUDHARI)
#### Post date: [November 28, 2018, 3:45pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-delete-hard-delete-document-from-elasticsearch-disk/158351/4 "2018-11-28T15:45:03Z")
> [@HARSHAL\_CHAUDHARI](#):
>
> I have deleted the existing all index and document and now i want to free the space from Elastic search, Please let me know how i can.
Could you please help us here, i have tried below
POST /kimchy/\_forcemerge?only\_expunge\_deletes=false&max\_num\_segments=100&flush=true
but no luck.
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### Author:  [@Christian\_Dahlqvist](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Christian_Dahlqvist)
#### Post date: [November 28, 2018, 3:49pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-delete-hard-delete-document-from-elasticsearch-disk/158351/5 "2018-11-28T15:49:39Z")
That is not what I recommended. Try `POST /indexname/_forcemerge?max_num_segments=1&flush=true` or `POST /indexname/_forcemerge?only_expunge_deletes=true`.
Be aware it is an expensive operation and can take some time to run.
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### Author:  [@HARSHAL\_CHAUDHARI](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/HARSHAL_CHAUDHARI)
#### Post date: [November 28, 2018, 3:53pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-delete-hard-delete-document-from-elasticsearch-disk/158351/6 "2018-11-28T15:53:28Z")
Thanks for quick response, let me try,
If i have already deleted the index in that case what I will do.
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### Author:  [@warkolm](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/warkolm)
#### Post date: [November 29, 2018, 1:49am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-delete-hard-delete-document-from-elasticsearch-disk/158351/7 "2018-11-29T01:49:40Z")
> [@HARSHAL\_CHAUDHARI](#):
>
> If i have already deleted the index in that case what I will do.
if you have deleted the index, you will not be able to run a force merge on i.
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### Author:  [@HARSHAL\_CHAUDHARI](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/HARSHAL_CHAUDHARI)
#### Post date: [November 30, 2018, 5:35am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-delete-hard-delete-document-from-elasticsearch-disk/158351/8 "2018-11-30T05:35:58Z")
Could you please let me know so how i can free the disk space for same.
Thanks again for response.
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### Author:  [@Christian\_Dahlqvist](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Christian_Dahlqvist)
#### Post date: [November 30, 2018, 5:39am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-delete-hard-delete-document-from-elasticsearch-disk/158351/9 "2018-11-30T05:39:46Z")
If you have deleted the index the disk space has been freed, hasn’t it? I am not sure I understand the question.
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### Author:  [@HARSHAL\_CHAUDHARI](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/HARSHAL_CHAUDHARI)
#### Post date: [November 30, 2018, 6:37am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-delete-hard-delete-document-from-elasticsearch-disk/158351/10 "2018-11-30T06:37:16Z")
Hi Christian,
I am using Cerebro tool (Please see below screen 1)
Note: In below screen there is no any index exist, still showing the disk utilization.
For reference (Screen 2)
Please guide me how i can free up the disk space.
Thank You!
Regards
Harshal Chaudhari
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### Author:  [@Christian\_Dahlqvist](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Christian_Dahlqvist)
#### Post date: [November 30, 2018, 6:38am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-delete-hard-delete-document-from-elasticsearch-disk/158351/11 "2018-11-30T06:38:55Z")
When Elasticsearch deletes an index the data files are removed. If you log into the box, what is taking up space? How large was the index you deleted?
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### Author:  [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)
#### Post date: [December 28, 2018, 6:38am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-delete-hard-delete-document-from-elasticsearch-disk/158351/12 "2018-12-28T06:38:59Z")
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