# Delete a contact (v1)

> DELETE /api/v1/chatbots/:chatbotId/contacts/:contactId — permanently delete a contact by external id. Returns the deleted record.

## DELETE /api/v1/chatbots/:chatbotId/contacts/:contactId

Permanently delete a contact, addressed by its `external_id`. The deleted record is echoed back in `data` so you can confirm what was removed.

> **IRREVERSIBLE:** Deleting a contact removes it and its custom-attribute values for the agent. There is no undo.

| Param | In | Type | Notes |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| chatbotId | path | integer | The agent id. |
| contactId | path | string | The contact's `external_id`. |

```bash
curl -X DELETE https://app.bookbag.ai/api/v1/chatbots/123/contacts/user_8821 \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $BOOKBAG_API_KEY"
```

## Status codes

| Status | Meaning |
| --- | --- |
| 200 | Deleted; the removed record is returned. |
| 401 | Missing or invalid key. |
| 404 | Unknown chatbot/contact. Body: `{ message: "Resource not found" }`. |

See [Errors](/docs/api/errors).