[role="xpack"]
[[watcher-api-delete-watch]]
=== Delete watch API
++++
<titleabbrev>Delete watch</titleabbrev>
++++

The delete watch API removes a watch from {watcher}.

[float]
==== Request

`DELETE _watcher/watch/<watch_id>`

[float]
==== Description

When the watch is removed, the document representing the watch in the `.watches`
index is gone and it will never be run again.

Please note that deleting a watch **does not** delete any watch execution records
related to this watch from the watch history.

IMPORTANT:  Deleting a watch must be done via this API only. Do not delete the
            watch directly from the `.watches` index using the Elasticsearch
            DELETE Document API. When {es} {security-features} are enabled, make
            sure no `write` privileges are granted to anyone over the `.watches`
            index.

[float]
==== Path Parameters

`watch_id` (required)::
  (string) Identifier for the watch.

[float]
==== Authorization

You must have `manage_watcher` cluster privileges to use this API. For more
information, see {xpack-ref}/security-privileges.html[Security Privileges].

[float]
==== Examples

The following example deletes a watch with the `my-watch` id:

[source,js]
--------------------------------------------------
DELETE _watcher/watch/my_watch
--------------------------------------------------
// CONSOLE
// TEST[setup:my_active_watch]

Response:

[source,js]
--------------------------------------------------
{
   "found": true,
   "_id": "my_watch",
   "_version": 2
}
--------------------------------------------------
// TESTRESPONSE