This guide explains how use the
[`delete()`](https://developers.google.com/workspace/chat/api/reference/rpc/google.chat.v1#google.chat.v1.ChatService.DeleteSpace)
method on the `Space` resource of the Google Chat API to delete a named space when
it's no longer needed. Deleting a space also deletes everything that it
contains, including messages and attachments.

If you're a Google Workspace administrator, you can call the `delete()`
method to delete any named space in your Google Workspace organization.

The
[`Space` resource](https://developers.google.com/workspace/chat/api/reference/rest/v1/spaces)
represents a place where people and Chat apps can send messages,
share files, and collaborate. There are several types of spaces:

- Direct messages (DMs) are conversations between two users or a user and a Chat app.
- Group chats are conversations between three or more users and Chat apps.
- Named spaces are persistent places where people send messages, share files, and collaborate.

## Prerequisites


### Node.js

- A Business or Enterprise [Google Workspace](https://support.google.com/a/answer/6043576) account with access to [Google Chat](https://workspace.google.com/products/chat/).

<!-- -->

- Set up your environment:
  - [Create a Google Cloud project](https://developers.google.com/workspace/guides/create-project).
  - [Configure the OAuth consent screen](https://developers.google.com/workspace/guides/configure-oauth-consent).
  - [Enable and configure the Google Chat API](https://developers.google.com/workspace/chat/configure-chat-api) with a name, icon, and description for your Chat app.
  - Install the Node.js [Cloud Client Library](https://developers.google.com/workspace/chat/libraries?tab=nodejs#cloud-client-libraries).
  - [Create OAuth client ID credentials](https://developers.google.com/workspace/chat/authenticate-authorize-chat-user#step-2:) for a desktop application. To run the sample in this guide, save the credentials as a JSON file named `credentials.json` to your local directory.

  For guidance, complete the steps for setting up your environment in this [quickstart](https://developers.google.com/workspace/chat/api/guides/quickstart/nodejs
  #set-up-environment).
- [Choose an authorization scope](https://developers.google.com/workspace/chat/authenticate-authorize#asynchronous-chat-calls) that supports user authentication.

<!-- -->

- A Google Chat space. To create one using the Google Chat API, see [Create a space](https://developers.google.com/workspace/chat/create-spaces). To create one in Chat, visit the [Help Center documentation](https://support.google.com/chat/answer/12176488).


> [!NOTE]
> The code samples in this page use the gRPC API interface with the Google Cloud client libraries. Alternatively, you can use the REST API interface. For more information about the gRPC and REST interfaces, see [Google Chat API overview](https://developers.google.com/workspace/chat/api/reference).

<br />

## Delete a named space as a user

To delete an existing space in Google Chat with
[user authentication](https://developers.google.com/workspace/chat/authenticate-authorize-chat-user), pass
the following in your request:

- Specify the `chat.delete` authorization scope.
- Call the [`DeleteSpace()`](https://developers.google.com/workspace/chat/api/reference/rpc/google.chat.v1#google.chat.v1.ChatService.DeleteSpace) method.
- Pass the `name` of the space to delete.

Here's how to delete a space:

### Node.js

chat/client-libraries/cloud/delete-space-user-cred.js [View on GitHub](https://github.com/googleworkspace/node-samples/blob/main/chat/client-libraries/cloud/delete-space-user-cred.js)

```javascript
import {createClientWithUserCredentials} from './authentication-utils.js';

const USER_AUTH_OAUTH_SCOPES = ['https://www.googleapis.com/auth/chat.delete'];

// This sample shows how to delete a space with user credential
async function main() {
  // Create a client
  const chatClient = await createClientWithUserCredentials(
    USER_AUTH_OAUTH_SCOPES,
  );

  // Initialize request argument(s)
  const request = {
    // Replace SPACE_NAME here
    name: 'spaces/SPACE_NAME',
  };

  // Make the request
  const response = await chatClient.deleteSpace(request);

  // Handle the response
  console.log(response);
}

await main();
```

To run this sample, replace `SPACE_NAME` with the ID from
the space's
[`name`](https://developers.google.com/workspace/chat/api/reference/rpc/google.chat.v1#google.chat.v1.Space.FIELDS.string.google.chat.v1.Space.name)
field. You can obtain the ID by calling the
[`ListSpaces()`](https://developers.google.com/workspace/chat/api/reference/rpc/google.chat.v1#google.chat.v1.ChatService.ListSpaces)
method or from the space's URL.

## Delete a named space as a Chat app

App authentication requires one-time
[administrator approval](https://developers.google.com/workspace/chat/authenticate-authorize-chat-app#admin-approval).

With app authentication, you can only delete spaces created by
Chat apps.

To delete an existing space in Google Chat with
[app authentication](https://developers.google.com/workspace/chat/authenticate-authorize-chat-app), pass
the following in your request:

- Specify the `chat.app.delete` authorization scope.
- Call the [`delete` method](https://developers.google.com/workspace/chat/api/reference/rest/v1/spaces/delete) on the [`Space` resource](https://developers.google.com/workspace/chat/api/reference/rest/v1/spaces).
- Pass the `name` of the space to delete.

### Write a script that calls Chat API

Here's how to delete a space:

### Python

1. In your working directory, create a file named `chat_space_delete_app.py`.
2. Include the following code in `chat_space_delete_app.py`:

       from google.oauth2 import service_account
       from apiclient.discovery import build

       # Define your app's authorization scopes.
       # When modifying these scopes, delete the file token.json, if it exists.
       SCOPES = ["https://www.googleapis.com/auth/chat.app.delete"]

       def main():
           '''
           Authenticates with Chat API using app authentication,
           then deletes the specified space.
           '''

           # Specify service account details.
           creds = (
               service_account.Credentials.from_service_account_file('credentials.json')
               .with_scopes(SCOPES)
           )

           # Build a service endpoint for Chat API.
           chat = build('chat', 'v1', credentials=creds)

           # Use the service endpoint to call Chat API.
           result = chat.spaces().delete(

                 # The space to delete.
                 #
                 # Replace SPACE with a space name.
                 # Obtain the space name from the spaces resource of Chat API,
                 # or from a space's URL.
                 name='spaces/SPACE'

             ).execute()

           # Print Chat API's response in your command line interface.
           # When deleting a space, the response body is empty.
           print(result)

       if __name__ == '__main__':
           main()

3. In the code, replace the following:

   - `SPACE` with the space name, which you can obtain from the [`spaces.list` method](https://developers.google.com/workspace/chat/api/reference/rest/v1/spaces/list) in the Chat API, or from a space's URL.
4. In your working directory, build and run the sample:

       python3 chat_space_delete_app.py

If successful, the response body is empty, which indicates that the space is
deleted.

## Delete a named space as a Google Workspace administrator

If you're a Google Workspace administrator, you can call the
`DeleteSpace()` method to delete any named space in your
Google Workspace organization.

To call this method as a Google Workspace administrator, do the following:

- Call the method using user authentication, and specify an [authorization scope](https://developers.google.com/workspace/chat/authenticate-authorize#asynchronous-chat-calls) that supports calling the method using [administrator privileges](https://developers.google.com/workspace/chat/authenticate-authorize-chat-user#admin-privileges).
- In your request, specify the query parameter `useAdminAccess` to `true`.

For more information and examples, see
[Manage Google Chat spaces as a Google Workspace administrator](https://developers.google.com/workspace/chat/admin-overview).

## Related topics

- [Create a space](https://developers.google.com/workspace/chat/create-spaces)
- [Get details about a space](https://developers.google.com/workspace/chat/get-spaces).
- [List spaces](https://developers.google.com/workspace/chat/list-spaces).
- [Update a space](https://developers.google.com/workspace/chat/update-spaces).
- [Delete a space](https://developers.google.com/workspace/chat/delete-spaces).
- [Set up a space](https://developers.google.com/workspace/chat/set-up-spaces).
- [Find a direct message space](https://developers.google.com/workspace/chat/find-direct-message-in-spaces).