> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.didit.me/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Purge Biometric Template > DELETE /v3/biometric-templates/{template_uuid}/ — purge one retained face biometric template: removed from matching, stored template deleted. Idempotent. Purges one template: it is removed from every kind of matching and the stored template is deleted. The purge is irreversible and is recorded on the audit trail with the acting principal. ```bash theme={null} curl -X DELETE https://verification.didit.me/v3/biometric-templates/9d2f4b6e-1c3a-4e8f-b7d5-0a1c2e3f4a5b/ \ -H "x-api-key: YOUR_API_KEY" ``` ```json theme={null} { "uuid": "9d2f4b6e-1c3a-4e8f-b7d5-0a1c2e3f4a5b", "outcome": "purged" } ``` | `outcome` | Meaning | | ---------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------- | | `purged` | The template was purged by this call. | | `already_purged` | The template had already been purged. Repeating a purge is safe. | ## Retry semantics Didit deletes the stored template first and only then marks the template purged. If a biometric store is unavailable the call returns `503`, the template moves to `status: purge_failed`, and it is already excluded from matching. Repeat the same call to finish the purge. ## Errors | Status | When | Body | | ------ | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | `403` | Console user token, or the API key is not allowed | `{"detail": "You do not have permission to perform this action."}` | | `404` | Unknown template or a template of another application | `{"detail": "Biometric template not found."}` | | `503` | A biometric store was unavailable. The template is in `purge_failed` and excluded from matching; repeat the call. | `{"detail": "The biometric-template operation could not finish because an external store is unavailable. The operation is retryable."}` | ## Other purge points Templates are also purged when you delete the owning User with [Batch Delete Users](/management-api/users/delete), when you delete any session of that User with `deletion_instruction: "privacy_erasure"`, and automatically at `expires_at`. See [Purge points](/management-api/biometric-templates/overview#purge-points). ## OpenAPI ````yaml DELETE /v3/biometric-templates/{template_uuid}/ openapi: 3.0.0 info: version: 3.0.0 title: Didit Verification API description: Identity verification API. Authenticate with x-api-key header. servers: - url: https://verification.didit.me security: [] tags: [] paths: /v3/biometric-templates/{template_uuid}/: delete: tags: - Biometric Templates summary: Purge a retained biometric template description: >- An opted-in application keeps one separately managed, image-free face biometric template anchored to the User when a session is deleted (see `DELETE /v3/session/{sessionId}/delete/`). Templates are biometric data with a finite `expires_at`; they never contain images, session data, or identity fields, and they are purged on User deletion, privacy erasure, expiry, or an explicit purge. These endpoints accept application API keys (`x-api-key`) only; Business Console user tokens are rejected with `403`. Purges one template: it is removed from every kind of matching and the stored template is deleted. Irreversible and recorded on the audit trail with the acting principal. **Retry semantics:** Didit deletes the stored template first and only then marks the template purged. If a biometric store is unavailable the call returns `503`, the template moves to `status: purge_failed` and is already excluded from matching; repeat the same call to finish. Repeating a purge of an already purged template returns `already_purged`. Templates are also purged by `POST /v3/users/delete/` for the owning User, by any deletion of that User's sessions with `deletion_instruction: privacy_erasure`, and automatically at `expires_at`. operationId: purge_biometric_template parameters: - in: path name: template_uuid required: true description: >- Template id, as returned in `biometric_template_uuid` by the session deletion endpoints, `biometric_template_id` on a Face Search match, or the list endpoint. schema: type: string format: uuid example: 9d2f4b6e-1c3a-4e8f-b7d5-0a1c2e3f4a5b responses: '200': description: Purge outcome. content: application/json: schema: type: object properties: uuid: type: string format: uuid outcome: type: string enum: - purged - already_purged examples: Purged: value: uuid: 9d2f4b6e-1c3a-4e8f-b7d5-0a1c2e3f4a5b outcome: purged Already purged: value: uuid: 9d2f4b6e-1c3a-4e8f-b7d5-0a1c2e3f4a5b outcome: already_purged '403': description: >- Console user token, or the API key is not allowed. These endpoints accept application API keys only. content: application/json: examples: Forbidden: value: detail: You do not have permission to perform this action. '404': description: >- Unknown template, a template of another application, or (on `GET`) a purged template. content: application/json: examples: Not found: value: detail: Biometric template not found. '503': description: >- A biometric store was unavailable while retaining or purging a biometric template. Nothing is deleted; repeat the same request. Retries are idempotent and converge on a single template. content: application/json: schema: type: object properties: detail: type: string examples: Retryable: value: detail: >- The biometric-template operation could not finish because an external store is unavailable. The operation is retryable. security: - ApiKeyAuth: [] x-codeSamples: - lang: curl label: curl source: >- curl -X DELETE https://verification.didit.me/v3/biometric-templates/9d2f4b6e-1c3a-4e8f-b7d5-0a1c2e3f4a5b/ \ -H 'x-api-key: YOUR_API_KEY' components: securitySchemes: ApiKeyAuth: type: apiKey in: header name: x-api-key ````