---
title: "Delete a node"
description: "Remove a node for good, choosing what happens to its public IP and any existing backups first."
content_type: "how-to"
product: "node"
platform: "MyAccount"
url: "/myaccount/node/how-to/delete-a-node/"
topic: ["power-and-lifecycle"]
---

# Delete a node

Deleting a node removes it, its data, and all of its snapshots for good. To keep a snapshot,
[create an image from it](/myaccount/node/how-to/create-an-image-from-a-snapshot/) first.

If Accidental Protection is on, turn it off first. **Delete Node** is greyed out while the node
is locked, in recovery mode, or in the middle of another change such
as reinstalling; see
[Delete Node is greyed out](/myaccount/node/troubleshooting/actions-and-lifecycle/#delete-node-is-greyed-out).

Open the node's **Actions** menu and click **Delete Node**. The confirmation warns you about
lost infra credit if the node is on a committed plan, and about the data and licenses you will
lose. Check the box to confirm you understand, and decide what happens to two things that can
outlive the node:

- Its public IP: an IP that is already reserved stays on your account. Otherwise, select
  **Reserve the node's IP**, when it is offered, to keep the address for a monthly charge. See
  [Reserve a node's public IP when you delete it](/myaccount/reserved-ip/how-to/reserve-a-nodes-public-ip-when-you-delete-it/).
- Its [CDP backups](/myaccount/node/how-to/enable-backups-on-a-node/), if any: **Keep CDP
  Backups for this node** starts selected, and kept backups are billed separately once the node
  is gone. Clear it if you will not need them again.

Confirm to delete the node. To delete a node through the API instead of the
portal, see the [delete-node operation](/api/myaccount/operations/delete-node/) in the API
reference.

## Deleting a committed node early

You can delete a committed node before its committed-until date. You have already paid for its
remaining commitment, from infra credits, the prepaid balance on your account that charges are
deducted from, or postpaid billing, and that stays as is either way.

A committed node can also be set to delete itself automatically when its commitment ends,
instead of you deleting it by hand. See
[Convert a node to committed billing](/myaccount/node/how-to/convert-a-node-to-committed/) for
that setting and what it removes.

To guard a node you mean to keep against being deleted by mistake, see
[Enable Accidental Protection on a node](/myaccount/node/how-to/enable-accidental-protection/).