---
title: "Empty a bucket"
description: "Delete every object in a TIR Object Storage bucket, including all older versions, and keep the bucket."
content_type: "how-to"
product: "tir-object-storage"
platform: "TIR"
url: "/tir/tir-object-storage/how-to/empty-a-bucket/"
topic: ["empty-and-delete"]
---

# Empty a bucket

Emptying a bucket deletes every object in it, including all older versions, and keeps the bucket.

## Before you begin

- Copies of any objects you need. Emptying is permanent.
- A bucket in the **Ready** state.
- Permission to update and to delete datasets in the project. The **Actions** menu shows **Empty**
  with update permission, and emptying the bucket needs delete permission. A Member gets both through
  a policy that allows them.
- The bucket unmounted from everything that uses it. The portal refuses to empty a bucket while it is mounted on an instance or Virtual Machine. It also refuses while a fine-tuning job that has not succeeded, a model endpoint, a deployment, or a Slurm Cluster uses the bucket. This holds whether the workload is running or stopped.
- On a bucket with object lock, its locks cleared first. A version still under retention or legal
  hold stops the run and leaves the remaining objects in place. See
  [Lock one object version or place a legal hold](/tir/tir-object-storage/how-to/lock-an-object-version/).

## Empty the bucket

1. In the list, open the **Actions** menu of the bucket and select **Empty**.
2. Note what emptying does: it permanently deletes every object, including all older
   versions. Only the objects go, so the bucket stays. Depending on how many objects it holds,
   this can take a while. To remove the bucket as well, use **Delete** instead.
3. Type the bucket's alias to confirm. **Empty Bucket** becomes available once it matches. Until it
   matches, the dialog says "Type the exact bucket name".
4. Select **Empty Bucket**.

The portal shows "Emptying `<alias>` has been requested." Emptying runs in the background.

## Check the result

Open the **Data Objects** tab and refresh the list. The list is empty once emptying
finishes. If a locked version stopped the run, clear those locks and empty again.

The bucket itself stays. To remove it too, [delete the bucket](/tir/tir-object-storage/how-to/delete-a-bucket/).
For help with a message, see
[Troubleshooting TIR Object Storage](/tir/tir-object-storage/troubleshooting/tir-object-storage/).