---
title: "Delete"
sidebarTitle: "Delete"
description: "DELETE FROM ... WHERE — rows are marked, not erased."
icon: trash
keywords: ["delete", "sql"]
---

<Badge color="red">Enterprise</Badge> [SQL runs in LanceDB Enterprise.](/sql)

```sql
DELETE FROM documents WHERE created_at < TIMESTAMP '2025-01-01 00:00:00'
```

Compare a timestamp column with a typed literal, as above, or with
`CAST('2025-01-01' AS TIMESTAMP)`. A bare string such as `'2025-01-01'` is
rejected in a `DELETE` predicate, even though a `SELECT` accepts it.

Deletion marks rows rather than erasing them, so the data remains recoverable
for as long as the version holding it survives
[retention](/maintenance/cleanup).

Commits a new table version, so [versioning](/management/table#versioning) and
the [write guarantees](/basics/guarantees#writes) apply -- including that the
version advances even when the statement affects zero rows.

## What to read next {#next}

<Card title="Delete" icon="trash" href="/ingestion/delete">
  The SDK equivalent.
</Card>