> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://morphik.ai/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# delete_document_by_filename

> Delete a document by its filename

## Usage

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Sync">
    ```python theme={null}
    from morphik import Morphik

    db = Morphik()

    # Delete a document by its filename
    result = db.delete_document_by_filename("report.pdf")
    print(result["message"])  # "Document doc_123456 deleted successfully"
    ```
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Async">
    ```python theme={null}
    from morphik import AsyncMorphik

    async with AsyncMorphik() as db:
        # Delete a document by its filename
        result = await db.delete_document_by_filename("report.pdf")
        print(result["message"])  # "Document doc_123456 deleted successfully"
    ```
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

## Parameters

* `filename` (str): Filename of the document to delete

## Returns

A dictionary containing information about the deletion operation:

* `message` (str): A success message indicating the document was deleted
* `document_id` (str): The ID of the deleted document
* Additional fields may be present with more details about the operation

## Description

This method is a convenience wrapper that:

1. Retrieves the document ID by filename using [get\_document\_by\_filename](/python-sdk/get_document_by_filename)
2. Deletes the document using [delete\_document](/python-sdk/delete_document)

This operation is permanent and cannot be undone.

## Multiple Documents with Same Filename

If multiple documents have the same filename, this method will delete the most recently updated one. To delete a specific document when duplicates exist, use [delete\_document](/python-sdk/delete_document) with the exact document ID instead.

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Sync">
    ```python theme={null}
    # To handle multiple documents with the same filename
    docs = db.list_documents()

    # Find all documents with a specific filename
    matching_docs = [doc for doc in docs if doc.filename == "report.pdf"]

    # Review them
    for doc in matching_docs:
        print(f"ID: {doc.external_id}, Created: {doc.system_metadata.get('created_at')}")

    # Delete a specific one by ID
    result = db.delete_document(matching_docs[0].external_id)
    ```
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Async">
    ```python theme={null}
    # To handle multiple documents with the same filename
    docs = await db.list_documents()

    # Find all documents with a specific filename
    matching_docs = [doc for doc in docs if doc.filename == "report.pdf"]

    # Review them
    for doc in matching_docs:
        print(f"ID: {doc.external_id}, Created: {doc.system_metadata.get('created_at')}")

    # Delete a specific one by ID
    result = await db.delete_document(matching_docs[0].external_id)
    ```
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

## Notes

* This operation requires appropriate permissions for the document.
* If no document exists with the specified filename, a `ValueError` will be raised.