---
title: "Delete a vault item and invalidate its secret value"
method: DELETE
path: "/vaults/{id_or_name}/items/{key}"
tags: ["Vaults"]
---

# Delete a vault item and invalidate its secret value

`DELETE /vaults/{id_or_name}/items/{key}`

## Request

- Base URL: `https://api.onkernel.com`
- URL: `https://api.onkernel.com/vaults/{id_or_name}/items/{key}`
- Auth: HTTP bearer

Unresolved payment operations normally block deletion, including operations on child cards of a wallet. Deleting a connected Kernel wallet first blocks new payments on it, then removes its enrolled card. If that fails, the wallet is kept and keeps refusing payments; retry the deletion. A Link, Kernel or Shop Pay card in recovery_required for issuance, or an AgentCard card in recovery_required whose checkout create response returned no authorization ID, may be explicitly abandoned by deleting that card directly; deleting its wallet or vault remains blocked until the card is deleted. Deleting or recreating an item is not proof that a payment did not occur. Deleting a managed auth credential item leaves the connection and its saved credential unchanged.

## Response `204`

Vault item deleted

## Other responses

- `401`: Unauthorized – missing or invalid authorization token
- `404`: Resource not found
- `409`: Conflict – resource already exists
- `429`: Too Many Requests – rate limit exceeded
- `500`: Internal Server Error

## Changes

- **2026-10-16** `03b369edee49`: 1 info
  - endpoint added

[Operation history](https://skmtc.dev/kernel/apis/kernel-api/changes/vaults/:id_or_name/items/:key/delete.md)

---

[API](https://skmtc.dev/kernel/apis/kernel-api.md) - [All operations](https://skmtc.dev/kernel/apis/kernel-api/llms.txt) - [OpenAPI document](https://skmtc.dev/kernel/apis/kernel-api/revisions/0f6cf4f58fe6?raw)