# Delete an email template

`DELETE /v1/email/templates/{template_ref}`

Deletes the template and all its versions. The slug becomes available for reuse in the workspace, and the deletion cannot be undone.

A template can't be deleted while a broadcast that has not started sending still uses it, because a `scheduled` or `accepted` broadcast has not pinned the content it will send yet. [List the broadcasts blocking a template delete](/docs/api/reference/list-email-template-broadcasts) to see which ones those are. A broadcast that has already started sending does not block the delete: it pinned its version when it started, so it keeps sending the content it froze.

## Code samples

### CLI

```sh
bird email templates delete <template-ref> --yes
```

### cURL

```sh
curl -X DELETE "https://us1.platform.bird.com/v1/email/templates/{template_ref}" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN"
```

## Path parameters

- `template_ref` (string): The template's id (`emt_…`) or slug. On read, a built-in `system` template's `bird_` slug also resolves here. Write operations (update, delete) accept a workspace template only, because a `system` template is immutable.

## Related resources

- [How to build an email template](/learn/email/how-to-build-an-email-template) (video)
- [Email templates](/products/email/templates) (product)
- [Build your first integration](/learn/paths/integration) (course)
- [Email templates](/docs/guides/email/templates) (docs)

[Get an implementation brief](/learn/workspace?topic=email-templates)