Delete a Message

Remove messages from conversations

Quick Reference for AI Agents & Developers

// Delete a message
const message = await CometChat.deleteMessage(messageId);
console.log("Deleted at:", message.getDeletedAt());

// Listen for delete events
CometChat.addMessageListener("DELETE_LISTENER", new CometChat.MessageListener({
  onMessageDeleted: (message) => {
    console.log("Deleted:", message.getId());
    console.log("Deleted by:", message.getDeletedBy());
  }
}));

// Hide deleted messages when fetching
const messagesRequest = new CometChat.MessagesRequestBuilder()
  .setUID(uid)
  .hideDeletedMessages(true)
  .build();

// Check if message was deleted
if (message.getDeletedAt()) {
  // Show "This message was deleted" placeholder
}

CometChat allows users to delete messages from conversations. This guide covers deleting messages and handling delete events.

Available via: SDK | REST API | UI Kits

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Delete a Message

Use deleteMessage() with the message ID to remove a message:

JavaScript

const messageId = 123;

CometChat.deleteMessage(messageId).then(
  (message) => {
    console.log("Message deleted:", message);
    console.log("Deleted at:", message.getDeletedAt());
    console.log("Deleted by:", message.getDeletedBy());
  },
  (error) => {
    console.log("Error:", error);
  }
);

TypeScript

const messageId: number = 123;

CometChat.deleteMessage(messageId).then(
  (message: CometChat.BaseMessage) => {
    console.log("Message deleted:", message);
  },
  (error: CometChat.CometChatException) => {
    console.log("Error:", error);
  }
);

Async/Await

async function deleteMessage(messageId) {
  try {
    const message = await CometChat.deleteMessage(messageId);
    console.log("Message deleted at:", message.getDeletedAt());
    return message;
  } catch (error) {
    console.error("Delete failed:", error);
    throw error;
  }
}

// Usage
await deleteMessage(123);

The returned message object includes deletedAt and deletedBy fields to identify deleted messages.

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Delete Permissions

User Role	Conversation Type	Can Delete
Message Sender	One-on-One	Own messages
Message Sender	Group	Own messages
Group Admin	Group	All messages
Group Moderator	Group	All messages

---

Real-Time Delete Events

Listen for message deletions while your app is running:

const listenerID = "DELETE_LISTENER";

CometChat.addMessageListener(
  listenerID,
  new CometChat.MessageListener({
    onMessageDeleted: (message) => {
      console.log("Message deleted:", message);
      console.log("Deleted at:", message.getDeletedAt());
      console.log("Deleted by:", message.getDeletedBy());
      
      // Update your UI
      removeOrMarkDeletedInUI(message);
    }
  })
);

Deleted Message Properties

Property	Method	Description
Deleted At	getDeletedAt()	Timestamp when deleted
Deleted By	getDeletedBy()	UID of user who deleted

---

Missed Delete Events

When fetching message history, deleted messages include deletedAt and deletedBy fields:

JavaScript

messagesRequest.fetchPrevious().then((messages) => {
  messages.forEach((message) => {
    if (message.getDeletedAt()) {
      console.log("This message was deleted");
      // Show "This message was deleted" placeholder
    } else {
      // Display message normally
    }
  });
});

Async/Await

async function fetchAndCheckDeleted() {
  try {
    const messages = await messagesRequest.fetchPrevious();
    messages.forEach((message) => {
      if (message.getDeletedAt()) {
        console.log("This message was deleted");
      } else {
        // Display message normally
      }
    });
    return messages;
  } catch (error) {
    console.log("Error:", error);
    throw error;
  }
}

Additionally, an Action message is created when a message is deleted:

Field	Value
action	"deleted"
actionOn	Deleted message object
actionBy	User who deleted
actionFor	Receiver (User/Group)

---

Hide Deleted Messages

To exclude deleted messages from history, use the filter:

JavaScript

const messagesRequest = new CometChat.MessagesRequestBuilder()
  .setUID(UID)
  .setLimit(30)
  .hideDeletedMessages(true)
  .build();

messagesRequest.fetchPrevious().then((messages) => {
  // Only non-deleted messages returned
});

Async/Await

async function fetchWithoutDeleted(UID) {
  const messagesRequest = new CometChat.MessagesRequestBuilder()
    .setUID(UID)
    .setLimit(30)
    .hideDeletedMessages(true)
    .build();

  try {
    const messages = await messagesRequest.fetchPrevious();
    // Only non-deleted messages returned
    return messages;
  } catch (error) {
    console.log("Error:", error);
    throw error;
  }
}

---

Example: Delete Message UI

JavaScript

function deleteMessage(messageId) {
  return CometChat.deleteMessage(messageId).then(
    (message) => {
      // Option 1: Remove from UI
      removeMessageFromUI(messageId);
      
      // Option 2: Show "deleted" placeholder
      markMessageAsDeleted(messageId);
      
      return message;
    },
    (error) => {
      console.error("Delete failed:", error);
      throw error;
    }
  );
}

// Check if message is deleted when rendering
function renderMessage(message) {
  if (message.getDeletedAt()) {
    return "<div class='deleted'>This message was deleted</div>";
  }
  return `<div class='message'>${message.getText()}</div>`;
}

Async/Await

async function deleteMessage(messageId) {
  try {
    const message = await CometChat.deleteMessage(messageId);
    
    // Option 1: Remove from UI
    removeMessageFromUI(messageId);
    
    // Option 2: Show "deleted" placeholder
    markMessageAsDeleted(messageId);
    
    return message;
  } catch (error) {
    console.error("Delete failed:", error);
    throw error;
  }
}

// Check if message is deleted when rendering
function renderMessage(message) {
  if (message.getDeletedAt()) {
    return "<div class='deleted'>This message was deleted</div>";
  }
  return `<div class='message'>${message.getText()}</div>`;
}

// Usage
await deleteMessage(123);

---

Soft Delete vs Hard Delete

CometChat uses soft delete by default:

• Message remains in the database
• deletedAt and deletedBy fields are set
• Message can still be retrieved in history (unless filtered)

This allows you to:

• Show “This message was deleted” placeholders
• Maintain conversation context
• Comply with data retention requirements

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Next Steps

Edit Messages

Allow users to edit sent messages

Delete Conversation

Clear entire conversation history