# DELETE Delete a material

Removes the material and returns a deletion receipt: a snapshot of exactly what was removed, so the caller can verify and report the change. A material anything still references is refused with a 409 `resource_in_use` listing the referencing rows — saved presets that chose it — and references are never silently cleared. Requires `customisers:write` and an `Idempotency-Key`; retrying the same request and key replays the original receipt after the row is gone. The delete clears the customiser's cached storefront configuration and runs the advisory language sync, and never regenerates Shopify products, product images, or the product cache.

- Source URL: https://www.signcustomiser.com/help/api/v3-delete-delete-a-material/
- Markdown URL: https://www.signcustomiser.com/help/api/v3-delete-delete-a-material.md
- Group: Customiser materials
- Method: DELETE
- Path: /api/v3/customisers/{customiser_id}/materials/{material_id}
- Auth: Bearer token
- Required scopes: `customisers:write`

## Path parameters

- customiser_id (string, required): The customiser id. Example: 1
- material_id (string, required): The material id. Example: 5

## cURL example

```bash
curl https://web.signcustomiser.com/api/v3/customisers/1/materials/5 \
  --request DELETE \
  --header 'Accept: application/json' \
  --header 'Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_TOKEN'
```

## Response examples

### 200 DELETE 200 example 1

```json
{
  "data": {
    "object": "material_deletion_receipt",
    "id": 5,
    "customiser_id": 42,
    "deleted": true,
    "resource": {
      "object": "material",
      "id": 5,
      "customiser_id": 42,
      "name": "Brushed Aluminium",
      "description": null,
      "excluded_backboard_ids": [],
      "excluded_mounting_ids": [],
      "base_price": 0,
      "currency": "USD",
      "price_multiplier": 1,
      "price_multiplier_target": "base_letter_price",
      "sort_order": 1,
      "image_url": null,
      "button_image_url": null,
      "created_at": "2026-08-13T00:00:00Z",
      "updated_at": "2026-08-13T00:00:00Z"
    }
  },
  "links": {
    "self": "https://web.signcustomiser.com/api/v3/customisers/42/materials/5",
    "documentation": "https://www.signcustomiser.com/help/api/"
  },
  "meta": {
    "api_version": "v3",
    "request_id": "req_01jz9x2k7c8f3m5n6p7q8r9s0t"
  }
}
```

### 400 Missing idempotency key

```json
{
  "type": "https://www.signcustomiser.com/help/api/problems/missing_idempotency_key",
  "title": "Missing idempotency key",
  "status": 400,
  "code": "missing_idempotency_key",
  "detail": "Provide an Idempotency-Key header for this write.",
  "request_id": "req_01jz9x2k7c8f3m5n6p7q8r9s0t"
}
```

### 401 Missing API key

```json
{
  "type": "https://www.signcustomiser.com/help/api/problems/missing_api_key",
  "title": "Missing API key",
  "status": 401,
  "code": "missing_api_key",
  "detail": "Provide a store API key as a bearer token.",
  "request_id": "req_01jz9x2k7c8f3m5n6p7q8r9s0t"
}
```

### 403 Insufficient scope

```json
{
  "type": "https://www.signcustomiser.com/help/api/problems/insufficient_scope",
  "title": "Insufficient scope",
  "status": 403,
  "code": "insufficient_scope",
  "detail": "This operation requires the customisers:write scope.",
  "required_scopes": [
    "customisers:write"
  ],
  "granted_scopes": [
    "customisers:read"
  ],
  "request_id": "req_01jz9x2k7c8f3m5n6p7q8r9s0t"
}
```

### 404 Unknown material

```json
{
  "type": "https://www.signcustomiser.com/help/api/problems/resource_not_found",
  "title": "Resource not found",
  "status": 404,
  "code": "resource_not_found",
  "detail": "The requested resource does not exist or does not belong to the authenticated store.",
  "request_id": "req_01jz9x2k7c8f3m5n6p7q8r9s0t"
}
```

### 409 Material still referenced

```json
{
  "type": "https://www.signcustomiser.com/help/api/problems/resource_in_use",
  "title": "Resource in use",
  "status": 409,
  "code": "resource_in_use",
  "detail": "This material is still referenced by preset records.",
  "errors": [
    {
      "pointer": "",
      "code": "resource_in_use",
      "detail": "The material is referenced by other records."
    }
  ],
  "referenced_by": [
    {
      "type": "preset",
      "id": 31
    }
  ],
  "referenced_by_count": 1,
  "request_id": "req_01jz9x2k7c8f3m5n6p7q8r9s0t"
}
```

### 422 Unknown parameter

```json
{
  "type": "https://www.signcustomiser.com/help/api/problems/unknown_parameter",
  "title": "Unknown query parameter",
  "status": 422,
  "code": "unknown_parameter",
  "detail": "This endpoint accepts no query parameters.",
  "request_id": "req_01jz9x2k7c8f3m5n6p7q8r9s0t"
}
```

### 429 Option write budget exhausted

```json
{
  "type": "https://www.signcustomiser.com/help/api/problems/rate_limited",
  "title": "Too many requests",
  "status": 429,
  "code": "rate_limited",
  "detail": "You have exceeded the request limit for this API key.",
  "retry_after": 37,
  "request_id": "req_01jz9x2k7c8f3m5n6p7q8r9s0t"
}
```