---
name: "git-annex-dropkey"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "git-annex"
version: "10.20261026-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/git-annex-dropkey"
---

# git-annex-dropkey(1)

drops annexed content for specified keys

## NAME

git-annex-dropkey - drops annexed content for specified keys

## SYNOPSIS

git annex dropkey **\[key ...\]**

## DESCRIPTION

This plumbing-level command drops the annexed data for the specified keys from this repository.

This can be used to drop content for arbitrary keys, which do not need to have a file in the git repository pointing at them.

Warning: This command does not check that enough other copies of the content exist; using it can easily result in data loss.

## OPTIONS

- **--batch**

  -

  Enables batch mode, in which lines containing keys to drop are read from stdin.

-

  - **--json**

  Enable JSON output. This is intended to be parsed by programs that use git-annex. Each line of output is a JSON object.

-

  - **--json-error-messages**

  Messages that would normally be output to standard error are included in the JSON instead.

-

  - Also the [git-annex-common-options(1)](/git-annex-common-options/1.md) can be used.

  ## SEE ALSO

[git-annex(1)](/git-annex/1.md)

[git-annex-setkey(1)](/git-annex-setkey/1.md)

## AUTHOR

Joey Hess \<id@joeyh.name\>