---
name: "ldap_delete"
section: "3"
platform: "linux"
package: "libldap"
version: "2.7.2-2"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux", "macos"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/ldap_delete"
---

# ldap\_delete(3)

Perform an LDAP delete operation.

## NAME

ldap\_delete, ldap\_delete\_s, ldap\_delete\_ext, ldap\_delete\_ext\_s - Perform an LDAP delete operation.

## LIBRARY

OpenLDAP LDAP (libldap, -lldap)

## SYNOPSIS

```
#include <ldap.h>
```

**int ldap\_delete\_s(ld, dn)** **LDAP \*ld;** **char \*dn;**

**int ldap\_delete(ld, dn)** **LDAP \*ld;** **char \*dn;**

**int ldap\_delete\_ext(ld, dn, serverctrls, clientctrls, msgidp)** **LDAP \*ld;** **char \*dn;** **LDAPControl \*\*serverctrls, \*\*clientctrls;** **int \*msgidp;**

**int ldap\_delete\_ext\_s(ld, dn, serverctrls, clientctrls)** **LDAP \*ld;** **char \*dn;** **LDAPControl \*\*serverctrls, \*\*clientctrls;**

## DESCRIPTION

**The** **ldap\_delete\_s()** **routine is used to perform an LDAP delete operation** **synchronously. It takes** *dn***, the DN of the entry to be deleted.** **It returns an LDAP error code, indicating the success or failure of the** **operation.**

**The** **ldap\_delete()** **routine is used to perform an LDAP delete operation** **asynchronously. It takes the same parameters as** **ldap\_delete\_s(),** **but returns the message id of the request it initiated. The result of** **the delete can be obtained by a subsequent call to** [**ldap\_result**(3)](/ldap_result/3.md).

**The** **ldap\_delete\_ext()** **routine  allows  server  and client controls to be**  **specified to extend the delete request. This routine is asynchronous like**  **ldap\_delete(), but its return value is an LDAP error code. It stores the**  **message id of the request in the integer pointed to by msgidp.**

**The** **ldap\_delete\_ext\_s()** **routine is the synchronous version of** **ldap\_delete\_ext().** **It also returns an LDAP error code indicating success**  **or failure of the operation.**

## ERRORS

**ldap\_delete\_s()** **returns an LDAP error code which can be interpreted** **by calling one of** [**ldap\_perror**(3)](/ldap_perror/3.md) **and friends.** **ldap\_delete()** **returns -1 if something went wrong initiating the request. It returns the** **non-negative message id of the request if things went ok.**

**ldap\_delete\_ext()** **and** **ldap\_delete\_ext\_s()** **return some Non-zero value if** **something  went wrong initiating the request, else return 0.**

## SEE ALSO

[**ldap**(3)](/ldap/3.md), [**ldap\_error**(3)](/ldap_error/3.md)

## ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

**OpenLDAP Software** **is developed and maintained by The OpenLDAP Project \<http://www.openldap.org/\>.** **OpenLDAP Software** **is derived from the University of Michigan LDAP 3.3 Release.**