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Delete Channel

Deletes a channel from a Microsoft Teams team.

Common Properties​

  • Name - The custom name of the node.
  • Color - The custom color of the node.
  • Delay Before (sec) - Waits in seconds before executing the node.
  • Delay After (sec) - Waits in seconds after executing node.
  • Continue On Error - Automation will continue regardless of any error. The default value is false.
info

If ContinueOnError property is true, no error is caught when the project is executed even if Catch node is used.

Input​

  • Client Id - The client ID from the Connect node. Optional if using direct credentials.
  • Team Id - The unique identifier of the team containing the channel (required).
  • Channel Id - The unique identifier of the channel to delete (required).

Output​

  • n/a - No output

Options​

  • Credentials - OAuth2 credentials JSON (optional if using Client ID). Allows direct authentication without Connect node.
warning

Deleting a channel is permanent and cannot be undone. All messages, files, and tabs in the channel will be deleted.

note

You cannot delete the General channel in a team. Attempting to do so will result in an error.

How It Works​

The Delete Channel node:

  1. Validates the team and channel IDs
  2. Sends a deletion request to Microsoft Graph API
  3. Permanently removes the channel and all its contents
  4. Returns when deletion is complete

Examples​

Delete Single Channel​

Remove an obsolete channel:

team_id = "19:abc123def456..."
channel_id = "19:xyz789abc123..."

// Delete Channel node
// This permanently removes the channel

Delete Channels by Name Pattern​

Clean up temporary channels:

team_id = "19:abc123def456..."

// List Channels first
// ListChannels node
channels = message.channels.value

// Filter channels to delete (e.g., temp channels)
temp_channels = channels.filter(ch =>
    ch.DisplayName.startsWith("Temp-")
)

// Delete each temp channel
for (channel of temp_channels) {
    // Delete Channel node
    // Team Id: team_id
    // Channel Id: channel.Id

    await delay(1000) // Rate limiting
}

Safe Delete with Confirmation​

Delete only after verification:

team_id = "19:abc123def456..."
channel_name = "Old Project"

// 1. List channels
// ListChannels node
channels = message.channels.value

// 2. Find channel by name
channel = channels.find(ch =>
    ch.DisplayName === channel_name
)

// 3. Verify it's the right channel
if (channel && channel.DisplayName === channel_name) {
    console.log("Deleting channel: " + channel.DisplayName)

    // 4. Delete Channel node
    channel_id = channel.Id
    // Delete Channel
} else {
    throw new Error("Channel not found or name mismatch")
}

Cleanup After Project Completion​

Archive strategy before deletion:

team_id = "19:abc123def456..."
channel_id = "19:xyz789abc123..."

// 1. Get channel messages for archival
// GetMessages node
// Save messages to database or file

// 2. Notify team members
// SendMessage to General channel
// "Channel X will be deleted in 24 hours"

// 3. Wait or schedule for later
// await delay(86400000) // 24 hours

// 4. Delete Channel node
// Delete the channel

Tips for Effective Use​

  • Backup first: Archive important messages before deletion
  • Verify ID: Double-check channel ID before deletion
  • Cannot undo: Remember deletion is permanent
  • General channel: You cannot delete the default General channel
  • Permissions: Ensure user has rights to delete channels
  • Notification: Inform team members before deleting channels
  • Rate limiting: Add delays when deleting multiple channels

Common Errors and Solutions​

"Team Id cannot be empty"​

Cause: No team ID was provided.

Solution: Provide valid team ID:

team_id = "19:abc123def456..."
// Get from ListTeams or team object

"Channel Id cannot be empty"​

Cause: No channel ID was provided.

Solution: Get channel ID from ListChannels:

// ListChannels first
channels = message.channels.value
channel_id = channels[0].Id

// Then delete
// Delete Channel node

Cannot Delete General Channel​

Cause: Attempting to delete the default General channel.

Solution:

  • General channel is permanent and cannot be deleted
  • Filter it out when bulk deleting channels
deletable_channels = channels.filter(ch =>
    ch.DisplayName !== "General"
)

Permission Denied​

Cause: User doesn't have permission to delete channels.

Solution:

  • Ensure user is a team owner
  • Check Azure AD application has necessary permissions
  • Verify team settings allow channel deletion

"ErrNotFound: Client ID not found"​

Cause: Invalid or expired client ID.

Solution:

// Ensure Connect was successful
// Connect node
client_id = message.client_id

// Verify before using
if (!client_id) {
    throw new Error("Not connected")
}

Channel Not Found​

Cause: Channel ID doesn't exist or was already deleted.

Solution:

  • Verify channel ID is correct
  • Use ListChannels to get current channel list
  • Handle error gracefully if channel doesn't exist

Best Practices​

  1. Backup data: Always backup channel messages before deletion
  2. Verify twice: Confirm channel ID and name before deletion
  3. User notification: Notify team members before deleting
  4. Error handling: Use Try-Catch to handle deletion failures gracefully
  5. Rate control: Add delays when deleting multiple channels
  6. Audit logging: Log all channel deletions for compliance
  7. Filter General: Always exclude General channel from bulk operations
  8. Confirmation: Implement confirmation steps for critical deletions

Safe Deletion Pattern​

// Step 1: Identify channels to delete
team_id = "19:abc123def456..."
// ListChannels node
all_channels = message.channels.value

// Step 2: Filter out protected channels
deletable = all_channels.filter(ch =>
    ch.DisplayName !== "General" &&
    ch.DisplayName.startsWith("Archive-")
)

// Step 3: Confirm with user or log
console.log("Will delete " + deletable.length + " channels:")
for (ch of deletable) {
    console.log("- " + ch.DisplayName)
}

// Step 4: Delete with error handling
for (channel of deletable) {
    try {
        // Delete Channel node
        channel_id = channel.Id

        console.log("Deleted: " + channel.DisplayName)
        await delay(2000) // Rate limiting
    } catch (error) {
        console.error("Failed to delete: " + channel.DisplayName)
        console.error(error.message)
        // Continue with next channel
    }
}