elementor/delete-template moves a template to the trash, or permanently deletes it when force is set.
Trashing is the default, and it is almost always the right choice.
Before you run it
Deleting a live Theme Builder template removes it from every page its conditions matched, immediately — the theme’s own header or footer takes over, which on a site designed entirely in Elementor can look like the site breaking. Trashing is the default and is reversible; force is not, and a permanently deleted template’s design is gone.
At a glance
| Ability | elementor/delete-template |
| Toolset | Elementor — toolset/elementor |
| Group | Elementor › Templates & Theme Builder |
| Requires | Elementor, active on the site |
| Capability | manage_options |
| Safety | Destructive — trashes by default, deletes permanently with force. |
| Repeatable | Not idempotent — each call changes the row set, so re-running is not a no-op |
| Ships in | AcrossAI Abilities Manager 0.0.34 and later |
How it works
A trashed template stops rendering. For a section template saved for reuse that is invisible; for a live header it is immediate and site-wide, and the theme’s own header takes over.
On a site whose design lives entirely in Elementor, that looks like the site breaking rather than like a template being removed.
Trashing is reversible with elementor/restore-template, which is the reason to prefer it. A trashed template also keeps its display conditions, so restoring puts it back where it was.
That same property is why trashed templates can interfere with new ones: Elementor’s condition conflict checking still sees them.
Permanent deletion removes the design. Export it first if there is any chance of wanting it back.
Not idempotent.
Input
| Name | Type | Required | What it is |
|---|---|---|---|
template_id | integer | Yes | The template post ID. |
force | boolean | No | Permanently delete instead of trashing. |
What comes back
| Name | Type | What it is |
|---|---|---|
template_id | integer | The template. |
deleted | string | Whether it was trashed or deleted permanently. |
success | boolean | Whether the call completed. |
message | string | A one-line summary of what happened, suitable for showing a human. |
error_code | string | Present only on failure — a stable machine-readable reason, such as a missing field, a wrong field type or an unmet confirmation. |
Example
Ask your assistant:
Delete the old header template.
It resolves to one call:
{
"ability": "elementor/delete-template",
"parameters": {
"template_id": 640
}
}Worth knowing
- Removing a live Theme Builder template changes the whole site at once.
- Trashed templates keep their conditions and still affect conflict checks.
- Export before a permanent delete.
- Restorable while trashed.
Related abilities
- Restore Elementor Template — undo a trash
- Export Elementor Template — before a permanent delete
- Empty Elementor Template Trash — the bulk version
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