Delete an entity
/entities/{entity_uuid}
Soft-deletes the entity and its dependent records (checks, ID checks, reports, events,
notes and crossmatches). See the
Soft Deletion section of the API guide
for the full policy (30-day recovery window, portal-only restore, what gets cascaded).
Example Request
DELETERequest Schema
entity_uuid
The entity UUID
Available Response Data
13 Data Pointsuuid uuid
The entity's UUID
entity_number string (A short obfuscated public identifier for the entity (e.g. "E-A1-B2C-3D4"))
reference_number string
An optional customer-supplied reference number, unique within the program
entity_type enum
The type of entity: individual, business, vessel, property
entity_name string
The display name of the entity, computed from the relevant type-specific fields
first_name string (First name (individuals only))
middle_name string (Middle name (individuals only))
last_name string (Last name (individuals only))
birth_date string (Date of birth in YYYY-MM-DD format (individuals only))
business_name string (Business name (businesses only))
business_number string (Business identifier (businesses only); format depends on business_number_type)
business_number_type enum
The type of business_number: au_abn, au_acn, uk_crn, other
api_reference uuid
unique request identifier for log tracing and audit
API Data Scale & Coverage tag
Unmatched data depth to power your compliance and verification workflows.
Sandbox Environment
Build and test against a sandbox account. Sandbox is a separate account with its own UUID and its own API keys, and the environment is fixed at the account level, so you cannot switch an existing key between live and sandbox with a parameter or header. Both share the same base URL, so the account behind your key is what determines which environment you are in. GET /v1/account returns an environment field of live or sandbox, and that is the authoritative answer.
Calls on a sandbox key are not billed. Every endpoint, response shape, error envelope, idempotency and rate-limit behaviour mirrors live, so the only change when you move to production should be the credentials. Sandbox accounts are provisioned by your Global Data account manager.
Technical Use Cases tag
Removing a record from day-to-day workflows
Take a entity out of active lists when it is no longer relevant. The delete is a soft delete: the record is hidden from the API and the portal but retained for compliance.
Recoverable for 30 days
A soft-deleted record can be restored from the portal within 30 days. After that window it is eligible for permanent removal.
Prefer archiving where you need to keep it
Where a record must stay accessible for audit or historical reporting, archive it instead. Archived records are retained indefinitely and are not subject to the 30-day window.
Compliance & Security tag
Enterprise-grade infrastructure audited against the standards your regulators require.
Common Questions tag
Everything you need to know about implementation details and compliance infrastructure.
gavel Compliance
Is the record permanently removed?
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Is the record permanently removed?
No. Every DELETE in this API is a soft delete, because WatchEye retains a record of every entity, program, monitor and note for compliance and audit purposes.
A soft-deleted record disappears from list endpoints, and its own GET returns 404. The original DELETE returns the deleted record once as confirmation; subsequent calls return 404.
Deleted records can be restored from the portal within 30 days. There is no API equivalent of the restore action. After 30 days they are eligible for permanent removal. If you need to keep a record beyond that window, archive it instead.
help_center General
Is this call billed?
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Is this call billed?
Yes. This is a chargeable endpoint, and the fee is billed to your account at the time of the request. Your rates are set per account and confirmed by your Global Data account manager.
If your balance reaches zero or an agreed call limit is reached, further chargeable requests return 402 Payment Required until the account is topped up. Calls made with a key on a sandbox account are never charged.
rocket_launch Implementation
What are the rate limits?
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What are the rate limits?
600 requests per minute by default, enforced with a 60-second fixed window. Every response carries X-RateLimit-Limit and X-RateLimit-Remaining.
Exceeding the limit returns 429 Too Many Requests with a Retry-After header giving the number of seconds to wait, and X-RateLimit-Reset giving the reset timestamp. Schedule retries from Retry-After instead of a fixed sleep, and slow down before you hit zero, not after.
Higher limits can be arranged case by case through WatchEye support.
Ready to integrate Delete an entity?
Talk to our team about credentials, sandbox access and the right combination of endpoints for your workflow.