> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.flexportal.io/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Delete Asset > Soft deletes an asset by setting status to unavailable. ## Overview Remove an asset from your inventory. This is a **soft delete**—the asset is marked as unavailable rather than permanently removed, preserving historical data for reporting and auditing. Assets that are currently assigned to active subscriptions cannot be deleted. End or cancel the subscription first. ## What Happens When You Delete 1. **Asset status** changes to `unavailable` 2. **Asset removed** from available inventory queries 3. **Historical records** preserved (subscriptions, payments) 4. **Cannot be assigned** to new subscriptions ## Common Use Cases * **Sold Assets**: Device was sold to customer (buyout) * **Retired Inventory**: Device too old or damaged for reuse * **Lost/Stolen**: Device cannot be recovered * **Inventory Cleanup**: Remove test or duplicate entries ## Prerequisites Before deleting: 1. **No active subscriptions** using this asset 2. **Asset returned** (if previously rented) ```javascript theme={null} async function canDeleteAsset(serialNumber) { const asset = await getAsset(serialNumber); if (asset.status === 'rented_out') { return { canDelete: false, reason: 'Asset is currently rented', currentSubscription: asset.rentalId, currentCustomer: asset.customerId }; } return { canDelete: true }; } ``` ## Example: Delete with Reason ```javascript theme={null} async function retireAsset(serialNumber, reason) { // First, update with reason for audit trail await updateAsset(serialNumber, { notes: `Retired: ${reason}`, status: 'unavailable' }); // Then delete await deleteAsset(serialNumber); return { retired: true, serialNumber, reason }; } // Usage await retireAsset('SN123456789', 'End of life - 5 years old'); await retireAsset('SN987654321', 'Sold to customer via buyout'); ``` ## Alternative: Mark Unavailable If you want to preserve the asset record but remove from active inventory, consider updating status instead: ```javascript theme={null} // Instead of deleting: await updateAsset(serialNumber, { status: 'unavailable', condition: 'Retired - end of service life', notes: 'Removed from fleet January 2025' }); ``` This keeps the asset fully visible in reports while preventing new assignments. ## Recovering Deleted Assets Since deletion is a soft delete, you can reactivate assets: ```json theme={null} PATCH /v1/assets/{serialNumber} { "status": "available", "notes": "Reactivated after repair" } ``` ## Error Handling | Error Code | Cause | Solution | | -------------- | ----------------------------- | ---------------------- | | `NOT_FOUND` | Serial number doesn't exist | Verify serial number | | `ASSET_IN_USE` | Asset has active subscription | End subscription first | ## Related Endpoints * [Get Asset](/api-reference/assets/get) - Check asset status before deletion * [Update Asset](/api-reference/assets/update) - Alternative: mark unavailable * [List Assets](/api-reference/assets/list) - Find assets to delete ## OpenAPI ````yaml DELETE /v1/assets/{serialNumber} openapi: 3.1.0 info: title: FlexPortal API version: 1.0.0 description: >- FlexPortal is a subscription management platform for physical products like devices, equipment, and hardware. The API enables you to: - **Orders**: Create and manage subscription orders for customers - **Subscriptions**: Track active subscriptions, extend contracts, process buyouts and returns - **Products**: Maintain your product catalog with variants, pricing tiers, and inventory - **Customers**: Manage customer records and their subscription history - **Assets**: Track individual devices by serial number through their lifecycle - **Payments**: Monitor recurring payments and billing status - **Billing Groups**: Consolidate subscriptions for B2B customers into single invoices All endpoints require authentication via Bearer token and a Tenant-ID header. Responses use cursor-based pagination with `startAfter` and `limit` parameters. contact: name: FlexPortal Support url: https://www.flexportal.io servers: - url: https://api-eu.flexportal.io description: Europe - url: https://api-us.flexportal.io description: United States - url: https://api-qatar.flexportal.io description: Qatar security: - bearerAuth: [] tags: - name: Orders description: >- Create and manage subscription orders. Orders flow through statuses: pending → confirmed → partial → fulfilled. Each order contains customer info, line items with products, and billing/shipping addresses. - name: Subscriptions description: >- Manage active subscriptions (rentals). Subscriptions link customers to specific assets and track billing. Support lifecycle operations including extensions, upgrades, buyouts, and early returns. - name: Products description: >- Maintain your product catalog. Products have variants (e.g., different grades/conditions) with pricing tiers for different contract lengths. Supports bulk CSV import and Shopify sync. - name: Customers description: >- Customer records with contact info, addresses, and subscription history. Customers can be individuals or businesses. Automatically created when processing orders with new email addresses. - name: Assets description: >- Track physical devices/equipment by serial number. Assets flow through statuses: available → rented_out → returned. Link assets to subscriptions during order fulfillment. - name: Files description: >- Upload, download, and manage documents. Generate contracts from templates. Files are associated with orders and customers. Uses signed URLs for secure file transfers. - name: Exports description: >- Export subscription data to CSV format for reporting, accounting integration, or business intelligence tools. Filter by status, date range, or customer. - name: Payments description: >- Track recurring subscription payments. Payments are automatically generated based on billing schedules. Monitor payment status, handle failures, and mark manual payments as paid. - name: Billing Groups description: >- Consolidate multiple subscriptions into a single monthly invoice for B2B customers. Set a common billing day and manage subscriptions as a group. paths: /v1/assets/{serialNumber}: delete: tags: - Assets summary: Delete an asset description: Soft deletes an asset by setting status to unavailable. operationId: deleteAsset parameters: - schema: type: string description: The asset serial number required: true name: serialNumber in: path - schema: type: string description: Your tenant identifier required: true name: Tenant-ID in: header responses: '200': description: Asset deleted content: application/json: schema: type: object properties: success: type: boolean enum: - true message: type: string serialNumber: type: string required: - success - message - serialNumber '404': description: Asset not found content: application/json: schema: $ref: '#/components/schemas/Error' components: schemas: Error: type: object properties: error: type: object properties: code: type: string description: Error code message: type: string description: Human-readable error message required: - code - message required: - error securitySchemes: bearerAuth: type: http scheme: bearer description: API key obtained from FlexPortal dashboard ````