---
title: Soft delete request control
description: "This control can be included in a delete request to hide a server entry so that it can only be retrieved with a request that includes the Soft deleted entry access request control or a filter which includes an \"(objectClass=ds-soft-deleted-entry)\" component. A soft-deleted entry can be restored with the same or a different DN using the Undelete request control."
component: pingdirectory
page_id: pingdirectory:directory:controls/soft-delete-request-control
canonical_url: https://developer.pingidentity.com/pingdirectory/directory/controls/soft-delete-request-control.html
---

# Soft delete request control

This control can be included in a [delete request](../directory-entry-apis/delete-an-entry-with-controls.html) to hide a server entry so that it can only be retrieved with a request that includes the [Soft deleted entry access request control](soft-deleted-entry-access-request-control.html) or a filter which includes an `"(objectClass=ds-soft-deleted-entry)"` component. A soft-deleted entry can be restored with the same or a different DN using the [Undelete request control](undelete-request-control.html).

The `_controls` array must include the `value-json` attribute with the `return-soft-delete-response-control` value, which is a mandatory boolean specifying whether the soft delete response control should be returned. This response control includes the DN of the soft-deleted entry in the `soft-deleted-entry-dn` attribute.

The following sample shows the JSON encoding for the control:

```json
{
    "oid":"1.3.6.1.4.1.30221.2.5.20",
    "control-name":"Soft Delete Request Control",
    "criticality":true,
    "value-json":
    {
        "return-soft-delete-response-control":true
    }
}
```

For a soft delete to succeed, there must be a soft delete policy created and set via the global configuration. The following commands set a basic soft delete policy.

```none
dsconfig create-soft-delete-policy --policy-name 'Soft Delete Policy'
dsconfig set-global-configuration-prop --set 'soft-delete-policy:Soft Delete Policy'
```

Learn more about the following related request controls:

* [Undelete request control](undelete-request-control.html)

* [Soft deleted entry access request control](soft-deleted-entry-access-request-control.html)

* [Soft delete request control](#)