> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://upstash.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# DELEX

> Delete a string when a condition matches.

Use `DELEX` to delete a string when a condition matches.

`IFEQ` deletes the key only when its current value equals the given one and `IFNE` only when it differs. `IFDEQ` and `IFDNE` do the same against a digest of the value, as returned by [`DIGEST`](/docs/redis/commands/string/digest), which avoids sending a large value over the wire just to compare it.

The comparison and the delete are one atomic step, which is what makes the command the correct way to release a lock or a claim: delete the key only if it still holds your token, so you never remove a lock that has expired and been taken by someone else. With no condition it simply deletes the key. The conditional forms require a string value, and a key of another type returns an error without being deleted.

## Syntax

```redis theme={"system"}
DELEX <key> [IFEQ <value> | IFNE <value> | IFDEQ <digest> | IFDNE <digest>]
```

## Arguments

| Argument                       | Required | Repeatable | Description                                                                                          |
| ------------------------------ | -------- | ---------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `key`                          | Yes      | No         | String key to delete.                                                                                |
| `IFEQ value \| IFNE value`     | No       | No         | Delete when the stored string is equal to or different from the supplied value.                      |
| `IFDEQ digest \| IFDNE digest` | No       | No         | Delete when the stored string digest is equal to or different from the supplied 16-character digest. |

## Important points

* Supply at most one condition. With no condition, `DELEX` behaves like deleting a single key.
* Conditional forms accept string keys only. A non-string value returns an error and is not deleted.

## Response

The reply reports the result of the operation. Error replies have the same shape in RESP2 and RESP3 and are surfaced as exceptions by the SDKs below.

| Protocol | Reply   |
| -------- | ------- |
| RESP2    | Integer |
| RESP3    | Integer |

<Note>
  Client libraries often decode bulk strings, maps, sets, and numeric strings into language-native values. The table describes the Redis wire reply.
</Note>

## Examples

TCP examples use the TLS `REDIS_URL` from the Upstash console. REST examples use `UPSTASH_REDIS_REST_URL` and `UPSTASH_REDIS_REST_TOKEN`.

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Redis CLI" icon="terminal">
    ```bash theme={"system"}
    DELEX lock:job-1 IFEQ worker-1
    ```
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="@upstash/redis" icon="node-js" iconType="brands">
    <Note>
      This command is not supported yet in `@upstash/redis`.
    </Note>
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="upstash_redis" icon="python" iconType="brands">
    <Note>
      This command is not supported yet in `upstash_redis`.
    </Note>
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="ioredis" icon="node-js" iconType="brands">
    ```ts theme={"system"}
    import Redis from "ioredis";

    const redis = new Redis(process.env.REDIS_URL!);
    const result = await redis.call("DELEX", "lock:job-1", "IFEQ", "worker-1");
    console.log(result);
    ```
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="node-redis" icon="node-js" iconType="brands">
    ```ts theme={"system"}
    import { createClient } from "redis";

    const client = await createClient({ url: process.env.REDIS_URL })
      .on("error", console.error)
      .connect();
    const result = await client.delEx("lock:job-1", { condition: "IFEQ", matchValue: "worker-1" });
    console.log(result);
    ```
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="redis-py" icon="python" iconType="brands">
    ```python theme={"system"}
    import os
    import redis

    client = redis.from_url(os.environ["REDIS_URL"])
    result = client.execute_command("DELEX", "lock:job-1", "IFEQ", "worker-1")
    print(result)
    ```
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="go-redis" icon="golang" iconType="brands">
    ```go theme={"system"}
    package main

    import (
        "context"
        "fmt"
        "os"

        "github.com/redis/go-redis/v9"
    )

    func main() {
        opts, err := redis.ParseURL(os.Getenv("REDIS_URL"))
        if err != nil {
            panic(err)
        }
        client := redis.NewClient(opts)
        result, err := client.DelExArgs(context.Background(), "lock:job-1", redis.DelExArgs{Mode: "IFEQ", MatchValue: "worker-1"}).Result()
        if err != nil {
            panic(err)
        }
        fmt.Println(result)
    }
    ```
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="jedis" icon="java" iconType="brands">
    ```java theme={"system"}
    import java.net.URI;

    import redis.clients.jedis.Jedis;

    try (Jedis jedis = new Jedis(new URI(System.getenv("REDIS_URL")))) {
      Object result = jedis.delex("lock:job-1", redis.clients.jedis.util.CompareCondition.valueEq("worker-1"));
      System.out.println(result);
    }
    ```
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="redis-rs" icon="rust" iconType="brands">
    ```rust theme={"system"}
    use redis::TypedCommands;

    fn main() -> redis::RedisResult<()> {
        let url = std::env::var("REDIS_URL").expect("REDIS_URL is not set");
        let client = redis::Client::open(url)?;
        let mut connection = client.get_connection()?;

        let result = connection.del_ex("lock:job-1", redis::ValueComparison::ifeq("worker-1"))?;
        println!("{result:?}");
        Ok(())
    }
    ```
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>


## Related topics

- [DIGEST](/docs/redis/commands/string/digest.md)
- [SETNX](/docs/redis/commands/string/setnx.md)