How to Use @Delete Decorator in NestJS: Syntax and Example

In NestJS, use the @Delete decorator to define a route handler for HTTP DELETE requests in a controller. It marks a method to respond when a client sends a DELETE request to the specified path.

Syntax

The @Delete decorator is used above a controller method to handle HTTP DELETE requests. You can optionally provide a route path as a string argument to specify the endpoint.

• @Delete(): Handles DELETE requests to the controller's base path.
• @Delete('path'): Handles DELETE requests to /base-path/path.
• The decorated method can accept parameters like @Param() to get route variables.

typescript

import { Controller, Delete, Param } from '@nestjs/common';

@Controller('items')
export class ItemsController {
  @Delete(':id')
  remove(@Param('id') id: string) {
    // logic to delete item by id
  }
}

Example

This example shows a simple NestJS controller with a @Delete route that deletes an item by its ID. When a DELETE request is sent to /items/item2, the remove method runs and returns a confirmation message.

typescript

import { Controller, Delete, Param } from '@nestjs/common';

@Controller('items')
export class ItemsController {
  private items = ['item1', 'item2', 'item3'];

  @Delete(':id')
  remove(@Param('id') id: string) {
    const index = this.items.findIndex(item => item === id);
    if (index === -1) {
      return { message: `Item with id ${id} not found.` };
    }
    this.items.splice(index, 1);
    return { message: `Item with id ${id} deleted.` };
  }
}

Output

{"message":"Item with id item2 deleted."}

Common Pitfalls

• Forgetting to specify the route parameter in @Delete(':id') when you want to delete by ID causes the method not to receive the ID.
• Not using @Param('id') to extract the route parameter will result in undefined values.
• Using @Delete without a path means it handles DELETE requests only to the controller base path.
• Not returning a response or confirmation can confuse API clients.

typescript

import { Controller, Delete, Param } from '@nestjs/common';

@Controller('items')
export class ItemsController {
  // Wrong: Missing ':id' in route, so no id param is passed
  @Delete()
  removeWrong(@Param('id') id: string) {
    return { message: `Trying to delete id: ${id}` };
  }

  // Right: Include ':id' in route and extract param
  @Delete(':id')
  removeRight(@Param('id') id: string) {
    return { message: `Deleted id: ${id}` };
  }
}

Quick Reference

Use this quick guide to remember how to use @Delete in NestJS controllers:

Usage	Description
@Delete()	Handles DELETE requests to the controller base path
@Delete('path')	Handles DELETE requests to '/base-path/path'
@Delete(':id')	Handles DELETE requests with a route parameter 'id'
remove(@Param('id') id: string)	Extracts 'id' from the route to use in method logic

Key Takeaways

Use @Delete decorator to handle HTTP DELETE requests in NestJS controllers.

Specify route parameters like ':id' in @Delete to capture dynamic values.

Use @Param decorator to access route parameters inside the method.

Always return a response to confirm the deletion or report errors.

Missing route parameters or @Param extraction are common mistakes to avoid.