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

# Deleting a cluster

> Remove a Porter-provisioned Kubernetes cluster and automatically clean up associated cloud resources like load balancers and node groups

<Warning>
  Deleting a cluster removes all applications and data running on it. This action cannot be undone.
</Warning>

## Before You Delete

Before deleting your cluster:

1. **Back up any data** stored in your applications or persistent volumes
2. **Export environment variables** and secrets if you need them for future deployments
3. **Note your configuration** if you plan to recreate the cluster later

***

## Delete the Cluster

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="AWS">
    <Warning>
      Porter needs the IAM role to delete resources. Delete the cluster first, then delete the IAM role. If you've already deleted the IAM role, you'll need to [delete resources directly from the AWS console](/other/deleting-dangling-resources).
    </Warning>

    <Steps>
      <Step title="Delete the cluster in Porter">
        1. Navigate to the **Infrastructure** tab in the Porter dashboard
        2. Click **Delete Cluster**
        3. Confirm the deletion

        This process may take up to 30 minutes.
      </Step>

      <Step title="Delete the IAM role">
        After the cluster is deleted:

        1. Navigate to **CloudFormation Stacks** in your AWS console
        2. Select the stack named `PorterRole`
        3. Click **Delete**

        This revokes Porter's access to your AWS account.
      </Step>

      <Step title="Verify cleanup">
        Check your AWS console to verify all resources have been removed:

        * **EC2**: No instances, load balancers, or security groups related to the cluster
        * **EKS**: No clusters remaining
        * **VPC**: No VPCs created by Porter
        * **ECR**: Container images may remain (delete manually if not needed)
      </Step>
    </Steps>

    <Warning>
      Deleting resources via Porter may result in dangling resources. See [Deleting Dangling Resources](/other/deleting-dangling-resources) for cleanup guidance.
    </Warning>
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="GCP">
    <Steps>
      <Step title="Delete the cluster in Porter">
        1. Navigate to the **Infrastructure** tab in the Porter dashboard
        2. Click **Additional Settings**
        3. Click **Delete Cluster**
        4. Confirm the deletion

        This process may take up to 30 minutes.
      </Step>

      <Step title="Verify cleanup">
        Check your GCP console to verify all resources have been removed:

        * **Compute Engine**: No instances or load balancers related to the cluster
        * **Kubernetes Engine**: No clusters remaining
        * **VPC networks**: No networks created by Porter
        * **Artifact Registry**: Container images may remain (delete manually if not needed)
      </Step>

      <Step title="Revoke Porter access (optional)">
        If you no longer need Porter to access your GCP project:

        1. Navigate to **IAM & Admin** → **Service Accounts**
        2. Find and delete the Porter service account
      </Step>
    </Steps>

    <Warning>
      Deleting resources via Porter may result in dangling resources. You can remove dangling resources via the GCP console or the gcloud CLI.
    </Warning>
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Azure">
    <Steps>
      <Step title="Delete the cluster in Porter">
        1. Navigate to the **Infrastructure** tab in the Porter dashboard
        2. Click **Additional Settings**
        3. Click **Delete Cluster**
        4. Confirm the deletion

        This process may take up to 30 minutes.
      </Step>

      <Step title="Verify cleanup">
        After deletion, verify in the Azure portal:

        1. Search for **Resource groups**
        2. A resource group named `<PROJECT_ID>-<AZURE_REGION>` may remain, containing your build images
        3. Porter does not delete build images by default—delete this resource group manually if needed
        4. Delete any other remaining resource groups created by Porter
      </Step>

      <Step title="Revoke Porter access (optional)">
        If you no longer need Porter to access your Azure subscription:

        1. Search for **App registrations** in the Azure portal
        2. Find and delete the Porter service principal
        3. Optionally, delete the custom `porter-aks-restricted` role definition
      </Step>
    </Steps>

    <Warning>
      Deleting resources via Porter may result in dangling resources. Check your Azure portal to verify all resources have been removed.
    </Warning>
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

***

## Troubleshooting Deletion

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Deletion is stuck or taking too long">
    If deletion takes more than 45 minutes:

    1. Check your cloud provider's console for any resources in a "deleting" state
    2. Look for dependencies that may be blocking deletion (e.g., load balancers with active connections)
    3. Contact us through the dashboard chat bot with your project ID
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Resources remain after deletion">
    If resources remain in your cloud account after Porter reports deletion complete:

    1. Follow the [Deleting Dangling Resources](/other/deleting-dangling-resources) guide
    2. Check for resources in different regions than expected
    3. Look for resources with names containing your project ID
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Cannot delete because credentials expired">
    If Porter can't delete because credentials have expired:

    **AWS**: Re-create the CloudFormation stack to restore the IAM role, then delete the cluster

    **GCP**: Upload a new service account JSON key in **Integrations** → **GCP**, then delete the cluster

    **Azure**: Generate a new client secret and update it in **Integrations** → **Azure**, then delete the cluster

    If you can't restore credentials, you'll need to [delete resources manually](/other/deleting-dangling-resources).
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>