# mc retention clear

LLMS index: [llms.txt](/llms.txt)

---

> [!NOTE]
> **Since mcli 20260916:** A partial recursive retention failure returns exit status 1 and reports each failed object once; successful objects are not rolled back. [Release behavior](/compatibility/mcli/#current-release).


<a id="mc-retention-clear"></a>

<a id="command-mc.retention.clear"></a>

## Syntax {#syntax}

The [`mc retention clear`](#command-mc.retention.clear) command removes the [Write-Once Read-Many (WORM) locking](/administration/object-management/object-retention/#minio-object-locking) settings for an object or object(s) in a bucket. You can also remove the default object lock settings for a bucket.

To change the retention status of an object under [legal hold](/administration/object-management/object-retention/#minio-object-locking-legalhold), use [`mc legalhold clear`](/reference/minio-mc/mc-legalhold-clear/#command-mc.legalhold.clear).

**EXAMPLE**

The following command removes the default object lock configuration for the `mydata` bucket on the `myminio` MinIO deployment:

```shell
mc retention clear --default myminio/mydata
```

**SYNTAX**

The command has the following syntax:

```shell
mc [GLOBALFLAGS] retention clear           \
                 [--default]               \
                 [--recursive]             \
                 [--rewind "string"]       \
                 [--version-id "string"]*  \
                 [--versions]              \
                 ALIAS
```

- Brackets `[]` indicate optional parameters.
- Parameters sharing a line are mutually dependent.
- Parameters separated using the pipe `|` operator are mutually exclusive.

Copy the example to a text editor and modify as-needed before running the command in the terminal/shell.

[`mc retention clear --version-id`](#mc.retention.clear.-version-id) is mutually exclusive with multiple other parameters. See the reference documentation for more information.

### Parameters {#parameters}

##### `ALIAS` {#mc.retention.clear.ALIAS}

*mc-cmd*

*Required*

The full path to the object or objects for which to clear the object lock configuration. Specify the [`alias`](/reference/minio-mc/mc-alias/#command-mc.alias) of a configured S3-compatible service as the prefix to the `ALIAS` bucket path. For example:

```shell
mc retention clear play/mybucket/object.txt
```

- **If the `ALIAS` specifies a bucket or bucket prefix, include**

  > [`--recursive`](#mc.retention.clear.-recursive) to clear the object lock settings to the bucket contents.
- **If the `ALIAS` bucket has versioning enabled,**

  > [`mc retention clear`](#command-mc.retention.clear) by default applies to only the latest object version. Use [`--version-id`](#mc.retention.clear.-version-id) or [`--versions`](#mc.retention.clear.-versions) to clear the object lock settings for a specific version or for all versions of the object.

##### `--default` {#mc.retention.clear.-default}

*mc-cmd*

*Optional*

Clears the default object lock settings for the bucket specified to [`ALIAS`](#mc.retention.clear.ALIAS).

If specifying [`--default`](#mc.retention.clear.-default), [`mc retention clear`](#command-mc.retention.clear) ignores all other flags.

##### `--recursive, r` {#mc.retention.clear.-recursive}

*mc-cmd*

*Optional*

Recursively clears the object lock settings for all objects in the specified [`ALIAS`](#mc.retention.clear.ALIAS) path.

Mutually exclusive with [`--version-id`](#mc.retention.clear.-version-id).

##### `--rewind` {#mc.retention.clear.-rewind}

*mc-cmd*

*Optional*

Directs [`mc retention clear`](#command-mc.retention.clear) to operate only on the object version(s) that existed at specified point-in-time.

- To rewind to a specific date in the past, specify the date as an ISO8601-formatted timestamp. For example: `--rewind "2020.03.24T10:00"`.
- To rewind a duration in time, specify the duration as a string in `#d#hh#mm#ss` format. For example: `--rewind "1d2hh3mm4ss"`.

[`--rewind`](#mc.retention.clear.-rewind) requires that the specified [`ALIAS`](#mc.retention.clear.ALIAS) be an S3-compatible service that supports [Bucket Versioning](/administration/object-management/object-versioning/#minio-bucket-versioning). For MinIO deployments, use [`mc version`](/reference/minio-mc/mc-version/#command-mc.version) to enable or disable bucket versioning.

##### `--version-id, vid` {#mc.retention.clear.-version-id}

*mc-cmd*

*Optional*

Directs [`mc retention clear`](#command-mc.retention.clear) to operate only on the specified object version.

[`--version-id`](#mc.retention.clear.-version-id) requires that the specified [`ALIAS`](#mc.retention.clear.ALIAS) be an S3-compatible service that supports [Bucket Versioning](/administration/object-management/object-versioning/#minio-bucket-versioning). For MinIO deployments, use [`mc version`](/reference/minio-mc/mc-version/#command-mc.version) to enable or disable bucket versioning.

Mutually exclusive with any of the following flags:

- [`--versions`](#mc.retention.clear.-versions)
- [`--rewind`](#mc.retention.clear.-rewind)
- [`--recursive`](#mc.retention.clear.-recursive)

##### `--versions` {#mc.retention.clear.-versions}

*mc-cmd*

*Optional*

Directs [`mc retention clear`](#command-mc.retention.clear) to operate on all object versions that exist in the bucket.

[`--versions`](#mc.retention.clear.-versions) requires that the specified [`ALIAS`](#mc.retention.clear.ALIAS) be an S3-compatible service that supports [Bucket Versioning](/administration/object-management/object-versioning/#minio-bucket-versioning). For MinIO deployments, use [`mc version`](/reference/minio-mc/mc-version/#command-mc.version) to enable or disable bucket versioning.

Use [`--versions`](#mc.retention.clear.-versions) and [`--rewind`](#mc.retention.clear.-rewind) together to remove the retention settings from all object versions that existed at a specific point-in-time.

### Global Flags {#global-flags}

This command supports any of the [global flags](/reference/minio-mc/#minio-mc-global-options).

## Examples {#examples}

### Clear Object Lock Settings for an Object or Object(s) {#clear-object-lock-settings-for-an-object-or-object-s}

**Specific Object**

```shell
mc retention clear ALIAS/PATH
```

- Replace [`ALIAS`](#mc.retention.clear.ALIAS) with the [`alias`](/reference/minio-mc/mc-alias/#command-mc.alias) of a configured S3-compatible host.
- Replace [`PATH`](#mc.retention.clear.ALIAS) with the path to the object.

**Multiple Objects**

Use [`mc retention clear`](#command-mc.retention.clear) with [`--recursive`](#mc.retention.clear.-recursive) to clear the retention settings from all objects in a bucket:

```shell
mc retention clear --recursive ALIAS/PATH
```

- Replace [`ALIAS`](#mc.retention.clear.ALIAS) with the [`alias`](/reference/minio-mc/mc-alias/#command-mc.alias) of a configured S3-compatible host.
- Replace [`PATH`](#mc.retention.clear.ALIAS) with the path to the bucket.

> The bucket *must* have object locking enabled to use this command. You can only enable object locking when creating a bucket. See [`mc mb --with-lock`](/reference/minio-mc/mc-mb/#mc.mb.-with-lock) for more information on creating buckets with object locking enabled.

### S3 Compatibility {#s3-compatibility}

SILO is the supported server for PGSTY mcli; compatibility with upstream MinIO and other S3 services is [best effort](/reference/minio-mc/#command-mc).