# rpk group delete

> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.redpanda.com/llms.txt). Component-specific: [streaming-full.txt](https://docs.redpanda.com/streaming-full.txt)

---
title: rpk group delete
latest-redpanda-tag: v24.3.9
latest-console-tag: v3.7.3
latest-operator-version: v26.1.4
# EOL = End-of-Life (support lifecycle status)
page-is-nearing-eol: "false"
page-is-past-eol: "true"
page-eol-date: December 3, 2025
latest-connect-version: 4.93.0
docname: rpk/rpk-group/rpk-group-delete
page-component-name: streaming
page-version: "24.3"
page-component-version: "24.3"
page-component-title: Streaming
page-relative-src-path: rpk/rpk-group/rpk-group-delete.adoc
page-edit-url: https://github.com/redpanda-data/docs/edit/v/24.3/modules/reference/pages/rpk/rpk-group/rpk-group-delete.adoc
page-git-created-date: "2023-05-17"
page-git-modified-date: "2024-07-24"
support-status: past end-of-life
---

<!-- Source: https://docs.redpanda.com/streaming/24.3/reference/rpk/rpk-group/rpk-group-delete.md -->

Delete consumer groups explicitly through `rpk group delete`.

This allows you to proactively manage offsets, for example, when you’ve created temporary groups for quick investigation or testing and you want to clear offsets sooner than the automatic cleanup.

Consumer groups are automatically deleted when the last committed offset expires. Group offset deletion can happen through:

-   Kafka `OffsetDelete` API: Offsets can be explicitly deleted using the Kafka `OffsetDelete` API. See [`rpk group offset delete`](https://docs.redpanda.com/streaming/24.3/reference/rpk/rpk-group/rpk-group-offset-delete/).

-   Periodic Offset Expiration: Offsets expire automatically when the group has been empty for a set duration.

    See also: [Cluster properties: `group_offset_retention_sec`](https://docs.redpanda.com/streaming/24.3/reference/properties/cluster-properties/#group_offset_retention_sec)


## [](#usage)Usage

```bash
rpk group delete [GROUPS...] [flags]
```

## [](#flags)Flags

| Value | Type | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| -h, --help | - | Help for delete. |
| --config | string | Redpanda or rpk config file; default search paths are /var/lib/redpanda/.config/rpk/rpk.yaml, $PWD/redpanda.yaml, and /etc/redpanda/redpanda.yaml. |
| -X, --config-opt | stringArray | Override rpk configuration settings. See rpk -X or execute rpk -X help for inline detail or rpk -X list for terser detail. |
| --profile | string | Profile to use. See rpk profile for more details. |
| -v, --verbose | - | Enable verbose logging. |