Python Delete Files and Directories

This chapter covers every standard way to delete files and directories in Python — from the classic os module to the modern pathlib API and the shutil module for non-empty directories. You will also learn safe patterns for error handling so that your code degrades gracefully when a file is already gone or a permission is denied.

Deleting a Single File

Using os.remove()

The os module is part of Python's standard library and provides a portable interface to operating-system functions. os.remove() deletes a single file. It raises FileNotFoundError if the path does not exist and PermissionError if the process lacks the required permissions.

Delete a file with os.remove()

import os

os.remove("report.txt")

Wrap the call in a try/except block so your program handles missing files gracefully:

Delete a file with error handling

import os

try:
    os.remove("report.txt")
    print("File deleted.")
except FileNotFoundError:
    print("File not found — nothing to delete.")
except PermissionError:
    print("Permission denied.")

Using pathlib.Path.unlink() (Python 3.4+)

pathlib provides an object-oriented interface for filesystem paths. Path.unlink() deletes the file the path points to. Since Python 3.8 you can pass missing_ok=True to suppress FileNotFoundError automatically.

Delete a file with pathlib

from pathlib import Path

# Raises FileNotFoundError if the file does not exist
Path("report.txt").unlink()

Delete a file silently if it does not exist (Python 3.8+)

from pathlib import Path

Path("report.txt").unlink(missing_ok=True)
print("Done — file deleted or was already absent.")

missing_ok=True is the idiomatic Python 3.8+ alternative to a check-then-delete pattern. Prefer it over os.path.exists() checks because it avoids a race condition: another process could delete the file between your check and your delete call.

Checking existence before deleting (classic pattern)

Before missing_ok was added, the standard approach was an os.path.exists() guard:

Check existence before deleting

import os

if os.path.exists("report.txt"):
    os.remove("report.txt")
else:
    print("File not found.")

This works fine for scripts where race conditions are not a concern, but missing_ok=True is cleaner in new code.

Deleting an Empty Directory

os.rmdir() removes a directory, but only if it is empty. It raises OSError if the directory contains any files or subdirectories.

Delete an empty directory

import os

try:
    os.rmdir("empty_folder")
    print("Directory removed.")
except FileNotFoundError:
    print("Directory not found.")
except OSError:
    print("Directory is not empty or cannot be removed.")

With pathlib, use Path.rmdir():

from pathlib import Path

Path("empty_folder").rmdir()

Deleting a Non-Empty Directory

To remove a directory and everything inside it (files, subdirectories, and their contents), use shutil.rmtree(). This is the equivalent of rm -rf on Unix — it is permanent and irreversible.

Delete a directory tree

import shutil

shutil.rmtree("old_project")
print("Directory and all its contents deleted.")

Add error handling for the common failure modes:

Delete a directory tree safely

import shutil

try:
    shutil.rmtree("old_project")
    print("Deleted successfully.")
except FileNotFoundError:
    print("Directory not found.")
except PermissionError:
    print("Permission denied.")

The ignore_errors parameter

Pass ignore_errors=True to suppress all errors silently. Use this only when you genuinely do not care whether the deletion succeeded:

import shutil

shutil.rmtree("old_project", ignore_errors=True)

Deleting Multiple Files Matching a Pattern

To delete all files matching a glob pattern, combine pathlib.Path.glob() with unlink():

Delete all .log files in a directory

from pathlib import Path

deleted = 0
for log_file in Path(".").glob("*.log"):
    log_file.unlink()
    deleted += 1
print(f"{deleted} log file(s) deleted.")

To search subdirectories recursively, use rglob():

Delete all .tmp files in a directory tree

from pathlib import Path

for tmp_file in Path(".").rglob("*.tmp"):
    tmp_file.unlink(missing_ok=True)

The os module equivalent uses os.listdir() and os.remove():

Delete all .txt files using os

import os

directory = "."
for filename in os.listdir(directory):
    if filename.endswith(".txt"):
        os.remove(os.path.join(directory, filename))

Always review which files match before running a bulk deletion. A quick print() pass before the delete loop is a safe habit.

Sending Files to the Recycle Bin (Reversible Delete)

os.remove() and Path.unlink() delete files permanently — there is no undo. If you need a recoverable delete (sending a file to the system Trash/Recycle Bin), install the third-party send2trash package:

pip install send2trash

import send2trash

send2trash.send2trash("report.txt")
print("File moved to Trash.")

This is useful in desktop tools or scripts where accidental deletion would be catastrophic.

Comparison of Deletion Methods

Key Takeaways

• Use Path.unlink(missing_ok=True) for single-file deletion in modern Python (3.8+).
• Use os.rmdir() or Path.rmdir() for empty directories only.
• Use shutil.rmtree() to remove a directory and all its contents — double-check the path first.
• Always handle FileNotFoundError and PermissionError to make scripts robust.
• Prefer send2trash when a reversible delete is important.

Related Chapters

• Python File Handling — opening, modes, and the with statement
• Python Read Files — reading data from files
• Python Write / Create Files — writing and creating files
• Python Try Except — handling exceptions robustly