DROP TAG

Removes a tag definition and all of its assignments from the catalog.

Syntax

DROP TAG [IF EXISTS] <name>

Description

## Overview Removes a tag definition from the control plane catalog. When a tag is dropped, all assignments of that tag (on tables, views, and columns) are also removed. This is a destructive operation that cannot be undone. ## Behavior - The tag definition and all of its value assignments across all objects are deleted. - If IF EXISTS is specified and the tag does not exist, the statement completes successfully without error. - If IF EXISTS is omitted and the tag does not exist, the command returns an error. - The command routes through the control plane catalog API. A valid catalog router connection is required. - There is no CASCADE option; dropping a tag always removes all assignments. ## Compatibility DROP TAG is a DeltaForge extension. It removes both the tag definition and all assignments in a single operation.

Examples

-- Drop a tag definition
DROP TAG deprecated_label;

-- Drop a tag only if it exists
DROP TAG IF EXISTS temp_classification;

-- Clean up multiple obsolete tags
DROP TAG IF EXISTS legacy_owner;
DROP TAG IF EXISTS old_sensitivity;
DROP TAG IF EXISTS v1_domain;

Pitfalls

• Dropping a tag removes ALL assignments of that tag across every table, view, and column in the catalog. Verify that no compliance or governance workflows depend on the tag before dropping it.
• There is no way to recover a dropped tag or its assignments. Export tag assignments via SHOW TAGS or DESCRIBE TAG before dropping if a backup is needed.
• If downstream pipelines or reports filter on tag values, dropping the tag will silently break those filters.

See Also

• CREATE_TAG
• ALTER_TAG
• DESCRIBE_TAG
• SHOW_TAGS
• UNSET_TAG