Uploaded files cannot be deleted: deletion confirmation has no effect

ChatGPT Bugs
1

Description

This behaviour does not appear on mobile app and only ChatGPT web application is affected.

Insufficient data deletion occurs when an application does not properly remove user-controlled data after an explicit deletion request. In ChatGPT, when selecting uploaded files and choosing to delete them, the application correctly displays a confirmation dialog stating that the files will be marked as deleted, moved to a staging area, and permanently deleted after 30 days.

However, clicking the Delete button in the confirmation dialog has no effect. The selected files are not moved to the staging/deleted area and remain visible in the file repository. This prevents users from deleting uploaded files that may contain personal, confidential, or sensitive information.

Business Impact

This issue may lead to privacy and data-retention risks, reputational damage, and loss of customer trust. Users may be unable to remove personal or sensitive data from their account after requesting deletion.

Steps to Reproduce

  1. Log in to ChatGPT.

  2. Navigate to the uploaded files repository: https:// chatgpt .com /library

  3. Select one or more uploaded files.

  4. Click the delete option.

  5. Observe that a confirmation dialog appears, stating that the files will be moved to staging and permanently deleted after 30 days.

  6. Click Delete in the confirmation dialog.

  7. Observe that nothing happens.

  8. Verify that the files remain in the repository and are not moved to the staging/deleted area.

2

Welcome to the community @alexrocchi!

I tried to reproduce this on ChatGPT web, but in my case the uploaded file was deleted successfully after confirming deletion.

Does this happen for you in every browser and does it still happen after refreshing or signing out and back in?

Could you also clarify which browser/OS you’re using, whether extensions/ad blockers are enabled and whether it happens with every file or only specific files.

3

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Thanks for checking and trying to reproduce it.

I’m on Windows. I can reproduce the issue on Firefox and also on Microsoft Edge.

On Edge I do not have any extensions installed/enabled, so at least in that browser it should not be caused by an ad blocker or extension. On Firefox I may need to double-check whether any privacy/ad-blocking extension is active, but the same failure also occurs in Edge without extensions.

After confirming deletion, the UI does not remove the file and the Network tab shows the deletion request failing with HTTP 404:

POST /backend-api/files/library/files/{library_file_id}/delete_stream?...&soft_delete=true

The file is still present after refreshing the page. I can also test again after signing out and back in.

The affected file I tested is:

after_refactor_coupling_ar(1).json

But this happens on every file. I can provide the x-oai-request-id and a short screen recording if useful.

4

Thanks for checking and clarifying.

Since this happens in both Firefox and Edge, including Edge without extensions and the Network tab shows the delete request failing with HTTP 404. I think the next step here is to contact support and open a support case, because this sounds like it may need to investigate from their side. You can contact them by email: support@openai.com

In that email I would include the x-oai-request-id, a screen recording, browser/OS details and the failing request path.

Small note: I am not an OpenAI employee, just an another user here, hence the reason I can’t provide for much more than this.

5

Thanks for jumping in here, @LarisaHaster.

@alexrocchi, if you already have a case number, please share it here and I will look into what’s going on without guessing.

Avinash

6

Thanks Larisa for your support!

Dear Avinash,

My support case number is 09792744.

I have added the detailed evidence to the support case, including the failing request/response headers, request payload, response body, and browser console errors. I am not posting full auth/cookie headers publicly here, since they contain sensitive session data.

Summary of the relevant details:

  • OS/browser: Windows, reproduced in Firefox and Microsoft Edge.

  • Edge has no extensions installed/enabled.

  • The issue persists after refreshing the file library page.

  • The failing request is a backend deletion request:
    POST /backend-api/files/library/files/{library_file_id}/delete_stream?file_id={file_id}&file_name={file_name}&soft_delete=true

  • Example failing request:

    • File name: TF3.csv

    • Status: 404 Not Found

    • Response body: {"detail":"Not Found"}

    • x-oai-request-id: a9f35f7a-c89b-4a9b-adbb-a405a0cba1bb

    • x-build: 676f0f2eb649

    • Date: Mon, 08 Jun 2026 20:58:51 GMT

  • For brevity I am including a single failing request as an example. I performed multiple deletion attempts, but this request is representative of the behavior I observed.

  • I also see a /backend-api/compliance/cookie_consent 403 and a missing translation warning for it-IT, but the main deletion failure appears to be the repeated backend 404 on delete_stream.

From the client side, the deletion action is being triggered and sent to the backend, but the backend responds with 404 and the files remain in the library instead of being moved to the deleted/staging area.

Thanks again,
Alessio

7

You’re welcome! Hopefully this gets sorted for you soon.

8

Appreciate you sharing!