> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://helix-isolate-failing-index-entities.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# helix prune

> Remove Helix-owned local containers, volumes, and instance state

<div className="flex flex-wrap gap-2"><Badge color="gray" size="sm">Reference</Badge></div>

Remove Helix-owned local containers, networks, disk-mode volumes, and per-instance workspace state.
Local only; the instance stays in `helix.toml`.

## Usage

```bash theme={null}
helix prune [INSTANCE] [OPTIONS]
```

## Arguments

| Argument | Description |
| - | - |
| `INSTANCE` | Local instance to prune. If omitted, the CLI prompts in a TTY or requires `--all`. |

## Options

| Flag | Description | Default |
| - | - | - |
| `-a`, `--all` | Prune every local instance in the project. | Off |
| `-y`, `--yes` | Skip confirmation prompts. Required with `--all` in non-TTY environments. | Off |

## Behavior

`helix prune` only touches resources the CLI manages:

* The container named `helix-<project>-<instance>`.
* The disk-mode SeaweedFS sidecar, network, and persistent volume when present, plus any MinIO sidecar and volume left by an older CLI.
* The disk-cache volume of a disk-mode or S3 instance.
* The per-instance directory under `.helix/`.

It never runs a broad `docker system prune` or `podman system prune`, and it never deletes remote S3
object-store data.

* `helix prune <instance>` removes resources without confirmation, including persisted disk-mode data.

* `helix prune --all` prints a warning and asks for confirmation in a TTY. Without a TTY, or with `--json`, it refuses to run without `--yes`:

  ```text theme={null}
  refusing to prune every local instance without confirmation
  ```

* If nothing was found to prune for an instance, the CLI prints `No local runtime resources found for <instance>` and exits successfully.

* With `--json`, prints one object for the whole run: `{"pruned":[{"instance":"dev","removed":true}]}`.

## Examples

```bash theme={null}
# Prune a specific instance
helix prune dev

# Interactive selection (TTY)
helix prune

# Prune everything Helix-owned for every local instance
helix prune --all

# Same, non-interactively
helix prune --all --yes
```

## Related

* [`helix stop`](/cli/command-reference/stop) — stop an instance but keep disk-mode data.
* [`helix delete`](/cli/command-reference/delete) — also remove the instance from `helix.toml`.
* [`helix start`](/cli/command-reference/start) — start a fresh instance after pruning.


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