openaienmodel: gpt-5-mini-2025-08-07
R2 Data Catalog warns before you delete data manually
Key Points
- Dashboard warns on manual deletes
- Wrangler checks bucket before delete
- Manual deletes can corrupt Iceberg metadata
Summary
R2 Data Catalog (a managed Apache Iceberg catalog built into R2 buckets) now warns users when they attempt manual object deletes on Data Catalog-enabled buckets. Manual adds, modifications, or deletes outside the catalog can leave Iceberg metadata pointing to missing files and corrupt tables. To reduce risk, the Cloudflare dashboard and Wrangler now display warnings before a manual delete and allow you to cancel.
Key Points
- Reason: Iceberg tracks data through metadata files; all inserts/updates/deletes must go through catalog transactions to keep tables consistent.
- Dashboard: shows a prominent warning for delete attempts on Data Catalog-enabled buckets and links to the deletion documentation; you can cancel or proceed.
- Wrangler: checks bucket Data Catalog status before running delete commands and prompts a warning asking you to confirm.
- Recommended actions: do not manually delete objects in catalog-enabled buckets; use catalog-aware deletion workflows per the R2 Data Catalog documentation and verify bucket status before destructive operations.