db.collection.drop()

Definition

db.collection.drop(<options>)

Important

mongosh Method

This is a mongosh method. This is not the documentation for Node.js or other programming language specific driver methods.

In most cases, mongosh methods work the same way as the legacy mongo shell methods. However, some legacy methods are unavailable in mongosh.

For the legacy mongo shell documentation, refer to the documentation for the corresponding MongoDB Server release:

• mongo shell v4.4

• mongo shell v4.2

• mongo shell v4.0

For MongoDB API drivers, refer to the language specific MongoDB driver documentation.

Removes a collection or view from the database. The method also removes any indexes associated with the dropped collection. The method provides a wrapper around the drop command.

Note

For a sharded cluster, if you use db.collection.drop() and then create a new collection with the same name, you must either:

• Flush the cached routing table on every mongos using flushRouterConfig.

• Use db.collection.remove() to remove the existing documents and reuse the collection. Use this approach to avoid flushing the cache.

db.collection.drop() has the form:

Changed in version 4.0: db.collection.drop() accepts an options document.

db.collection.drop( { writeConcern: <document> } )

db.collection.drop() takes an optional document with the following field:

Field	Description
writeConcern	Optional. A document expressing the write concern of the db.collection.drop() operation. Omit to use the default write concern. When issued on a sharded cluster, mongos converts the write concern of the drop command and its helper db.collection.drop() to "majority". New in version 4.0.

Returns:	true when successfully drops a collection. false when collection to drop does not exist.

Behavior

• The db.collection.drop() method and drop command create an invalidate Event for any Change Streams opened on dropped collection.

• Starting in MongoDB 4.4, the db.collection.drop() method and drop command abort any in-progress index builds on the target collection before dropping the collection. Prior to MongoDB 4.4, attempting to drop a collection with in-progress index builds results in an error, and the collection is not dropped.

  For replica sets or shard replica sets, aborting an index on the primary does not simultaneously abort secondary index builds. MongoDB attempts to abort the in-progress builds for the specified indexes on the primary and if successful creates an associated abort oplog entry. Secondary members with replicated in-progress builds wait for a commit or abort oplog entry from the primary before either committing or aborting the index build.

• Starting in MongoDB 4.0.2, dropping a collection deletes its associated zone/tag ranges.

• Starting in MongoDB 5.0, the drop command and the db.collection.drop() method return an error if you try to drop a collection in the admin database or the config database from a mongos. To drop these collections, connect to the config server and run the command there.

  Warning

  Dropping collections in the admin database or the config database can leave your cluster in an unusable state.

Example

db.students.drop()

db.students.drop( { writeConcern: { w: 1 } } )