# Emptying a directory bucket


You can empty an Amazon S3 directory bucket by using the Amazon S3 console. For more information about directory buckets, see [Working with directory buckets](directory-buckets-overview.md).

Before you empty a directory bucket, note the following:
+ When you empty a directory bucket, you delete all the objects, but you keep the directory bucket.
+ After you empty a directory bucket, the empty action can't be undone.
+ Objects that are added to the directory bucket while the empty bucket action is in progress might be deleted. 

If you also want to delete the bucket, note the following:
+ All objects in the directory bucket must be deleted before the bucket itself can be deleted.
+ In-progress multipart uploads in the directory bucket must be aborted before the bucket itself can be deleted.
**Note**  
The `s3 rm` command through the AWS Command Line Interface (CLI), the `delete` operation through Mountpoint, and the **Empty** bucket option button through the AWS Management Console are unable to delete in-progress multipart uploads in a directory bucket. To delete these in-progress multipart uploads, use the `ListMultipartUploads` operation to list the in-progress multipart uploads in the bucket and use the `AbortMultipartUpload` operation to abort all the in-progress multipart uploads.

To delete a directory bucket, see [Deleting a directory bucket](directory-bucket-delete.md). To abort an in-progress multipart upload, see [Aborting a multipart upload](abort-mpu.md).

To empty a general purpose bucket, see [Emptying a general purpose bucket](empty-bucket.md).

## Using the S3 console


**To empty a directory bucket**

1. Sign in to the AWS Management Console and open the Amazon S3 console at [https://console.aws.amazon.com/s3/](https://console.aws.amazon.com/s3/).

1. In the left navigation pane, choose **Directory buckets**.

1. Choose the option button next to the name of the bucket that you want to empty, and then choose **Empty**.

1. On the **Empty bucket** page, confirm that you want to empty the bucket by entering **permanently delete** in the text field, and then choose **Empty**.

1. Monitor the progress of the bucket emptying process on the **Empty bucket: status** page.