# Delete a NAT Gateway Rule

Permanently remove a specific rule from a NAT gateway using the `DELETE` request.

{% hint style="warning" %}
**Warning:**

* The operation is irreversible; you cannot undo the deletion once it begins.
* Deleting a NAT gateway rule immediately blocks all traffic relying on that rule. Configure alternative routing before you proceed with the deletion.
  {% endhint %}

## Endpoint

`https://api.ionos.com/cloudapi/v6/datacenters/{datacenterId}/natgateways/{natGatewayId}/rules/{natGatewayRuleId}`

## Request

```bash
curl --location \
--request DELETE 'https://api.ionos.com/cloudapi/v6/datacenters/1e072e52-2255-492f-8a89-8e306d48634b/natgateways/6b1b2b2c-3c3d-4e4f-5f5f-6f6f7f7f8f8f/rules/9a9a9a9a-8b8b-7c7c-6d6d-5e5e4f4f3f3f' \
--header 'Authorization: Bearer $IONOS_TOKEN'
```

{% tabs %}
{% tab title="Request Header Parameters" %}
Include the following mandatory fields in the request header to authenticate your requests:

| **Header Parameters** | **Required** | **Type** | **Description**                                                             |
| --------------------- | ------------ | -------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `Authorization`       | yes          | string   | Use a Bearer token to authenticate requests through a JSON Web Token (JWT). |
| {% endtab %}          |              |          |                                                                             |
| {% endtabs %}         |              |          |                                                                             |

## Response

A **202 Accepted** response indicates that the NAT gateway rule is successfully deleted. The resource maintains a `DESTROYING` status until the deletion is complete. Once the process finishes, the rule is removed from the NAT gateway, and the gateway blocks all traffic matching the rule's criteria.

{% hint style="info" %}
**Note:** NAT gateway rule deletion is performed asynchronously. For core Cloud API endpoints, the response includes a `Location` header with a URL to poll the request status.
{% endhint %}


---

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