> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.powersync.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Cascading Delete

> Implement cascading deletes in client-side SQLite using triggers and upload queue handlers.

PowerSync [uses SQLite views](/architecture/client-architecture#schema) instead of standard tables, so SQLite features like foreign key constraints and cascading deletes are not available.

There's no built-in support for cascading deletes on the client, but you can achieve this in two ways:

1. Manual deletion in a transaction - Delete all related records in a single transaction (recommended for most cases)
   <Note>
     Every local mutation performed against SQLite via the PowerSync SDK will be returned in `uploadData`. As long as you're using `.execute()` for the mutation, the operation will be present in the upload queue.
   </Note>

2. Triggers - Create triggers on the [internal tables](/architecture/client-architecture#schema) (more complex, but more automatic)
   <Note>
     You create triggers on the internal tables (not the views defined by the client schema), similar to what is done [here](https://github.com/powersync-ja/powersync-js/blob/e77b1abfbed91988de1f4c707c24855cd66b2219/demos/react-supabase-todolist/src/app/utils/fts_setup.ts#L50).
   </Note>

## Example: Manual Transaction

This example from the [React Native To-Do List demo app](https://github.com/powersync-ja/powersync-js/tree/main/demos/react-native-supabase-todolist) shows how to delete a `list` and all its associated `todos` in a single transaction:

```typescript theme={null}
const deleteList = async (id: string) => {
  await system.powersync.writeTransaction(async (tx) => {
    // Delete associated todos
    await tx.execute(`DELETE FROM ${TODO_TABLE} WHERE list_id = ?`, [id]);
    // Delete list record
    await tx.execute(`DELETE FROM ${LIST_TABLE} WHERE id = ?`, [id]);
  });
};
```

<Note>
  Every mutation performed via `.execute()` is added to the upload queue and returned in `uploadData`. PowerSync will also delete local records when your backend performs cascade deletes on the source database (as long as those tables are in the publication).

  For example, if you delete a record from the local `lists` table and Supabase cascade deletes a record from the `todo` table, PowerSync will also delete the local `todo` record when online.
</Note>