#  `delete_actions`

Delete action info
## Usage
> pdftl `<input>` `delete_actions` `[<selector>...]` `output` `<output>`

## Details
The `delete_actions` operation deletes interactive actions and event triggers from the PDF.
This is particularly useful for sanitizing files by removing executable scripts, external URL
requests, or dynamic triggers, reducing the document's security attack surface.

Without selectors, all actions are cleanly purged across the entire document.

### Supported Target Areas
All action-bearing elements and trees are fully swept:
  - **Catalog Level**: Removes `/OpenAction` and `/AA` entries in the document catalog.
  - **Names Tree**: Completely purges and drops `/Names -> /JavaScript` libraries.
  - **Page Objects**: Removes `/AA` dictionaries from all matching pages.
  - **Annotations**: Removes activation `/A` and additional action `/AA` triggers from page
    annotations.
  - **Outlines (Bookmarks)**: Clears action `/A` entries inside the outline tree.
  - **AcroForm Fields**: Wipes out `/AA` formatting, validation, keystroke, and calculation
    event blocks from interactive form elements.
  - **Sequential Sub-chains (`/Next` Trees)**: Recursively detaches or removes matched actions
    nested inside hierarchical action paths.

### Filtering Syntax
Actions can be filtered using the same selector syntax as [`dump_annots`](<dump_annots.md>) and [`modify_annots`](<modify_annots.md>).
The general format is:
`[page-range]/[ActionType]([Property=Value], ...)`

  - **Page Range**: Page specs (e.g., `1-3`, `odd`, `even`). Only page-specific actions will be
    deleted.
  - **Action Type**: Subtype of the action to target (e.g. `/JavaScript`, `/Launch`, `/URI`,
    `/SubmitForm`, `/GoTo`).
  - **Properties**: Matches key-value targets inside action dictionaries (e.g., targeting a
    specific launch file path or JavaScript snippet).
## Examples

> Delete all actions from in.pdf
```
pdftl in.pdf delete_actions output out.pdf
```

> Delete only JavaScript actions
```
pdftl in.pdf delete_actions /JavaScript output out.pdf
```

> Strip high-risk launch actions and form submission handlers
```
pdftl in.pdf delete_actions /Launch /SubmitForm output out.pdf
```

> Delete JavaScript actions specifically on Page 1
```
pdftl in.pdf delete_actions "1/JavaScript" output out.pdf
```


**Tags**: in_place, actions, delete

*Source: pdftl.operations.delete_actions*

*Read online: [https://pdftl.readthedocs.io/en/latest/operations/delete_actions.html](https://pdftl.readthedocs.io/en/latest/operations/delete_actions.html)*

*Type: Operation*