Databases Intermediate

What is Soft Delete?

A pattern where records are marked as deleted with a flag or timestamp rather than being physically removed from the database.

Soft delete adds a deleted_at timestamp or is_deleted boolean to tables. Queries filter out deleted records: WHERE deleted_at IS NULL. This preserves data for auditing, undo functionality, and referential integrity.

Trade-offs include increased storage, more complex queries (must always filter), unique constraint challenges, and GDPR compliance concerns (soft-deleted data still exists). Alternatives include audit tables (copy before delete) and event sourcing.

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