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

> Reference and syntax for the DROP SCHEMA command.

# DROP SCHEMA

Deletes a schema from the current database.

## Syntax

```sql theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light","dark":"github-dark"}}
DROP SCHEMA [IF EXISTS] <schema_name> [CASCADE | RESTRICT]
```

## Parameters

| Parameter       | Description                                                                                                        |
| :-------------- | :----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `<schema_name>` | The name of the schema to delete.                                                                                  |
| `IF EXISTS`     | Prevents an error if the schema does not exist. Without this clause, the statement fails if the schema is missing. |
| `CASCADE`       | Drops the schema and all objects it contains, including tables, views, and aggregating indexes.                    |
| `RESTRICT`      | Prevents the schema from being dropped if it contains any objects. This is the default behavior.                   |

## Examples

**Drop an empty schema**

```sql theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light","dark":"github-dark"}}
DROP SCHEMA staging;
```

**Drop a schema only if it exists**

```sql theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light","dark":"github-dark"}}
DROP SCHEMA IF EXISTS staging;
```

**Drop a schema and all its objects**

```sql theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light","dark":"github-dark"}}
DROP SCHEMA analytics CASCADE;
```

**Prevent dropping a schema that contains objects**

The following statement fails if the `analytics` schema contains any tables, views, or other objects:

```sql theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light","dark":"github-dark"}}
DROP SCHEMA analytics RESTRICT;
```

## Related commands

* [CREATE SCHEMA](/reference-sql/commands/data-definition/create-schema) - Create a schema
* [ALTER SCHEMA](/reference-sql/commands/data-definition/alter-schema) - Modify schema properties