Best way to delete content fragment at language master level and in all live copies

[LK-CMS]

Hi,

We are using AEM cloud and got a request to delete a content fragment from language master as well as all the live copies (around 150).  Could anyone suggest a best and clean approach as we don't want to have unforeseen issues later. 

For now, I am contemplating the below. 

unpublishing all live copies -> delete content fragment at language master  -> delete all live copies

[giuseppebaglio]

hi @LK-CMS,

you should treat it as an asset cleanup exercise plus an MSM cleanup exercise and do it in a controlled way.

1. Inventory all usages first

• Use the References panel (from the fragment in Assets/Content Fragments console) to list all pages and fragments that reference this fragment across all language copies.​

• Optionally run or build a small report to export all usages (example here)

2. Decide what should happen in live copies. Typical options:

• Remove the CF component from the pages in live copies.

• Replace the CF reference with another fragment.

3. Clean up references in language master and live copies

• For each referenced page, remove or replace the CF component, starting with the language master and then syncing changes out with MSM where inheritance is still active.​

• Where authors have already cancelled inheritance on the CF component in specific locales, adjust those pages manually or via a scripted update (Groovy/HTTP API) so that no pages still reference the fragment.

4. Unpublish the fragments, master and live copies

5. Delete the fragments in DAM

For automation, you could also consider a Groovy console/script in a non‑prod environment to:

• Enumerate all CF live copies under your DAM folder.

• Check for page usages.

• Remove or replace references and then delete the CFs.