influxdata/influxdb · error · CatalogError

Cannot delete running plugin

Error message

Cannot delete running plugin {}. Disable it first or use --force.

What it means

The requested plugin delete targets a Processing Engine trigger plugin that is currently running (enabled and executing). The catalog refuses to delete it in order to avoid killing live execution, and tells the user to disable it first or pass --force.

Solutions

1. Disable the trigger first (DISABLE TRIGGER or the disable API), then delete the plugin.
2. If you are sure, delete with the --force flag to remove the running plugin anyway.
3. List triggers in the database to confirm which ones reference the plugin before deleting.

Example fix

// before
influxdb3 package delete my_plugin
// after
disable trigger first, then:
influxdb3 package delete my_plugin --force

// Only delete when the trigger is not running
const trigger = await client.getTrigger(db, name);
if (trigger && trigger.state === 'Running') {
  await client.disableTrigger(db, name);
}
await client.deletePlugin(db, name);

function isRunning(trigger) {
  return trigger != null && trigger.state === 'Running';
}

try {
  await deletePlugin(db, name);
} catch (e) {
  if (String(e).includes('Cannot delete running plugin')) {
    await disableTrigger(db, name);
    await deletePlugin(db, name);
  } else throw e;
}

When it happens

Trigger: Calling the plugin/trigger delete API for a trigger whose state is Running, without first disabling it and without the force flag set.

Common situations: Cleaning up old plugins while their triggers are still scheduled; automation scripts that delete plugins without checking trigger state; operators forgetting the two-step disable-then-delete workflow.

Understand the failure class

Background: "Invalid state transition" errors: "status must be X, actually Y", "already rejected/charging/uninstalled", "cannot ... while running" — what they mean when a library rejects your call — this error's family across 31 libraries.

Related errors

• Cannot delete plugin
• {0}
• Cannot overwrite Processing Engine Trigger
• failed to parse trigger from
• invalid database name

AI-assisted analysis of influxdata/influxdb@06200ef96b (2026-09-19). Data as JSON: /api/errors/a03392c51c466dc5. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at influxdb3_catalog/src/error.rs:223

    },

    #[error("catalog subscription error: {0}")]
    Subscription(#[from] SubscriptionError),

    #[error(transparent)]
    Other(#[from] anyhow::Error),

    #[error(
        "Cannot overwrite Processing Engine Trigger {} in Database {}",
        trigger_name,
        database_name
    )]
    ProcessingEngineTriggerExists {
        database_name: String,
        trigger_name: String,
    },

    #[error(
        "Cannot delete running plugin {}. Disable it first or use --force.",
        trigger_name
    )]
    ProcessingEngineTriggerRunning { trigger_name: String },

    #[error(
        "Cannot delete plugin {} in database {} because it is used by trigger {}",
        plugin_name,
        database_name,
        trigger_name
    )]
    ProcessingEnginePluginInUse {
        database_name: String,
        plugin_name: String,
        trigger_name: String,
    },

    #[error(

View on GitHub (pinned to 06200ef96b)