# How to drop a table in PostgreSQL

> To drop/delete a table from the PostgreSQL database, open the SQL SHELL and type the DROP TABLE command followed by the table name.

There are a couple of ways to drop/remove a table in **PostgreSQL,** such as using **psql** and **pgAdmin**. In **PostgreSQL** , the **DROP TABLE** command is used to delete/drop the targeted table permanently. Therefore, once a table is dropped using the **DROP TABLE** command, it cannot be retrieved.

 **How to Drop/Delete a table using SQL SHELL (psql) in PostgreSQL?**

The **DROP TABLE** command is used to delete/drop a table and everything that resides within that table permanently. The basic syntax of the DROP TABLE command will be as follows:
    
    
    DROP TABLE tblname;

Here, the **DROP TABLE** is a command that drops a table while tblname is the table to be dropped.

 **How to Drop/Delete Multiple tables in PostgreSQL using psql?**

You can drop multiple tables using the **DROP TABLE** command simultaneously. To do so, you have to follow the comma-separated syntax as shown in the below-given snippet:
    
    
    DROP TABLE table1, table2, ...;

Here, table1, table2, etc., are the tables to be dropped/deleted.

Let’s follow the below-given steps to understand how to drop a table in **PostgreSQL** :

 **Step 1: Check available databases**

Type **“\l”** to check the list of available databases:
    
    
    \l

 **Step 2: Access/Select the database**

Firstly, select/access the database where the table to be deleted is located. To do so, type **“\c”** followed by database name:
    
    
    \c example

Here, **“\c”** represents a command while “example” is the database to be accessed:

 **Step 3: Check available tables**

To get all available tables within the targeted database, run the "/d" command:
    
    
    \d

The above snippet shows that there are two tables (company_details and team_details) within the selected database.

 **Step 4: Drop the tables**

Let’s drop both these tables using the **DROP TABLE** command:
    
    
    DROP TABLE company_details, team_details;

 **Step 5: Verify the Table deletion**

Let’s execute the **“\d”** command to verify whether the selected tables have been dropped or not:
    
    
    \d

This is how you can drop a table using the **DROP TABLE** command from the psql.

 **How to Drop/Delete a table using pgAdmin in PostgreSQL?**

Follow the below-given step-wise instructions to drop a table using the **pgAdmin:**

 **Step 1: Select the database**

Firstly, open the **pgAdmin** and select the database in which the targeted table is located:

 **Step 2: Open the Schemas**

Let’s click on the **schemas** and select the **public** section/option:

 **Step 3: Find the tables section**

Scroll down to locate the **Tables** section. To check the list of available tables, click on the **tables** section:

The above-given snippet shows that there are two tables available in the selected database.

 **Step 4: Drop the selected table**

Select the table to be dropped under the **“Tables”** section. Right-click on the targeted table and select the Delete/Drop option to drop the unwanted table:

 **Step 5: Confirm the table deletion**

Clicking on the Drop/Delete option will show a “drop table” window. Clicking on the “Yes” button will drop/delete the targeted table permanently from the database:

 **Step 6: Verify the table deletion**

You can verify the table deletion under the **“Tables”** section:

The above-given snippet shows that the **“company_details”** table is no longer available under the **“Tables”** section.

This is how you can drop a table in **PostgreSQL** by using the **SQL SHELL (psql)** and **pgAdmin**.

 **Conclusion**

In **PostgreSQL** , we can drop a table using **SQL SHELL** and **pgAdmin**. Utilize the **DROP TABLE** command followed by the table name to drop the targeted table from **SQL SHELL**. While in the case of **pgAdmin** , select the database > open the public section under schemas > find the targeted table > right-click on the selected table > select the Drop/Delete option to delete the selected table from the database. This write-up explained a couple of table deletion methods with the help of appropriate screenshots.

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