Delete file from SFTP

[HeinL]

I successfully created a workflow that downloads a file from SFTP.  After processing the file I want to delete the version on the SFTP site.  I copied my download workflow and changed the HTTP Action to DELETE. I add some screenshots of my workflow and some of the settings.  When I run the workflow I get no error messages but the file is not deleted.  I looked for a solution in the Community but can only find mentions of up- and download problems.  Anyone solved this yet?Workflow

Input from Excel

Download Configuration

Download Configuration

[patrick_mcauliffe]

Are you downloading and deleting all in a single download tool?

[HeinL]

No.  I have a workflow for the download.  Then some workflows in between to do some data work and loading to SQL and only then do I do the delete in a different workflow with a different download tool.  I do this to make sure that the file is not broken after I have done all the other things.

[patrick_mcauliffe]

@HeinL

What are the other configuration options you used in the Download tool that performs the DELETE?

[HeinL]

The screenshots in my original post show all the configuration options I have changed.  Everything else was left as is.  I changed nothing in the Headers tab.  I added my username and password in the Connection tab and left the Maximum Connections as 1 and Timeout as 0.

In the Input Tool I just specify the SFTP site and file.

[patrick_mcauliffe]

Have you tried to uncheck the box "Encode URL Text"?

[HeinL]

Tried it just now.  It does nothing.  These are the messages I get (I am just masking some things like servers etc.):

File_Output: Download (45): \\servername\folder\all_customers.txt | Data Downloaded to \\server\folder\all_customers.txt

End: Designer x64: Finished running Delete FTP File.yxmd in 1:22 minutes

[patrick_mcauliffe]

I don't have an SFTP I can test with at the moment; so I admit this is just a guess... have you tried to change your output (tab one, basic configuration) to a string field instead of a file?

If that fails, then I'd be interested to know if there is a tool that you can successfully delete the file with.

If you can successfully delete the file with another tool (and therefore not a permissions issue); I would do that with Fiddler open and confirm you have all of the elements set up the same way in Alteryx.

[HeinL]

So I figured out how to use Fiddler :-).  This is the error message I get:

DELETE /Folder/all_customers_201510.txt?sftp://sftp.intranet/Folder/all_customers_201510.txt HTTP/1.1

The URL I supply looks like this:

sftp://sftp.intranet/Folder/all_customers_201510.txt

It looks like Alteryx adds the first bit and then the SFTP site does not understand it.  I am no expert but I think it should read:

DELETE sftp://sftp.intranet/Folder/all_customers_201510.txt

Tried various ways to get Alteryx to read it as such but I am not successful.

[patrick_mcauliffe · Accepted solution]

Try this:

Only pass the URL field to the Download tool.

In the Download tool

Option tab one (Basic)

URL field: URL (Check box to encode URL)

Output to a Field: String

Option tab two (Headers)

No changes

Option tab three (Payload)

HTTP Action: Delete

Radio button should be selecting "Compose Query String/Body" with no other options set.

Option tab four (Connection)

Enter credentials if you need to

That should set the request up the way you need it.