# delete_instance

Delete a Google Compute Engine virtual machine (VM) instance. Requires project, zone, and instance name as input. Proceed only if there is no error in response and the status of the operation is DONE without any errors. To get details of the operation, use the get_zone_operation tool.

Agent View of the PolicyLayer registry record for `delete_instance`. HTML page: https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-compute-mcp/delete-instance

## Facts

- Tool: `delete_instance`
- Server: Mcp (`https://compute.googleapis.com/mcp`) — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-compute-mcp.md
- Homepage: https://github.com/https://compute.googleapis.com/mcp
- Risk category: Destructive (Critical risk)
- Registry record: grade F, identity unverified
- Server auth posture: open
- Server rate-limited: no
- Parameters: 3 (3 required)
- Recommended policy verdict: Hidden

## Parameters

| Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `name` | string | yes | Required. Identifier. The instance name. |
| `zone` | string | yes | Required. The zone of the instance. |
| `project` | string | yes | Required. Project ID for this request. |

Parameters from the server's own tool schema.

## Example call (MCP tools/call, JSON-RPC 2.0)

```json
{
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "id": 1,
  "method": "tools/call",
  "params": {
    "name": "delete_instance",
    "arguments": {
      "name": "<name>",
      "zone": "<zone>",
      "project": "<project>"
    }
  }
}
```

## Why delete_instance is rated Critical

Deleting a VM instance is an irreversible destructive action that terminates compute resources and potentially causes service outages. This is the most severe category because the deletion cannot be undone and has immediate, high-impact consequences on production systems. The blast radius includes loss of running services, data loss if not separately backed up, and business continuity impacts.

From the tool's own definition: "Tool description explicitly states 'Delete a Google Compute Engine virtual machine (VM) instance' — deletion is irreversible. The function name 'delete_instance' and description confirm permanent removal of infrastructure."

## Use case

AI agents call delete_instance to permanently remove resources in Mcp, typically in cleanup and lifecycle workflows. It does its job in a single call, and there is no undo.

## Recommended policy (PolicyLayer)

Verdict: **Hidden**. Enforced by the PolicyLayer MCP gateway (https://policylayer.com/mcp-gateway) before a call reaches Mcp:

```json
{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "hide": [
    "delete_instance"
  ]
}
```

## Other tools on Mcp (28)

- `reset_instance` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-compute-mcp/reset-instance.md
- `start_instance` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-compute-mcp/start-instance.md
- `stop_instance` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-compute-mcp/stop-instance.md
- `get_commitment_basic_info` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-compute-mcp/get-commitment-basic-info.md
- `get_disk_basic_info` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-compute-mcp/get-disk-basic-info.md
- `get_disk_performance_config` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-compute-mcp/get-disk-performance-config.md
- `get_instance_basic_info` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-compute-mcp/get-instance-basic-info.md
- `get_instance_group_manager_basic_info` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-compute-mcp/get-instance-group-manager-basic-info.md
- `get_instance_template_basic_info` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-compute-mcp/get-instance-template-basic-info.md
- `get_instance_template_properties` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-compute-mcp/get-instance-template-properties.md
- `get_reservation_basic_info` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-compute-mcp/get-reservation-basic-info.md
- `get_reservation_details` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-compute-mcp/get-reservation-details.md
- `get_zone_operation` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-compute-mcp/get-zone-operation.md
- `list_accelerator_types` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-compute-mcp/list-accelerator-types.md
- `list_commitment_reservations` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-compute-mcp/list-commitment-reservations.md
- `list_commitments` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-compute-mcp/list-commitments.md
- `list_disks` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-compute-mcp/list-disks.md
- `list_images` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-compute-mcp/list-images.md
- `list_instance_attached_disks` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-compute-mcp/list-instance-attached-disks.md
- `list_instance_group_managers` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-compute-mcp/list-instance-group-managers.md
- `list_instance_templates` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-compute-mcp/list-instance-templates.md
- `list_instances` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-compute-mcp/list-instances.md
- `list_machine_types` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-compute-mcp/list-machine-types.md
- `list_managed_instances` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-compute-mcp/list-managed-instances.md
- `list_reservations` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-compute-mcp/list-reservations.md
- `list_snapshots` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-compute-mcp/list-snapshots.md
- `create_instance` — Write — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-compute-mcp/create-instance.md
- `set_instance_machine_type` — Write — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-compute-mcp/set-instance-machine-type.md

## For agents

This record is a snapshot. Live verdicts and the full registry:

- Check every server in your MCP config at once: `npx -y policylayer stack`
- Vet a server before you add it: install the mcp-precheck skill — `npx skills add https://policylayer.com` (skill text: https://policylayer.com/skill.md)
- Query the registry over MCP: endpoint `https://api.policylayer.com/mcp` — tools `check_mcp_server`, `check_mcp_stack`, `check_tool`, `search_registry`, `get_change_events`

---

Source: the PolicyLayer MCP registry — one continuously verified record per MCP server. Full record: https://policylayer.com/registry?q=com-googleapis-compute-mcp · API: https://policylayer.com/registry/api · Policy library: https://policylayer.com/policies/com-googleapis-compute-mcp