Deleted Web App names still reserved in my subscription — how can the soft-deleted site records be released before the 30-day retention?

There is no supported self-service command or portal action to purge these App Service deleted-site records early; restore the apps to their original names if eligible, otherwise wait for the 30-day purge or request backend intervention through Azure technical support.

(a) Self-service options

App Service keeps deleted apps for 30 days after initial deletion, and the names can remain unavailable during that period. The Microsoft.Web/deletedSites resource is read-only, so it cannot be deleted through ARM, AzAPI, Terraform, or a direct resource deployment. ^1^ ^2^

Commands sometimes suggested online—az webapp deleted purge and Remove-AzDeletedWebApp—are not supported commands. The matching purge case confirms that there is currently no portal, CLI, or PowerShell purge operation; an immediate purge is a backend operation. ^3^

The supported choices are:

1. Restore each deleted app to its original name.
   This is the only self-service route that can make the original azurewebsites.net hostname active before retention expires. It applies only when:
   • the deleted app is still listed by App Service;
   • it was created in a paid App Service plan; and
   • a suitable App Service plan is available for the restored app.
   List the records:

      Register-AzResourceProvider -ProviderNamespace "Microsoft.Web"
   
      Get-AzDeletedWebApp |
        Where-Object {
          $_.Location -eq "West US 3"
        } |
        Format-Table Name, DeletedSiteId, ResourceGroupName, DeletionTime
   

   Then restore each record to its original name, supplying the target plan:

      Restore-AzDeletedWebApp `
        -TargetResourceGroupName "rg-hunt-proof" `
        -Name "<original-app-name>" `
        -TargetAppServicePlanName "<app-service-plan-name>"
   

   When multiple deleted versions share a name, retrieve the intended record and pass it through -InputObject, using the deleted-site ID to select the correct version. Restoration can create the target app when it does not already exist. Custom domains, bindings, and certificates are not restored automatically. ^1^
2. Wait for automatic purge.
   Azure permanently deletes the record 30 days after its initial deletion. There is no documented way to accelerate that retention period through the normal management plane. ^4^ A directly matching Q&A case likewise states that deleted Web App names are held for 30 days by design. ^5^

(b) Requesting early backend release

An early-release request is an Azure App Service technical support request, not a billing or subscription-management request:

1. Azure portal → Help + Support → Create a support request.
2. Select:
   • Issue type: Technical
   • Service: Azure App Service
   • The closest available problem type for resource management, deleted apps, or name reservation.
3. Include:
   • the affected subscription;
   • both deleted app names and deleted-site IDs;
   • resource group and region;
   • exact deletion timestamps;
   • AlreadyExists, Conflict, and extended code 54001;
   • confirmation that unused names work;
   • the requirement for the original default hostnames;
   • a request for backend purge/release of the soft-deleted App Service hostname reservations.

Creating a technical request requires Owner, Contributor, Support Request Contributor, or equivalent Microsoft.Support/* permission at subscription scope. ^6^

The Basic plan does not include technical support. Therefore, the available escalation routes are:

• add an eligible paid Azure support plan, then submit the technical request;
• link an existing organizational or partner support benefit under Help + Support → Support Plans → Link support benefits; or
• if the subscription is CSP-managed, ask the Cloud Solution Provider to open the case—the provider owns that technical-support relationship. ^7^ ^8^

Backend release should be treated as a request rather than a guaranteed exception. Until either restoration or release occurs, keep the dangling CNAMEs removed or otherwise controlled so they cannot direct traffic to an unintended endpoint.

References

1. Restore Deleted Apps - Azure App Service | Microsoft Learn
2. Microsoft.Web deletedSites (deployment-language-terraform)
3. Purge Deleted App Services - Microsoft Q&A
4. FAQ - Creating or deleting web apps in Azure App Service - Azure
5. I am trying to recreate resources in my customer's subscription that I deleted from this subscription, and I keep getting name in use errors. - Microsoft Q&A
6. Create an Azure support request
7. Compare support plans
8. Types of support available to your customers