> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.dify.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Cancel Research Task

> Cancels a research task that has not finished and returns it with `stage` `canceled`.

The record is kept and results already written stay readable with [List Research Task Results](/en/api-reference/research-tasks/list-research-task-results).



## OpenAPI

````yaml /en/api-reference/openapi_service.json delete /knowledge-fs/spaces/{knowledge_base_id}/research-tasks/{research_task_id}
openapi: 3.0.1
info:
  description: >-
    REST API for Dify applications and knowledge bases. Application endpoints
    authenticate with an app API key; knowledge endpoints authenticate with a
    dataset API key.
  title: Dify Service API
  version: 1.0.0
servers:
  - description: >-
      Base URL of the Dify Service API. For self-hosted deployments, replace it
      with your own API base URL.
    url: https://{api_base_url}
    variables:
      api_base_url:
        default: api.dify.ai/v1
        description: Host and path of the API base URL, without the `https://` prefix.
security:
  - ApiKeyAuth: []
tags:
  - description: Operations related to chat messages and interactions.
    name: Chat Messages
  - description: File upload and preview operations.
    name: Files
  - description: Operations related to end user information.
    name: End Users
  - description: User feedback operations.
    name: Feedback
  - description: Operations related to managing conversations.
    name: Conversations
  - description: Text-to-Speech and Speech-to-Text operations.
    name: Audio
  - description: Operations to retrieve application settings and information.
    name: Applications
  - description: Operations related to managing annotations for direct replies.
    name: Annotations
  - description: Endpoints for resuming paused workflows that require human input.
    name: Human Input
  - description: Operations for executing and managing workflows.
    name: Workflow Runs
  - description: Operations related to text generation and completion.
    name: Completion Messages
  - description: >-
      Operations for managing knowledge bases, including creation,
      configuration, and retrieval.
    name: Knowledge Bases
  - description: >-
      Operations for creating, updating, and managing documents within a
      knowledge base.
    name: Documents
  - description: Operations for managing document chunks and child chunks.
    name: Chunks
  - description: >-
      Operations for managing knowledge base metadata fields and document
      metadata values.
    name: Metadata
  - description: Operations for managing knowledge base tags and tag bindings.
    name: Tags
  - description: Operations for retrieving available models.
    name: Models
  - description: >-
      Operations for managing and running knowledge pipelines, including
      datasource plugins and pipeline execution.
    name: Knowledge Pipeline
  - description: Ask a knowledge base a question and stream the answer.
    name: Queries
  - description: Inspect what a query retrieved and why.
    name: Query Records
  - description: Run a research question in the background and collect its results.
    name: Research Tasks
  - description: >-
      Read the documents in a knowledge base, their files, revisions, and
      chunks; label documents with metadata.
    name: Documents and Chunks
  - description: >-
      Follow, cancel, or retry indexing, and list the knowledge base's
      background tasks.
    name: Indexing Tasks
  - description: >-
      Follow the deletion of a document file, a batch of files, or a source
      until it finishes.
    name: Deletion Jobs
  - description: >-
      Manage the sources that feed a knowledge base, their sync schedules, and
      their connections.
    name: Sources
  - description: >-
      Sync a source now, import website pages or provider items, and follow,
      cancel, or retry the runs.
    name: Source Syncs and Imports
  - description: >-
      Read and change the knowledge base's models and retrieval settings, and
      follow the migration a change starts.
    name: Settings
paths:
  /knowledge-fs/spaces/{knowledge_base_id}/research-tasks/{research_task_id}:
    delete:
      tags:
        - Research Tasks
      summary: Cancel Research Task
      description: >-
        Cancels a research task that has not finished and returns it with
        `stage` `canceled`.


        The record is kept and results already written stay readable with [List
        Research Task
        Results](/en/api-reference/research-tasks/list-research-task-results).
      operationId: cancelResearchTask
      parameters:
        - description: >-
            Knowledge base ID: the last segment of the Service API endpoint
            shown in the knowledge base's **API Access** dialog
            (`…/knowledge-fs/spaces/<knowledge base ID>`), and the segment after
            `/datasets/new/` in the address bar.
          in: path
          name: knowledge_base_id
          required: true
          schema:
            format: uuid
            type: string
        - description: >-
            Research task ID. From [Create Research
            Task](/en/api-reference/research-tasks/create-research-task).
          in: path
          name: research_task_id
          required: true
          schema:
            format: uuid
            type: string
      responses:
        '200':
          content:
            application/json:
              examples:
                success:
                  summary: Response Example
                  value:
                    budget_usd: 1.5
                    completed_at: 1788681605000
                    cost:
                      budgetUsd: 1.5
                      entries: []
                      totalUsd: 0
                    created_at: 1788681600000
                    error: null
                    failure: null
                    id: e4d1b7a2-3c5f-4d8e-9a0b-1c2d3e4f5a6b
                    knowledge_space_id: b2f1d3a4-5e6c-4a7b-8c9d-0e1f2a3b4c5d
                    limits:
                      max_retrieval_steps: 8
                      max_scanned_resources: 800
                      max_tool_calls: 12
                      timeout_ms: 120000
                    metadata:
                      client_request_id: client-20260907-0001
                      ticket: SUP-1042
                    mode: research
                    query: >-
                      What changed in the 2025 refund policy, and which regions
                      are affected?
                    stage: canceled
                    top_k: 10
                    updated_at: 1788681605000
              schema:
                $ref: '#/components/schemas/KnowledgeBaseResearchTask'
          description: >-
            The task after cancellation. `stage` is `canceled` and
            `completed_at` is set. `error` stays `null`.
        '400':
          content:
            application/json:
              examples:
                knowledge_fs_invalid_request_path:
                  summary: knowledge_fs_invalid_request (path ID)
                  value:
                    code: knowledge_fs_invalid_request
                    message: Agent Knowledge Base request is invalid.
                    status: 400
          description: '- `knowledge_fs_invalid_request`: `research_task_id` is malformed.'
        '401':
          content:
            application/json:
              examples:
                knowledge_fs_invalid_credential:
                  summary: knowledge_fs_invalid_credential
                  value:
                    code: knowledge_fs_invalid_credential
                    message: Invalid Agent Knowledge Base service credential.
                    status: 401
                unauthorized:
                  summary: unauthorized
                  value:
                    code: unauthorized
                    message: Access token is invalid
                    status: 401
          description: >-
            - `unauthorized`: the `Authorization` header is missing, or the key
            is unknown or not a knowledge base API key.

            - `knowledge_fs_invalid_credential`: the key is valid, but no
            knowledge base with this ID exists in the key's workspace, or the
            key is not tied to a workspace.
        '403':
          content:
            application/json:
              examples:
                forbidden:
                  summary: forbidden (rate limit)
                  value:
                    code: forbidden
                    message: >-
                      Sorry, you have reached the knowledge base request rate
                      limit of your subscription.
                    status: 403
                knowledge_fs_access_denied:
                  summary: knowledge_fs_access_denied (key scope)
                  value:
                    code: knowledge_fs_access_denied
                    message: Agent Knowledge Base operation is not allowed.
                    status: 403
                knowledge_fs_access_denied_2:
                  summary: knowledge_fs_access_denied (other knowledge base)
                  value:
                    code: knowledge_fs_access_denied
                    failure:
                      action: contact_admin
                      category: authorization
                      code: KNOWLEDGE_FS_ACCESS_DENIED
                      message: >-
                        You do not have permission to perform this Agent
                        Knowledge Base operation.
                      retryPolicy: never
                      traceId: 3d1e0db4-03b4-465f-af80-008191693b90
                    message: >-
                      You do not have permission to perform this Agent Knowledge
                      Base operation.
                    status: 403
          description: >-
            - `knowledge_fs_access_denied`: the key is scoped to other knowledge
            bases, **API access** is off for this knowledge base, or the
            knowledge base is not active.

            - `knowledge_fs_access_denied`: the task belongs to a different
            knowledge base than the one in the path.

            - `forbidden`: on Dify Cloud, the workspace has reached the
            knowledge base request rate limit of its subscription. Every call
            counts, reads included.
        '404':
          content:
            application/json:
              examples:
                knowledge_fs_resource_not_found:
                  summary: knowledge_fs_resource_not_found
                  value:
                    code: knowledge_fs_resource_not_found
                    failure:
                      category: not_found
                      code: KNOWLEDGE_FS_NOT_FOUND
                      message: >-
                        The requested Agent Knowledge Base resource was not
                        found.
                      retryPolicy: never
                      traceId: f552c5fd-d80b-4653-8521-2547ccf3a094
                    message: The requested Agent Knowledge Base resource was not found.
                    status: 404
                not_found:
                  summary: not_found (feature off)
                  value:
                    code: not_found
                    message: >-
                      The requested URL was not found on the server. If you
                      entered the URL manually please check your spelling and
                      try again.
                    status: 404
          description: >-
            - `knowledge_fs_resource_not_found`: the task does not exist,
            belongs to another workspace, or its knowledge base is being
            deleted.

            - `not_found`: the Agent Knowledge Base feature is turned off on
            this deployment.
        '409':
          content:
            application/json:
              examples:
                knowledge_fs_conflict:
                  summary: knowledge_fs_conflict
                  value:
                    code: knowledge_fs_conflict
                    failure:
                      action: retry
                      category: conflict
                      code: KNOWLEDGE_FS_CONFLICT
                      message: >-
                        The Agent Knowledge Base operation conflicts with the
                        current resource state.
                      retryPolicy: manual
                      traceId: 9cded809-0f4b-45c5-88a9-bd011ec40481
                    message: >-
                      The Agent Knowledge Base operation conflicts with the
                      current resource state.
                    status: 409
          description: >-
            - `knowledge_fs_conflict`: the task is already `completed`,
            `failed`, or `canceled`. Retrying the cancel answers `409` again,
            even though `failure.action` is `retry`.

            - `knowledge_fs_conflict`: the task is running, and its worker
            updated it at the same moment. Retry the cancel.


            To tell the two apart, read `stage` with [Get Research
            Task](/en/api-reference/research-tasks/get-research-task).
        '502':
          content:
            application/json:
              examples:
                knowledge_fs_upstream_unavailable:
                  summary: knowledge_fs_upstream_unavailable
                  value:
                    code: knowledge_fs_upstream_unavailable
                    message: Agent Knowledge Base is unavailable.
                    status: 502
          description: >-
            - `knowledge_fs_upstream_unavailable`: no answer came back in time,
            or the answer couldn't be read.


            Cancellation may have taken effect. Read [Get Research
            Task](/en/api-reference/research-tasks/get-research-task) with the
            same task ID before deciding whether to cancel again. A task that
            has finished rejects cancellation.
        '503':
          content:
            application/json:
              examples:
                knowledge_fs_operation_unavailable:
                  summary: knowledge_fs_operation_unavailable
                  value:
                    code: knowledge_fs_operation_unavailable
                    message: Agent Knowledge Base operation is not available.
                    status: 503
                knowledge_fs_operation_unavailable_upstream:
                  summary: knowledge_fs_operation_unavailable (temporary)
                  value:
                    code: knowledge_fs_operation_unavailable
                    failure:
                      action: retry
                      category: dependency
                      code: KNOWLEDGE_FS_UNAVAILABLE
                      message: >-
                        A service required by Agent Knowledge Base is
                        temporarily unavailable.
                      retryPolicy: manual
                      traceId: 5e2a9c17-3b4d-4f60-8a1b-2c3d4e5f6a7b
                    message: >-
                      A service required by Agent Knowledge Base is temporarily
                      unavailable.
                    status: 503
          description: >-
            - `knowledge_fs_operation_unavailable`: the Agent Knowledge Base
            feature is not set up for this workspace, this operation is not
            available on the deployment, or the key's access to this knowledge
            base changed while the request was being authorized.

            - `knowledge_fs_operation_unavailable`: the request can't be served
            right now. Follow `failure.retryPolicy`.

            - `knowledge_fs_operation_unavailable`: the knowledge base was
            upgraded from a classic knowledge base and is still disabling the
            documents that were disabled or archived there. Retry later.
components:
  schemas:
    KnowledgeBaseResearchTask:
      properties:
        budget_usd:
          description: Spend ceiling from the request in USD. `null` when none was set.
          nullable: true
          type: number
        completed_at:
          description: >-
            When the task reached `completed`, `failed`, or `canceled`, in epoch
            milliseconds. `null` while the task is running.
          nullable: true
          type: number
        cost:
          description: Spend recorded so far.
          properties:
            budgetExceeded:
              description: >-
                `true` when spend crossed `budgetUsd` and the task was canceled
                for that reason. Absent otherwise.
              type: boolean
            budgetUsd:
              description: The request's `budgetUsd`. Absent when no budget was set.
              type: number
            entries:
              description: One entry per recorded model call, oldest first.
              items:
                properties:
                  costUsd:
                    description: Cost of the call in USD.
                    type: number
                  provider:
                    description: Model provider that served the call.
                    type: string
                  recordedAt:
                    description: Epoch milliseconds when the cost was recorded.
                    type: number
                  step:
                    description: >-
                      Step that made the call: `pageindex.layer`,
                      `pageindex.semantic`, `pageindex.whole-tree`,
                      `research.judge`, `research.plan`, `graph.plan`,
                      `query.answer`, or `query.image-expand`.
                    type: string
                  usage:
                    description: >-
                      Token usage of the call: `promptTokens`,
                      `completionTokens`, `totalTokens`, `estimated`,
                      `reserved`, `status` (`reserved`, `succeeded`, or
                      `failed`), and `researchModelCallId`. A reservation for a
                      call still in flight is an entry too, and counts toward
                      `totalUsd`.
                    type: object
                type: object
              type: array
            totalUsd:
              description: >-
                Sum of `entries[].costUsd` in USD. `0` until the first model
                call is recorded.
              type: number
          type: object
        created_at:
          description: Epoch milliseconds when the task was created.
          type: number
        error:
          description: >-
            Failure code, the same value as `failure.code`. Present only when
            `stage` is `failed`, and `null` otherwise, including for canceled
            tasks.


            On a failed research task, `failure.code` is one of
            `RESEARCH_TASK_CAPABILITY_REVOKED`, `RESEARCH_TASK_DISPATCH_DEAD`,
            `RESEARCH_TASK_EXECUTION_ATTEMPTS_EXHAUSTED`,
            `RESEARCH_TASK_FAILED`, `RESEARCH_TASK_PERMISSION_SNAPSHOT_INVALID`,
            or `RESEARCH_TASK_RUNTIME_SNAPSHOT_INVALID`.
          nullable: true
          type: string
        failure:
          description: >-
            Error details. Present only when `stage` is `failed`, and `null`
            otherwise. Members without a value are `null` here. `traceId` is the
            task ID.


            When `action` is `retry`, create a new task with [Create Research
            Task](/en/api-reference/research-tasks/create-research-task).
          nullable: true
          properties:
            action:
              description: >-
                Suggested next step, when there is one: `configure_model`,
                `configure_parser`, `configure_source`, `contact_admin`,
                `reupload`, or `retry`. `null` when not applicable.
              nullable: true
              type: string
            category:
              description: >-
                Kind of failure: `authorization`, `canceled`, `configuration`,
                `conflict`, `dependency`, `internal`, `not_found`, `rate_limit`,
                `timeout`, or `validation`.
              type: string
            code:
              description: Research-task failure code, matching this task's `error`.
              type: string
            message:
              description: >-
                Public message for the task failure. Provider error details are
                not exposed.
              type: string
            parameters:
              additionalProperties: true
              description: >-
                Up to 8 values that qualify the failure, with keys among
                `attempt`, `currentRowVersion`, `documentCount`,
                `expectedRowVersion`, `fileSizeBytes`, `limit`,
                `maxFileSizeBytes`, `maxItems`, `modelType`, `providerKind`,
                `retryAfterSeconds`, and `status`. `null` when there are none.
              nullable: true
              type: object
            retryPolicy:
              description: >-
                Whether a retry can help: `automatic` (the service retries on
                its own), `manual` (retry yourself), `after_configuration` (fix
                the knowledge base's setup in Dify first), or `never` (change
                the request).
              type: string
            stage:
              description: Always `research`.
              nullable: true
              type: string
            traceId:
              description: Research task ID. Quote it when contacting an administrator.
              nullable: true
              type: string
          type: object
        id:
          description: >-
            Research task ID. Use it as `research_task_id` in the task
            operations.
          type: string
        knowledge_space_id:
          description: >-
            Internal ID of the knowledge base. Not the knowledge base ID in the
            path.
          type: string
        limits:
          description: >-
            Limits from the request, with snake_case keys. `null` when the
            request carried no `limits`. A member that was not sent is `null`.
            Convert the keys back to camelCase before sending them to [Create
            Research
            Task](/en/api-reference/research-tasks/create-research-task) again.
          nullable: true
          properties:
            max_retrieval_steps:
              description: Value of the request's `limits.maxRetrievalSteps`.
              nullable: true
              type: integer
            max_scanned_resources:
              description: Value of the request's `limits.maxScannedResources`.
              nullable: true
              type: integer
            max_tool_calls:
              description: Value of the request's `limits.maxToolCalls`.
              nullable: true
              type: integer
            timeout_ms:
              description: Value of the request's `limits.timeoutMs`.
              nullable: true
              type: integer
          type: object
        metadata:
          description: >-
            The `metadata` object sent at creation, without keys that start with
            `__knowledgeFs`.
          type: object
        mode:
          description: 'Retrieval depth of the task: `fast`, `deep`, or `research`.'
          nullable: true
          type: string
        query:
          description: The research question as stored.
          type: string
        query_images:
          description: Images used in the original query. Omitted for text-only queries.
          items:
            properties:
              byte_size:
                description: Always `null` in this API.
                minimum: 0
                nullable: true
                type: integer
              mime_type:
                description: Always `null` in this API.
                nullable: true
                type: string
              name:
                description: Always `null` in this API.
                nullable: true
                type: string
              preview_url:
                description: Always `null` in this API.
                nullable: true
                type: string
              upload_file_id:
                description: ID of the image file used in the original query.
                type: string
            required:
              - upload_file_id
            type: object
          type: array
        stage:
          description: >-
            Where the task is in its lifecycle. Tasks move forward one stage at
            a time:


            - `queued`: accepted, waiting for a worker.

            - `planning`: resolving the retrieval plan.

            - `retrieving`: searching the knowledge base. A retrieval checkpoint
            may be written.

            - `analyzing`: reading and weighing the retrieved chunks.

            - `generating`: writing the answer. The final result is written
            during this stage.

            - `completed`: finished. Read its results with [List Research Task
            Results](/en/api-reference/research-tasks/list-research-task-results).

            - `failed`: stopped with an error. See `error` and `failure`.

            - `canceled`: stopped by [Cancel Research
            Task](/en/api-reference/research-tasks/cancel-research-task) or by
            the budget.

            - `paused`: The task is paused. Check any failure details with the
            deployment operator, or cancel it.


            `completed`, `failed`, and `canceled` are terminal.
          type: string
        top_k:
          description: >-
            Maximum number of chunks kept after the search results are merged
            and reranked: the request's `topK`, or the knowledge base's **TOP
            K** when omitted.
          nullable: true
          type: integer
        updated_at:
          description: >-
            Epoch milliseconds of the last update to the task record, including
            internal checkpoints and retry scheduling.
          type: number
      type: object
  securitySchemes:
    ApiKeyAuth:
      bearerFormat: API_KEY
      description: >-
        Every request authenticates with an API key: `Authorization: Bearer
        {API_KEY}`. App endpoints take an app API key; knowledge endpoints take
        a knowledge base API key ([Get
        Started](/en/api-reference/guides/get-started)).


        Keep keys server-side; never embed them in client code. Requests with a
        missing or invalid key fail with HTTP `401` (`unauthorized`).
      scheme: bearer
      type: http

````

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