Submissions automatically removes some records, keeps others when deletion might seem likely, and blocks deletion when an existing submission still needs the record. This article explains why each behavior happens.
You Cannot Delete What a Submission Still Uses
Rhythm blocks deletion when an existing submission still uses the record or configuration you are trying to remove.
- A contact or organization that owns submissions cannot be deleted. Every submission names a contact, even when an organization owns the space. Because of that, anyone who has owned or submitted for an organization is protected from deletion while the submission exists, not just the organization.
- A space's own configuration is protected too. You cannot delete a space, submission type, submission process, round, or bucket while a submission still refers to it.
- The submission itself can be protected the same way. A submitted abstract, or any other submission, may not be deletable in the UI while reviews or other dependent records still reference it. Remove those dependent records first, then try deleting the submission again.
Tip
If Rhythm will not let you delete a contact, organization, or part of a space's configuration, check for submissions that still reference it. When you wipe a space, Rhythm removes all submissions in that space, so those submissions no longer protect the space's configuration.
When a Mirrored Submission Is Removed for You
A mirrored submission is tied to the record it mirrors, and what happens next depends on what changes about that source record.
If the source record is deleted, through its own application, Rhythm deletes every mirror of that record, including mirrors that have already been judged. This means an approved, declined, or alternate outcome on a mirror is lost when the record it mirrors is deleted. Rhythm processes only the first batch of mirrors in this situation; if removing a specific mirror fails, Rhythm logs the issue and leaves that mirror in place instead of retrying.
If an event or an award itself is deleted, Rhythm deletes that event's abstracts or that award's applications with it, including any that have already been judged. Those outcomes are lost as well.
If a record simply stops belonging in its space — for example, because it no longer matches the space's restrictions — Rhythm checks whether the mirror has been judged:
- An unjudged mirror, meaning one that has not been approved, declined, or marked alternate, is removed. This only happens for spaces that are still open; Rhythm leaves a mirror in a closed space alone even if it no longer belongs.
- A judged mirror is kept after its source record stops qualifying for the space. The exception is when the source record itself is deleted, which removes the mirror whether or not it has been judged.
Warning
This check runs only when a change to the source record reaches mirroring. A status change by itself, with nothing else changing, does not trigger the check. Rhythm also treats any error while deciding whether a record still belongs, such as a failed lookup, the same as “does not belong.” In practice, an unjudged mirror can be removed because of a temporary eligibility-check problem, not only because the record truly stopped qualifying.
When a Mirror Cannot Be Deleted, Rhythm Withdraws It Instead
When mirroring tries to remove a mirror and the deletion fails, Rhythm withdraws the submission instead and adds an explanatory note. This applies to automatic removal by mirroring, not to staff deletion or a space wipe. It also applies to any failure during that removal, not only failures caused by reviews blocking deletion, so a temporary problem can leave a submission withdrawn with a note instead of removed.
If Rhythm also cannot save the withdrawal, it retries the error. After three attempts, Rhythm sets it aside instead of retrying indefinitely.
This safety net only applies to automatic removal by mirroring. If you delete a submission yourself, or wipe a space, and the deletion fails, Rhythm does not withdraw the submission for you. The submission stays exactly as it was, and the delete fails.
Related
To learn how and when records mirror into a space in the first place, see Mirrored Submissions Explained. To learn how a submission's identifier ties it to its space and source record, see How Submissions Are Identified and Kept Consistent.