# UNLINK












This command is very similar to [`DEL`](https://redis.io/docs/latest/commands/del): it removes the specified keys.
Just like [`DEL`](https://redis.io/docs/latest/commands/del) a key is ignored if it does not exist. However the command
performs the actual memory reclaiming in a different thread, so it is not
blocking, while [`DEL`](https://redis.io/docs/latest/commands/del) is. This is where the command name comes from: the
command just **unlinks** the keys from the keyspace. The actual removal
will happen later asynchronously.

## Examples


SET key1 "Hello"
SET key2 "World"
UNLINK key1 key2 key3


## Return information

{{< multitabs id="unlink-return-info" 
    tab1="RESP2" 
    tab2="RESP3" >}}

[Integer reply](../../develop/reference/protocol-spec#integers): the number of keys that were unlinked.

-tab-sep-

[Integer reply](../../develop/reference/protocol-spec#integers): the number of keys that were unlinked.