How to remove an Ollama model

Removing an Ollama model deletes a local model name and can free disk space when no other local name references the same layers. It is useful after testing temporary models, old tags, or failed imports.

Check the exact name before removal because tags can look similar. If a model was created or copied only for validation, remove that disposable name rather than a shared base model.

Use ollama list after removal as the proof surface. The absence of the target name matters more than the command's success text.

1. List the model name that should be removed.

   $ ollama list
   NAME                    ID              SIZE
   example/gpt-oss-test    17052f91a42e    13 GB
   gpt-oss:20b             17052f91a42e    13 GB

2. Remove the disposable model name.

   $ ollama rm example/gpt-oss-test
   deleted 'example/gpt-oss-test'

3. Verify the target name is gone.

   $ ollama list
   NAME           ID              SIZE
   gpt-oss:20b    17052f91a42e    13 GB

4. Check disk usage separately when freeing space is the goal.

   $ du -sh ~/.ollama/models
   13G	/Users/example/.ollama/models

   Shared layers may remain when another tag still uses them.

5. Back up model data before removing the only copy of a custom model.

   $ tar -czf ollama-models-backup.tar.gz ~/.ollama/models

   Related: How to back up and restore Ollama data