Script to delete layers by color or attribute

[Delta2487]

I would like to know if it is possible to delete layers that do not have a lock or color attribute using scripts. Thank you very much in advance.

[LAMY2017]

If we can imagine it, it's highly likely that we can accomplish our need! The Adobe scribes, those robed, incense-burning, script-writing coders who lurk here, will be along with your solution, I'm sure, Delta.

[Stephen Marsh]

@Delta2487 

Yes, this is possible, however, the devil is in the details...

• What if a layer has a lock but no colour label (or a colour label but no lock)?
• Which lock type? There are 5 locking options... Is it "Lock All" or also one of the other 4 lock options?
• What about the special Background layer if present? This is locked and can't have a color label applied.
• What about layer groups? If a layer group had it's child layers deleted and therefore resulted in an empty group, should the group be removed?

As a starting point:

/*
Delete Unlocked Layers Without Color Label.jsx
Stephen Marsh
v1.0 - 27th May 2025
https://community.adobe.com/t5/photoshop-ecosystem-discussions/script-to-delete-layers-by-color-or-attribute/m-p/15341191
*/

// Single history step
app.activeDocument.suspendHistory("Delete Unlocked Layers Without Color Label", "main()");

function main() {
    deleteUnlockedLayersWithoutColorLabel(app.activeDocument.layers);
}

// Helper functions
function getLayerColorLabel(layer) {
    try {
        var ref = new ActionReference();
        ref.putIdentifier(charIDToTypeID("Lyr "), layer.id);
        var desc = executeActionGet(ref);
        var keyColor = stringIDToTypeID("color");
        if (desc.hasKey(keyColor)) {
            var colorType = desc.getEnumerationValue(keyColor);
            var colorName = typeIDToStringID(colorType);
            return colorName !== "none" ? colorName : null;
        }
    } catch (e) {
        // Unable to get color label
    }
    return null; // No color label
}

function deleteUnlockedLayersWithoutColorLabel(layers) {
    for (var i = layers.length - 1; i >= 0; i--) {
        var layer = layers[i];
        if (layer.isBackgroundLayer) {
            // Skip removing the Background layer
            // Comment out if you want to remove the Background layer
            continue;
        }
        if (layer.typename === "ArtLayer") {
            if (!layer.allLocked && getLayerColorLabel(layer) === null) {
                try {
                    layer.remove();
                } catch (e) { }
            }
        } else if (layer.typename === "LayerSet") {
            // First process child layers
            deleteUnlockedLayersWithoutColorLabel(layer.layers);
            // Remove empty groups
            if (layer.layers.length === 0 && !layer.allLocked) {
                // Comment out if desired
                layer.remove();
            }
        }
    }
}

1. Copy the code text to the clipboard
2. Open a new blank file in a plain-text editor (not in a word processor)
3. Paste the code in
4. Save as a plain text format file – .txt
5. Rename the saved file extension from .txt to .jsx
6. Install or browse to the .jsx file to run (see below)

https://prepression.blogspot.com/2017/11/downloading-and-installing-adobe-scripts.html

[Delta2487]

@Stephen Marsh  Thanks for your reply, I want the script to delete only the selected layers that are not locked (lock all)

[Stephen Marsh]

@Stephen Marsh  Thanks for your reply, I want the script to delete only the selected layers that are not locked (lock all)

@Delta2487 – I invite you to try the script posted earlier (it doesn't work on selected layers, it loops over all layers). It has a single history step undo, just in case the results are not as expected.

[Delta2487]

@Stephen Marsh  I've already tried it and it perfectly removes unlocked layers, but I only want it to work on selected layers.

[Stephen Marsh]

@Stephen Marsh  I've already tried it and it perfectly removes unlocked layers, but I only want it to work on selected layers.

By @Delta2487

That's the bit that is easier said than done...

[Delta2487]

That's the bit that is easier said than done...

By @Stephen Marsh

Yes it should be, anyway, thanks for the help

[c.pfaffenbichler · Accepted solution]

// 2025, use it at your own risk;
if (app.documents.length > 0) {
var theLayers = collectSelectedLayersWithoutColorAndLock ();
for (var m = 0; m < theLayers.length; m++) {
deleteLayerByID(theLayers[m][1], false)
}
};
////// collect bounds of selected layers //////
function collectSelectedLayersWithoutColorAndLock () {
// set to pixels;
var originalRulerUnits = app.preferences.rulerUnits;
app.preferences.rulerUnits = Units.PIXELS;
// get selected layers;
var selectedLayers = new Array;
var ref = new ActionReference();
ref.putEnumerated( charIDToTypeID("Dcmn"), charIDToTypeID("Ordn"), charIDToTypeID("Trgt") );
var desc = executeActionGet(ref);
if (desc.getBoolean(stringIDToTypeID("hasBackgroundLayer")) == true) {var theAdd =0}
else {var theAdd = 1};
if( desc.hasKey( stringIDToTypeID( 'targetLayers' ) ) ){
desc = desc.getList( stringIDToTypeID( 'targetLayers' ));
var c = desc.count;
var selectedLayers = new Array();
// run through selected layers;
for(var i=0;i<c;i++){
var theIndex = desc.getReference( i ).getIndex()+theAdd;
// get id for solid color layers;
try {
var ref = new ActionReference();
ref.putIndex( charIDToTypeID("Lyr "), theIndex ); 
var layerDesc = executeActionGet(ref);
var checkColor = typeIDToStringID(layerDesc.getEnumerationValue(stringIDToTypeID("color")));
var checkLock = layerDesc.getObjectValue(stringIDToTypeID("layerLocking"));
var lockAll = checkLock.getBoolean(stringIDToTypeID("protectAll"));
var theName = layerDesc.getString(stringIDToTypeID('name'));
var theIdentifier = layerDesc.getInteger(stringIDToTypeID ("layerID"));
if (checkColor == "none" && lockAll == false) {selectedLayers.push([theName, theIdentifier, ])};
} catch (e) {};
};
// if only one:
}else{
var ref = new ActionReference();
ref.putEnumerated( charIDToTypeID("Lyr "), charIDToTypeID("Ordn"), charIDToTypeID("Trgt") );
var layerDesc = executeActionGet(ref);
try {
var theName = layerDesc.getString(stringIDToTypeID('name'));
var checkColor = typeIDToStringID(layerDesc.getEnumerationValue(stringIDToTypeID("color")));
var checkLock = layerDesc.getObjectValue(stringIDToTypeID("layerLocking"));
var lockAll = checkLock.getBoolean(stringIDToTypeID("protectAll"));
var theIdentifier = layerDesc.getInteger(stringIDToTypeID ("layerID"));
if (checkColor == "none" && lockAll == false) {selectedLayers = [[theName, theIdentifier, ]]}
} catch (e) {};
};
// reset;
app.preferences.rulerUnits = originalRulerUnits;
return selectedLayers;
};
////// by paul riggott //////
function deleteLayerByID(ID) {
var desc = new ActionDescriptor();
var ref = new ActionReference();
ref.putIdentifier(charIDToTypeID('Lyr '), ID);
desc.putReference( charIDToTypeID('null'), ref );
executeAction( charIDToTypeID('Dlt '), desc, DialogModes.NO );
};

[Delta2487]

@c.pfaffenbichler  Thank you, it works perfectly, thank you very much.

[c.pfaffenbichler]

If you want the thing to record as one Action step (instead of each deletion individually) you can combine it with @Stephen Marsh ’s suspendHistory-approach. 

[Stephen Marsh]

@c.pfaffenbichler - thanks for stepping in, I was having unexpected problems getting selected layers to work.