Document the new clear data option for the recreate database procedur… (neo4j#2283)

…e. (neo4j#2258)

Co-authored-by: Anna Sjerling <[email protected]>

Author: NataliaIvakina

modules/ROOT/pages/clustering/databases.adoc

@@ -258,6 +258,10 @@ The recreate procedure allows you to:
 * Make your database write-available again after it has been lost (for example, due to a disaster).
 See xref:clustering/disaster-recovery.adoc[Disaster recovery] for more information.
 
+* label:new[Introduced in 2025.02] Delete the data and schema for a database, while keeping the database privileges assigned to each role.
+
+* label:new[Introduced in 2025.04] Alter the database store format when clearing the data and schema.
+
 [CAUTION]
 ====
 The recreate procedure works only for real user databases and not for composite databases, or the `system` database.
@@ -279,7 +283,8 @@ You need xref:authentication-authorization/dbms-administration.adoc#access-contr
 To check if the recreation is successful, use the `SHOW DATABASES` command and verify that all allocations have been started.
 
 Additionally, you have the option to modify <<alter-topology-recreate, the topology>> during the recreation process.
-However, note that the store format, access, and enrichment cannot be altered during recreation.
+However, note that up to Neo4j 2025.04, the store format, access, and enrichment cannot be altered during recreation.
+Starting with 2025.04, the store format can only be altered if the `clearData` option is used.
 
 [[recreate-seeding-options]]
 === Seeding options
@@ -356,6 +361,7 @@ This means the store is replaced by the most up-to-date seeder if available; oth
 CALL dbms.recreateDatabase("neo4j", {seedingServers: [], seedURI: "s3://myBucket/myBackup.backup"});
 ----
 
+
 [[alter-topology-recreate]]
 === Change the topology
 
@@ -370,6 +376,37 @@ If there are more available servers in the cluster hosting the database than the
 CALL dbms.recreateDatabase("neo4j", {seedingServers: [], primaries: 3, secondaries: 0});
 ----
 
+
+[role=label--new-2025.02]
+[[clear-data-recreate]]
+=== Clear data option
+
+In Neo4j 2025.02, the `clearData` option was added to the recreate procedure.
+This option allows you to delete the data (e.g., nodes and relationships) and the schema (e.g., constraints and indexes) for the database.
+This means you end up with an empty store, but as with the other recreate database options, all privileges associated with the database are kept.
+
+[CAUTION]
+====
+Using the clear data option means the data and schema will be deleted *permanently*.
+If you want to have the option of getting them back later, make sure to take a backup before clearing the database.
+See xref:backup-restore/online-backup.adoc[Online backup] for more information.
+====
+
+[role=label--new-2025.04]
+[[alter-store-format]]
+==== Alter the database store format
+
+In Neo4j 2025.04, the database store format can also be altered during recreation, but only when the `clearData` option is specified.
+
+See xref:database-internals/store-formats.adoc[Store formats], for more details about available database store formats in Neo4j.
+If the store format option is not defined, the recreated database ends up with the same store format as before the recreation.
+
+[source, shell]
+----
+CALL dbms.recreateDatabase("neo4j", {clearData: true, storeFormat: "block"});
+----
+
+
 [[cluster-seed]]
 == Seed a cluster
 

modules/ROOT/pages/procedures.adoc

@@ -735,7 +735,7 @@ The procedure initiates a process, which when complete, will have synchronized a
 
 [NOTE]
 ====
-It is mandatory to specify either `seedURI` or `seedingServers` as seeding options in the `options` field.
+It is mandatory to specify either `seedURI`, `seedingServers`, or `clearData` in the `options` field to define what store(s) the recreation should be based on.
 Further details on how to use the `dbms.recreateDatabase()` procedure are provided in the related section inside the xref:clustering/databases.adoc#recreate-databases[Managing databases in a cluster] page.
 If no topology option is defined, the database will be recreated with the previous topology.
 ====