Delete Users - Vanilla Success
<main> <article class="userContent"> <p>Throughout the life of any online community, the time will come when deleting user accounts will be necessary. In this article, you'll learn the three ways user accounts can be deleted, so you can choose which method best suits your needs.</p><h2 data-id="deletion-options">Deletion options</h2><p>When it comes to deleting user accounts in <strong>Higher Logic Vanilla (Vanilla)</strong>, you have three options:</p><ul><li>Keep User Content</li><li>Blank User Content</li><li>Delete User Content</li></ul><p>Let's examine each of these options in more detail, along with their recommended use cases.</p><h3 data-id="keep-user-content">Keep User Content</h3><p>Delete the user but keep their content intact across your Vanilla community. </p><ul><li>This option is recommended when the user's content is still relevant and valuable to your community.</li></ul><h4 data-id="pre-deletion-example">Pre-deletion example</h4><div class="embedExternal embedImage display-large float-none"> <div class="embedExternal-content"> <a class="embedImage-link" href="https://us.v-cdn.net/6030677/uploads/9KL9SFGMRZDR/example-keep-user-content-1.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener ugc" target="_blank"> <img class="embedImage-img" src="https://us.v-cdn.net/6030677/uploads/9KL9SFGMRZDR/example-keep-user-content-1.png" alt="example-keep_user_content-1.png" height="662" width="693" loading="lazy" data-display-size="large" data-float="none"></img></a> </div> </div> <h4 data-id="post-deletion-example">Post-deletion example</h4><div class="embedExternal embedImage display-large float-none"> <div class="embedExternal-content"> <a class="embedImage-link" href="https://us.v-cdn.net/6030677/uploads/BFJZ6PHUISCP/example-keep-user-content-2.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener ugc" target="_blank"> <img class="embedImage-img" src="https://us.v-cdn.net/6030677/uploads/BFJZ6PHUISCP/example-keep-user-content-2.png" alt="example-keep_user_content-2.png" height="621" width="631" loading="lazy" data-display-size="large" data-float="none"></img></a> </div> </div> <p>If you click <strong>[Deleted User]</strong> or <strong>@shaunatest</strong>, you'll be navigate here:</p><p><a href="http://community.company.com/dashboard/home/deleted" rel="nofollow noreferrer ugc">https://community.company.com/dashboard/home/deleted</a></p><div class="embedExternal embedImage display-large float-none"> <div class="embedExternal-content"> <a class="embedImage-link" href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/s_T1-Z7Z_XRrWbJpwybjXpigIKPPW9ry1Z-lvPUKuvgAJIVdHpyjWUZ-zyuwcWn32Piqlz0DwNO60CviT2bka7uDqxEwUxrTu0yPF4don6_M84B2kcRURBKhYQv-ZGoTvFsiOa4U" rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener ugc" target="_blank"> <img class="embedImage-img" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/s_T1-Z7Z_XRrWbJpwybjXpigIKPPW9ry1Z-lvPUKuvgAJIVdHpyjWUZ-zyuwcWn32Piqlz0DwNO60CviT2bka7uDqxEwUxrTu0yPF4don6_M84B2kcRURBKhYQv-ZGoTvFsiOa4U" alt="User: "s_T1-Z7Z_XRrWbJpwybjXpigIKPPW9ry1Z-lvPUKuvgAJIVdHpyjWUZ-zyuwcWn32Piqlz0DwNO60CviT2bka7uDqxEwUxrTu0yPF4don6_M84B2kcRURBKhYQv-ZGoTvFsiOa4U"" height="180" width="320" loading="lazy" data-display-size="large" data-float="none"></img></a> </div> </div> <h3 data-id="blank-user-content">Blank User Content</h3><p>Delete the user and replace all of their content with a message stating the user has been deleted. </p><ul><li>This option is recommended in instances where the <em>user </em>and <em>their </em>content is not wanted but the associated discussion content <em>is</em> (e.g., the user's thread contains valuable content you want to keep from <em>other </em>users who contributed).</li></ul><h4 data-id="pre-deletion-example-1">Pre-deletion example</h4><div class="embedExternal embedImage display-large float-none"> <div class="embedExternal-content"> <a class="embedImage-link" href="https://us.v-cdn.net/6030677/uploads/T35HPZ2SUM3S/example-blank-user-content-1.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener ugc" target="_blank"> <img class="embedImage-img" src="https://us.v-cdn.net/6030677/uploads/T35HPZ2SUM3S/example-blank-user-content-1.png" alt="example-blank_user_content-1.png" height="451" width="500" loading="lazy" data-display-size="large" data-float="none"></img></a> </div> </div> <h4 data-id="post-deletion-example-1">Post-deletion example</h4><div class="embedExternal embedImage display-large float-none"> <div class="embedExternal-content"> <a class="embedImage-link" href="https://us.v-cdn.net/6030677/uploads/5EUL6FDJ22F3/example-blank-user-content-2.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener ugc" target="_blank"> <img class="embedImage-img" src="https://us.v-cdn.net/6030677/uploads/5EUL6FDJ22F3/example-blank-user-content-2.png" alt="example-blank_user_content-2.png" height="417" width="496" loading="lazy" data-display-size="large" data-float="none"></img></a> </div> </div> <p><strong>📝 NOTE</strong>: The title remains, though the body of the post and comment have been replaced with text: <strong>The user and all related content has been deleted</strong>.</p><p><strong>📝 NOTE</strong>: Notice that System, who has not been deleted, quoted ShaunaTest, and the quote remains since the quote is attributed to System (not ShaunaTest).</p><h3 data-id="delete-user-content">Delete User Content</h3><p>Delete the user and remove ALL of their content. </p><ul><li>This option is recommended when the user's content is harmful or detrimental to your community, making this the best option for removing SPAM. </li><li>The only drawback is the entire discussion thread is deleted, meaning any valuable content contributed by other users is also lost. A way to get around this is to use the <em>Change Author </em>addon to change the author to a stub user prior to deletion.</li></ul><h4 data-id="pre-deletion-example-2">Pre-deletion example</h4><div class="embedExternal embedImage display-large float-none"> <div class="embedExternal-content"> <a class="embedImage-link" href="https://us.v-cdn.net/6030677/uploads/ABVR96CRTAWM/example-delete-user-content-1.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener ugc" target="_blank"> <img class="embedImage-img" src="https://us.v-cdn.net/6030677/uploads/ABVR96CRTAWM/example-delete-user-content-1.png" alt="example-delete_user_content-1.png" height="729" width="541" loading="lazy" data-display-size="large" data-float="none"></img></a> </div> </div> <h4 data-id="post-deletion-example-2">Post-deletion example</h4><div class="embedExternal embedImage display-large float-none"> <div class="embedExternal-content"> <a class="embedImage-link" href="https://us.v-cdn.net/6030677/uploads/O2N6B6EB84VN/example-delete-user-content-2.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener ugc" target="_blank"> <img class="embedImage-img" src="https://us.v-cdn.net/6030677/uploads/O2N6B6EB84VN/example-delete-user-content-2.png" alt="example-delete_user_content-2.png" height="129" width="567" loading="lazy" data-display-size="large" data-float="none"></img></a> </div> </div> <h2 data-id="steps-to-delete-a-user">Steps to delete a user</h2><p>1. Access the Dashboard.</p><p>2. Navigate to <strong>Moderation > Site > Users</strong>.</p><p>3. Click the <strong>trashcan icon</strong> for the user you want to delete.</p><div class="embedExternal embedImage display-large float-none"> <div class="embedExternal-content"> <a class="embedImage-link" href="https://us.v-cdn.net/6030677/uploads/WV5R5M4GHOG8/access-users.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener ugc" target="_blank"> <img class="embedImage-img" src="https://us.v-cdn.net/6030677/uploads/WV5R5M4GHOG8/access-users.png" alt="access_users.png" height="652" width="945" loading="lazy" data-display-size="large" data-float="none"></img></a> </div> </div> <p>4. On the resulting page, select the deletion option best suited to the user and their content.</p><p><strong>📝 NOTE</strong>: For more information about each deletion option, as well as examples of their affect in your community, refer to the <strong>Deletion Options</strong> section above. </p><div class="embedExternal embedImage display-large float-none"> <div class="embedExternal-content"> <a class="embedImage-link" href="https://us.v-cdn.net/6030677/uploads/XUGCXOMHUT3J/delete-user.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener ugc" target="_blank"> <img class="embedImage-img" src="https://us.v-cdn.net/6030677/uploads/XUGCXOMHUT3J/delete-user.png" alt="delete_user.png" height="476" width="778" loading="lazy" data-display-size="large" data-float="none"></img></a> </div> </div> <p>5. In the confirmation popup, click <strong>Delete User Forever</strong> to delete the user account.</p><p><strong>🛑 WARNING</strong>: This action cannot be undone.</p><h2 data-id="delete-users-via-the-api">Delete Users via the API</h2><p>The three methods of deleting users is also available in APIv2, though their names are different:</p><ul><li>keep</li><li>wipe</li><li>delete</li></ul><div class="embedExternal embedImage display-large float-none"> <div class="embedExternal-content"> <a class="embedImage-link" href="https://us.v-cdn.net/6030677/uploads/LT40CMAYSKWG/image.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener ugc" target="_blank"> <img class="embedImage-img" src="https://us.v-cdn.net/6030677/uploads/LT40CMAYSKWG/image.png" alt="image.png" height="238" width="1297" loading="lazy" data-display-size="large" data-float="none"></img></a> </div> </div> <p><strong>deleteMethod</strong> (keep, wipe or delete):</p><ul><li><em>Retrieve and delete a user using the </em><strong><em>keep</em></strong><em> method</em>: Delete the user but keep all the user's content. This will replace their username with [Deleted User].</li><li><em>Retrieve and delete a user using the </em><strong><em>wipe</em></strong><em> method</em>: Delete the user and replace all of the user's content with a message stating the user has been deleted. This will result in their content being attributed to [Deleted User]; however, we can change this verbiage (contact Vanilla Support).</li><li><em>Retrieve and delete a user using the </em><strong><em>delete</em></strong><em> method</em>: Delete the user and completely remove all of the user's content.</li></ul><p>Check out the article below to learn more.</p><div class="js-embed embedResponsive" data-embedjson="{"body":"This document is an up-to-date API reference for all of Vanilla's public APIv2 endpoints.","photoUrl":"https:\/\/us.v-cdn.net\/6030677\/uploads\/VWGAXAF5OFCO\/microsoftteams-image.png","url":"https:\/\/success.vanillaforums.com\/kb\/articles\/202-apiv2-reference-endpoints#\/Users\/delete_users__id_","embedType":"link","name":"API v2 Reference & Endpoints - Vanilla Success"}"> <a href="https://success.vanillaforums.com/kb/articles/202-apiv2-reference-endpoints#/Users/delete_users__id_" rel="nofollow noreferrer ugc"> https://success.vanillaforums.com/kb/articles/202-apiv2-reference-endpoints#/Users/delete_users__id_ </a> </div><h2 data-id="ow-do-i-accessextract-a-users-data">ow do I access/extract a users data?</h2><p>You have a few options, depending on which data you need access to. </p><h4 data-id="1.-request-a-csv-export-of-user-profile-data-from-vanilla-support-via-email.-this-export-will-include-the-following-for-all-users%3A"><strong>1. Request a CSV export of user profile data from Vanilla Support via email. This export will include the following for all users:</strong></h4><ul><li>Username</li><li>Email</li><li>Registration date</li><li>Date of last login</li><li>Last IP address</li><li># of discussions</li><li># of comments</li><li># of points</li><li>Role(s)</li><li>Rank</li><li>Any custom profile fields you may have created in the Profile Fields settings</li></ul><h4 data-id="2.-access-the-json-for-user-profiles-discussions-and-comments."><strong>2. Access the JSON for user profiles, discussions, and comments.</strong></h4><p><a href="https://www.w3schools.com/whatis/whatis_json.asp" rel="nofollow noreferrer ugc">JSON</a> is a language-independent data format. By appending a URL with .json, you can access a human-readable file of the accessible data on that page, and download it to your local device. User data is stored on the user profile, and each profile contains a link to the user’s posted discussions and comments.</p><p>Data access is governed by Roles and permissions. You must be logged in as a trusted user with appropriate Role assignment in order to access PII information. The JSON file will only expose data you have access to view based on your Role.</p><p>To access the JSON for a user requesting access to their data:</p><ol><li>Sign in as an Administrator.</li><li>Access the user’s profile e.g. <a href="https://success.vanillaforums.com/profile/system" rel="nofollow noreferrer ugc">https://success.vanillaforums.com/profile/system</a></li><li>Append the URL with .json <a href="https://success.vanillaforums.com/profile/system.json" rel="nofollow noreferrer ugc">https://success.vanillaforums.com/profile/system.json</a></li><li>Right-click the page and select “Save as…” to download a copy of the data.</li></ol><p>Example:</p><div class="embedExternal embedImage display-large float-none"> <div class="embedExternal-content"> <a class="embedImage-link" href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/HjkcMBHBuJU1ESLC8vB2tPpmITVUEQbTbv9VHJuyaTfLX9DMrJEJZ5KAMtA3aldbuRkImg1-2O5NbQ_fWaEiZ4n7fsLOwd7d8vk2Enc4zAynU0_ICLuDVPfZuoVjMMThYjjjiWB5" rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener ugc" target="_blank"> <img class="embedImage-img" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/HjkcMBHBuJU1ESLC8vB2tPpmITVUEQbTbv9VHJuyaTfLX9DMrJEJZ5KAMtA3aldbuRkImg1-2O5NbQ_fWaEiZ4n7fsLOwd7d8vk2Enc4zAynU0_ICLuDVPfZuoVjMMThYjjjiWB5" alt="HjkcMBHBuJU1ESLC8vB2tPpmITVUEQbTbv9VHJuyaTfLX9DMrJEJZ5KAMtA3aldbuRkImg1-2O5NbQ_fWaEiZ4n7fsLOwd7d8vk2Enc4zAynU0_ICLuDVPfZuoVjMMThYjjjiWB5" height="180" width="320" loading="lazy" data-display-size="large" data-float="none"></img></a> </div> </div> <p><strong>🛑 IMPORTANT</strong>: Make sure you share the data safely using a password protected file, or a trusted service like Google Drive or Dropbox. Also, be sure to delete the data from your local device once it’s been shared. </p><p>Similarly, if the user requests access to their posts, you can retrieve the JSON by appending their <em>/profile/discussions</em>, and <em>/profile/comments</em> pages with .json.</p><p>Example:</p><div class="embedExternal embedImage display-large float-none"> <div class="embedExternal-content"> <a class="embedImage-link" href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/qO8MavWcAnzdT3e8gAyGvY2ctuMMnAEXBTHzfYQH0cNs7OBZXYB8PHVCHPEMcgD4lHR932QLhHO8LXLNgACke3fzwJmeHBOy8WzYfH8YjTIpT7IHUGDH7Pzs0YSLg8ba2YPEV8U8" rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener ugc" target="_blank"> <img class="embedImage-img" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/qO8MavWcAnzdT3e8gAyGvY2ctuMMnAEXBTHzfYQH0cNs7OBZXYB8PHVCHPEMcgD4lHR932QLhHO8LXLNgACke3fzwJmeHBOy8WzYfH8YjTIpT7IHUGDH7Pzs0YSLg8ba2YPEV8U8" alt="qO8MavWcAnzdT3e8gAyGvY2ctuMMnAEXBTHzfYQH0cNs7OBZXYB8PHVCHPEMcgD4lHR932QLhHO8LXLNgACke3fzwJmeHBOy8WzYfH8YjTIpT7IHUGDH7Pzs0YSLg8ba2YPEV8U8" height="180" width="320" loading="lazy" data-display-size="large" data-float="none"></img></a> </div> </div> <p><strong>3. Retrieving Data via API</strong></p><p>Multiple endpoints are available for getting the users data, comments, and discussions.</p><p>See the API reference below: </p><div class="js-embed embedResponsive" data-embedjson="{"body":"This document is an up-to-date API reference for all of Vanilla's public APIv2 endpoints.","photoUrl":"https:\/\/us.v-cdn.net\/6030677\/uploads\/VWGAXAF5OFCO\/microsoftteams-image.png","url":"https:\/\/success.vanillaforums.com\/kb\/articles\/202-apiv2-reference-endpoints#\/Users","embedType":"link","name":"API v2 Reference & Endpoints - Vanilla Success"}"> <a href="https://success.vanillaforums.com/kb/articles/202-apiv2-reference-endpoints#/Users" rel="nofollow noreferrer ugc"> https://success.vanillaforums.com/kb/articles/202-apiv2-reference-endpoints#/Users </a> </div><p><br></p> </article> </main>