Delete Users - Vanilla Success
<main> <article class="userContent"> <p>Throughout the life of your <strong>Higher Logic Vanilla</strong> (<strong>Vanilla</strong>) community, it's inevitable that you will have to occasionally delete user accounts. When you do, what happens to any content that the user has created?</p><p>Vanilla gives you three options for how to handle deleted users' content.</p><p><strong>📝 NOTE</strong>: You have to choose one of these options <em>when you are deleting the user, as part of the dele process</em>; you cannot do this before or after deleting the user.</p><ul><li><strong>Keep the user content</strong> - the user's content remains in place and untouched.</li><li><strong>Blank the user content</strong> - the user's content is replaced with a message stating that the user has been deleted.</li><li><strong>Delete the user content</strong> - the user's content is completely deleted.</li></ul><p>This article describes these three options; but first, let's get you to the user-deletion page.</p><p><strong>📝 NOTE</strong>: Alternatively, you can delete users via Vanilla's API, as described in <strong>Delete users and content via API v2</strong>, below.</p><h2 data-id="delete-a-user">Delete a user</h2><ol><li>Access the Dashboard.</li><li>Navigate to <strong>Moderation > Site > Users</strong>.</li><li>On the Manage Users page, locate the user that you want to delete and click the <strong>trashcan</strong> icon.</li></ol><div class="embedExternal embedImage display-large float-none"> <div class="embedExternal-content"> <a class="embedImage-link" href="https://us.v-cdn.net/6030677/uploads/ISMUAA4S2FF6/delete-user-trashcan.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener ugc" target="_blank"> <img class="embedImage-img" src="https://us.v-cdn.net/6030677/uploads/ISMUAA4S2FF6/delete-user-trashcan.png" alt="delete-user-trashcan.png" height="402" width="672" loading="lazy" data-display-size="large" data-float="none"></img></a> </div> </div> <p>The Delete User page opens and now you have the three options for <em>managing the user's content</em>.</p><p><strong>📝 NOTE</strong>: The options are described in detail in the sections that follow. Each section has examples and information about how the option impacts your Vanilla community.</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="User: "delete_user.png"" height="180" width="320" loading="lazy" data-display-size="large" data-float="none"></img></a> </div> </div> <p>After reviewing the information below:</p><ul><li>Click a button to permanently delete the user and <em>keep</em>, <em>replace</em>, or <em>delete</em> their content.</li><li>Click <strong>Delete User Forever</strong> on the confirmation popup.</li></ul><p><strong>🛑 WARNING</strong>: As indicated on the confirmation popup, <strong>this action cannot be undone</strong>.</p><h2 data-id="keep-user-content">Keep User Content</h2><p>Delete the user but keep their content in place and intact across your Vanilla community.</p><ul><li>This option is recommended if the user's content is still relevant and valuable to the 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 navigated to the "deleted content" page:</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> <h2 data-id="blank-user-content">Blank User Content</h2><p>Delete the user and replace all of their content with a message stating that the user has been deleted. </p><ul><li>This option is recommended if the user's content is not wanted but other content in the discussion thread <em>is wanted</em>. For example, the thread contains valuable content (from other contributors) that you want to keep.</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 discussion thread is intact with the original title, but the body text and the comment text are replaced with: <strong>The user and all related content has been deleted</strong>.</p><p><strong>📝 NOTE</strong>: Notice that <strong>System</strong>, who has <em>not been deleted</em>, has quoted <strong>@shaunatest</strong>, and because this is a quote which is attributed to <strong>System</strong> (not <strong>@shaunatest</strong>), the quote remains intact.</p><h2 data-id="delete-user-content">Delete User Content</h2><p>Delete the user and delete all of their content.</p><ul><li>This option is recommended if the user's content is harmful or detrimental to your community. This is the best option for removing spam.</li></ul><p><strong>📝 NOTE</strong>: The drawback of this option is that <em>the entire discussion thread is deleted</em> so, in addition to the deleted user's content, any valuable content that was contributed by other users is also deleted.</p><p>✔️ <strong>TIP</strong>: You can avoid this by using the <a href="https://success.vanillaforums.com/kb/articles/190" rel="nofollow noreferrer ugc">Author Selector<em> </em>addon</a> to change the author prior to deletion.</p><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="delete-users-and-content-via-api-v2">Delete users and content via API v2</h2><p>You can use Vanilla's API v2 to delete users and, optionally, their content.</p><p>The API v2 methods function the same as the Dashboard options described above but one of the names is 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>Retrieve and delete a user using the <strong>keep</strong> method: Delete the user but keep all the user's content. This replaces the username with <strong>[Deleted User]</strong>.</li><li>Retrieve and delete a user using the <strong>wipe</strong> method: Delete the user and replace all of the user's content with a message stating that the user has been deleted. This results in their content being attributed to <strong>[Deleted User]</strong>. <strong>NOTE</strong>: If you want to change the text of <strong>[Deleted User]</strong> in your community, contact Vanilla Support (<a href="unsafe:support@vanillaforums.com" rel="nofollow noreferrer ugc">support@vanillaforums.com</a>).</li><li>Retrieve and delete a user using the <strong>delete</strong> method: Delete the user and permanently remove all of the user's content.</li></ul><p>For information about <em>using Vanilla's API v2 to delete users and their content</em>, see:</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><p><br></p> </article> </main>