gitlab-org--gitlab-foss/doc/user/profile/account/delete_account.md

# Deleting a User Account

NOTE: **Note:**
Deleting a user will delete all projects in that user namespace.

- As a user, you can delete your own account by navigating to **Settings** > **Account** and selecting **Delete account**
- As an admin, you can delete a user account by navigating to the **Admin Area**, selecting the **Users** tab, selecting a user, and clicking on **Delete user**

## Associated Records

> Introduced for issues in [GitLab 9.0][ce-7393], and for merge requests, award
  emoji, notes, and abuse reports in [GitLab 9.1][ce-10467].
  Hard deletion from abuse reports and spam logs was introduced in
  [GitLab 9.1][ce-10273], and from the API in [GitLab 9.3][ce-11853].

When a user account is deleted, not all associated records are deleted with it.
Here's a list of things that will not be deleted:

- Issues that the user created
- Merge requests that the user created
- Notes that the user created
- Abuse reports that the user reported
- Award emoji that the user created

Instead of being deleted, these records will be moved to a system-wide
"Ghost User", whose sole purpose is to act as a container for such records.

When a user is deleted from an [abuse report](../../admin_area/abuse_reports.md) or spam log, these associated
records are not ghosted and will be removed, along with any groups the user
is a sole owner of. Administrators can also request this behaviour when
deleting users from the [API](../../../api/users.md#user-deletion) or the
admin area.

[ce-7393]: https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-ce/merge_requests/7393
[ce-10273]: https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-ce/merge_requests/10273
[ce-10467]: https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-ce/merge_requests/10467
[ce-11853]: https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-ce/merge_requests/11853
Add documentation around migrating records to the ghost user after user deletion. 2017-04-06 07:16:17 -04:00			`# Deleting a User Account`

Add note about projects when user is deleted 2018-09-21 10:26:21 -04:00			`NOTE: Note:`
			`Deleting a user will delete all projects in that user namespace.`

Add documentation around migrating records to the ghost user after user deletion. 2017-04-06 07:16:17 -04:00			`- As a user, you can delete your own account by navigating to Settings > Account and selecting Delete account`
Resolve "New design for user deletion confirmation in admin area" 2018-02-08 00:17:12 -05:00			`- As an admin, you can delete a user account by navigating to the Admin Area, selecting the Users tab, selecting a user, and clicking on Delete user`
Add documentation around migrating records to the ghost user after user deletion. 2017-04-06 07:16:17 -04:00
			`## Associated Records`

Allow users to be hard-deleted from the API 2017-06-01 12:14:39 -04:00			`> Introduced for issues in [GitLab 9.0][ce-7393], and for merge requests, award`
			`emoji, notes, and abuse reports in [GitLab 9.1][ce-10467].`
			`Hard deletion from abuse reports and spam logs was introduced in`
			`[GitLab 9.1][ce-10273], and from the API in [GitLab 9.3][ce-11853].`
Add documentation around migrating records to the ghost user after user deletion. 2017-04-06 07:16:17 -04:00
Allow users to be hard-deleted from the API 2017-06-01 12:14:39 -04:00			`When a user account is deleted, not all associated records are deleted with it.`
			`Here's a list of things that will not be deleted:`
Add documentation around migrating records to the ghost user after user deletion. 2017-04-06 07:16:17 -04:00
			`- Issues that the user created`
			`- Merge requests that the user created`
			`- Notes that the user created`
			`- Abuse reports that the user reported`
Fixed typo: craeted -> created 2017-06-02 16:03:02 -04:00			`- Award emoji that the user created`
Add documentation around migrating records to the ghost user after user deletion. 2017-04-06 07:16:17 -04:00
Allow users to be hard-deleted from the API 2017-06-01 12:14:39 -04:00			`Instead of being deleted, these records will be moved to a system-wide`
			`"Ghost User", whose sole purpose is to act as a container for such records.`
Add documentation around migrating records to the ghost user after user deletion. 2017-04-06 07:16:17 -04:00
Document the "Abuse reports" feature Add documentation for both admins (/user/admin_area/abuse_reports.md) and non-admins (/user/abuse_reports.md) to help them use the abuse reports feature 2018-11-09 01:34:48 -05:00			`When a user is deleted from an [abuse report](../../admin_area/abuse_reports.md) or spam log, these associated`
Allow users to be hard-deleted from the API 2017-06-01 12:14:39 -04:00			`records are not ghosted and will be removed, along with any groups the user`
			`is a sole owner of. Administrators can also request this behaviour when`
Support hard deletion in Admin::UsersController#destroy 2017-06-02 08:35:37 -04:00			`deleting users from the [API](../../../api/users.md#user-deletion) or the`
			`admin area.`
Add documentation around migrating records to the ghost user after user deletion. 2017-04-06 07:16:17 -04:00
			`[ce-7393]: https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-ce/merge_requests/7393`
Allow users to be hard-deleted from the API 2017-06-01 12:14:39 -04:00			`[ce-10273]: https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-ce/merge_requests/10273`
Add documentation around migrating records to the ghost user after user deletion. 2017-04-06 07:16:17 -04:00			`[ce-10467]: https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-ce/merge_requests/10467`
Allow users to be hard-deleted from the API 2017-06-01 12:14:39 -04:00			`[ce-11853]: https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-ce/merge_requests/11853`