---
title: "Delete a user"
slug: "delete-a-user"
tags: ["Site Administrator", "How-to", "Explainer"]
updated: 2025-07-22T10:52:18Z
published: 2025-07-22T11:18:12Z
canonical: "totara.help/delete-a-user"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://totara.help/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Delete a user

If you no longer want or need a particular user account then you can delete it from your site. Before you manually delete a user, you may wish to set up a [purge type](/19/docs/create-a-purge-type) to ensure that data associated with the account is removed in accordance with your policies or local data laws.

As a Site Administrator (or another role with the appropriate permissions) you can delete a user's account by following these steps:

1. Go to *Quick-access menu >* *Users > Accounts*.
2. Select **Manage users**.
3. Search for and find the user.
4. Select the cross icon (![](https://cdn.document360.io/a007399b-031e-436b-999a-528240e16f58/Images/Documentation/image-1635935761483.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-11-06T06%3A45%3A18Z&se=2026-11-06T07%3A45%3A18Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=nsyx2ANWzKmjbG%2BDWaucrLlp4F4ku%2Bi9ZxKmSADWxWE%3D)) next to the user's name to delete their account.
5. You will be prompted to confirm deletion of the user account.
6. Click **Delete**.

Once you have deleted a user they will have the **Deleted** user status and will be counted for any [deleted user purge types](/19/docs/user-data-management) you might run.

## Totara Learn

Any user-generated content (e.g. [resources, playlists and surveys](/19/docs/totara-engage-content-types)) created by a user will be deleted when that user's account is deleted. However, if the user has created any [workspaces](/19/docs/what-are-workspaces), these will not be deleted.

## Totara Perform

Please see the [Changes to personnel](/19/docs/changes-to-personnel) page for more information about what happens when deleting a user from Totara Perform. 

## Deleted data

All associated data, including but not limited to the following, will be deleted and is not recoverable:

- Appraisals where the user is in the Learner role
- Grades
- Tags
- Roles
- Preferences
- User custom fields
- Private keys
- Customised pages
- Seminar signups
- 360 feedback assignments and responses
- Position assignments
- Programs and certifications
- Goals

The following will also happen to the user:

- Will be unenrolled from courses
- Will be unassigned from manager, appraiser and temporary manager positions
- Will be removed from audiences
- Will be removed from groups
- Messages will be marked as read

If you wish to retain any data you may wish to consider [suspending the user instead](/19/docs/suspend-a-user).

![Course badge](https://cdn.document360.io/a007399b-031e-436b-999a-528240e16f58/Images/Documentation/course-badge_creating-users-in-totara.svg?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-11-06T06%3A45%3A18Z&se=2026-11-06T07%3A45%3A18Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=nsyx2ANWzKmjbG%2BDWaucrLlp4F4ku%2Bi9ZxKmSADWxWE%3D)The Totara Academy has a whole course dedicated to [Creating users](https://totara.community/course/view.php?id=533) in Totara. Here you can learn more on how to add users, manage their data, see best practice, and give it a go yourself.

Join the [Totara Community](https://totara.community/) for more resources to help you get the most out of Totara.

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