Deleting or Suspending Users

Understanding Delete vs Suspend

When you need to revoke a user's access, you have two options:

1. Delete - Use for permanent removal (employee left company, contract ended). User loses access immediately and must be re-invited to return.

2. Suspend - Use for temporary access removal (employee on leave, contractor between projects). User loses access immediately but can be reactivated later.

Important: Both actions preserve all data created by the user:

Systems they created remain in workspaces
CAPs they published stay published
Reference data they added stays in libraries

How to Suspend a User

Use when: The user may need access again in the future

Go to User Management
Find the user in the list
Click the three dots in the last column
Select "Suspend"
Review the warning modal showing:
- User's name and current access
- Workspaces they'll lose access to
- Impact on ongoing work
Click "Suspend"

What happens:

User loses access immediately
User cannot log in
User's work is preserved
User appears as "Suspended" in User Management
Counter in Supplier License Tracking decreases (if applicable)

To reactivate: Find the suspended user, click three dots, select "Unsuspend"

How to Delete a User

Use when: The user will not need access again

Go to User Management
Find the user in the list
Click the three dots in the last column
Select "Delete"
Review the warning modal showing:
- User's name and current access
- Permanent nature of deletion
- Data preservation confirmation
- Workspaces affected
Click "Delete"

What happens:

User loses access immediately
User cannot log in
User's work is preserved
User is removed from User Management list
To restore access, user must be re-invited as new user
Counter in Supplier License Tracking decreases (if applicable)

Important Notes:

Deleted users must go through full onboarding again if re-invited
Email address can be reused for new invitation
Historical data (systems, CAPs, comments) remains attributed to deleted user

Best Practices

When to Suspend

Employee taking extended leave
Contractor between project phases
Security investigation requiring temporary access removal
Seasonal workers during off-season

When to Delete

Employee permanently left organization
Contract definitively ended
External consultant project completed
Duplicate accounts need consolidation
Company policy requires removing inactive users

Security Considerations

Before Suspending or Deleting:

Document the reason - Keep internal records of why access was revoked
Review their work - Check for any in-progress critical tasks
Reassign responsibilities - Transfer ownership of active projects
Export if needed - Download any systems/reports before deletion
Notify team - Alert collaborators about access changes

After Suspension/Deletion:

Verify user cannot access the system
Check that data integrity is maintained
Update any external documentation

Troubleshooting

Cannot Find Delete/Suspend Option

Possible reasons:

You don't have Admin role
User is the last Admin (system prevents deletion)
You're viewing wrong user type

Solutions:

Verify you have Admin role
Promote another user to Admin first if needed
Refresh User Management page

Delete Option Disabled for Specific User

Reason: User is the last Admin in the system

Solution:

Promote another user to Admin role first
Then you can delete the original Admin

Suspended User Still Appearing in Workspace

This is normal: Suspended users remain visible in:

User Management (marked as "Suspended")
Historical activity logs
Authorship of systems/CAPs they created

Not visible in:

Active user counts
Workspace selector for assignments
Collaboration invitations

Need to Restore Deleted User

Process:

Go to User Management
Click "Add User"
Enter their original email address
System treats them as new user
Reassign workspaces and role

Impact on Other Features

Supplier License Tracking

Suspended/Deleted users: User count decreases immediately
Historical data: Systems and CAPs created remain counted
Last Login: Shows date of last login before suspension

Workspace Access

Suspended users: Removed from active workspace user lists
Deleted users: Removed from all workspace assignments
Reactivated users: Must be reassigned to workspaces

System Ownership

Systems: Remain attributed to suspended/deleted user
CAPs: Continue to show original publisher
Comments: Historical attribution preserved

For comprehensive user management:

Understanding User Management - Complete concepts
User Onboarding Process - New user experience
External User Onboarding - External collaborators
Understanding Workspaces - Workspace management

Need Help?

Questions about deleting or suspending users:

Visit our Help Center
Email support@carbonsig.com