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Delete User

Remove users from your Dockflow organization when they no longer require access. This guide covers the deletion process, prerequisites, and troubleshooting steps.

Overview​

User deletion is a permanent, irreversible action that removes a user's account and access credentials from your organization.

Irreversible Action

Deleting a user is permanent and cannot be undone.

Before deleting:

  • Reassign their tradeflows to other team members
  • Export any data or reports they created
  • Document their current workload
  • Consider deactivation instead (temporary removal)

Who can delete users:

  • Only Organization Administrators can delete users
  • Standard users cannot delete accounts, even their own

What happens when a user is deleted:

  • ✅ User's login credentials are permanently removed
  • ✅ User loses all access to your organization
  • ✅ User's email address becomes available for reuse
  • ⚠️ User's past activity (notes, updates) remains visible in system logs
  • ⚠️ Tradeflows assigned to the user remain in the system (but lose lead contact assignment)

Alternative: Deactivate User​

Before permanently deleting, consider deactivating the user instead.

Deactivation vs Deletion​

ActionReversible?User DataAccessUse Case
Deactivate✅ YesPreservedBlockedTemporary leave, seasonal workers
Delete❌ NoSome preserved, some lostPermanently removedEmployee left company

How to Deactivate a User​

  1. Navigate to Settings → Organisation
  2. Find the user in the list
  3. Click ⋯ (three-dot menu) next to their name
  4. Select Deactivate
  5. Confirm action

To reactivate:

  1. Settings → Organisation → Filter: "Inactive users"
  2. Find the deactivated user
  3. Click ⋯ → Activate
When to Deactivate Instead of Delete

Use deactivation for:

  • Employees on extended leave (parental leave, sabbatical)
  • Seasonal workers who will return
  • Security investigations (temporary suspension)
  • Role transitions (disable old role, create new account)

Use deletion for:

  • Employees who permanently left the company
  • Contractors whose engagement ended
  • Accounts created by mistake
  • Duplicate accounts

Prerequisites​

Before deleting a user, ensure:

  1. You are an Administrator

    • Only admins can delete users
    • Verify your role: Settings → Organisation → Find your name → Check "Role" column

  2. Reassign active tradeflows

  3. Export necessary data

    • Download reports or data created by the user
    • Save any custom views or filters they created (document for recreation)

  4. Notify stakeholders

    • Inform partners or clients who worked with this user
    • Update contact information where needed

Reassigning Tradeflows Before Deletion​

Users may be assigned as lead contacts for active tradeflows. Reassign these before deletion to maintain accountability.

Step 1: Identify User's Tradeflows​

Method A: Use Dashboard Filter

  1. Navigate to Dashboard → Tradeflows
  2. Click Filter
  3. Select Lead Contact filter
  4. Choose the user to be deleted
  5. Click Apply
  6. Note the number of assigned tradeflows

Method B: Export Tradeflows

  1. Dashboard → Tradeflows
  2. Apply lead contact filter (as above)
  3. Click Export → Export to Excel
  4. Review in spreadsheet

Step 2: Reassign Tradeflows​

For small numbers (1-20 tradeflows):

Reassign manually via UI:

  1. Open each tradeflow
  2. Click << icon (side panel)
  3. Navigate to Partners tab
  4. Edit Lead Contact
  5. Select new user
  6. Close panel to save

See How to Add a Lead Contact for detailed steps.

For large numbers (20+ tradeflows):

Reassign via Excel bulk import:

  1. Export tradeflows (with current lead contact filter applied)
  2. Download import template
  3. Match tradeflows by Internal Reference
  4. Update "Lead Contact" column with new assignments
  5. Upload template

See Bulk Import Guide for bulk update instructions.

Distribute workload:

  • Don't assign all tradeflows to one person
  • Balance assignments across team
  • Consider shipment complexity, not just count
  • Communicate with new assignees

Deleting a User​

Once prerequisites are complete, follow these steps to permanently delete the user.

Step 1: Navigate to Settings​

  1. Click Dashboard (main navigation)
  2. Click Settings (lower left corner)
  3. Select Organisation from the settings menu

Step 2: Select Organisation​

The Organisation page displays all users in your entity.

Information shown:

  • User name
  • Email address
  • Role (Administrator or User)
  • Last active date
  • Account status

If you have many users, use the search function:

  1. Locate the search bar above the user list
  2. Type the user's name or email address
  3. Press Enter or click the search icon
  4. User appears in filtered results

Search tips:

  • Search by first name, last name, or email
  • Search is case-insensitive
  • Partial matches are supported
  • Clear search to see full user list again

Step 4: Click Three-Dot Menu​

  1. Find the user in the list
  2. Locate the three-dot menu (⋯) on the right side of their row
  3. Click the menu to reveal options

Menu options typically include:

  • Edit (modify user details)
  • Deactivate (temporary suspension)
  • Delete (permanent removal)
  • Resend Invitation (for pending users)

Step 5: Choose Delete​

  1. Click Delete from the menu
  2. A confirmation popup appears

Step 6: Confirm in Popup​

The confirmation popup displays a warning message explaining the consequences.

Popup includes:

  • Warning that deletion is permanent
  • List of impacts (access removed, data preserved in logs, etc.)
  • "Cancel" button (abort deletion)
  • "Delete" or "Confirm" button (proceed with deletion)
Final Confirmation

Read the warning carefully before confirming.

Once you click "Delete" or "Confirm":

  • The user account is immediately and permanently deleted
  • The user cannot log in
  • The action cannot be undone

Click "Delete" or "Confirm" to proceed with permanent deletion.

After Deletion​

Immediate Effects​

What happens immediately:

  • User account is deleted from your organization
  • User's login credentials (email/password) are deactivated
  • User loses all access to Dockflow (current sessions terminated)
  • User disappears from the user list

What persists:

  • User's past activity (notes, updates, document uploads) remains visible
  • Activity is attributed to "Deleted User" or the original user name
  • Tradeflows previously assigned to the user remain in the system
  • Tradeflows lose their lead contact assignment (becomes empty/unassigned)

Reassign Orphaned Tradeflows​

If you didn't reassign tradeflows before deletion, do so now:

  1. Dashboard → Tradeflows
  2. Filter → Lead Contact → Select "(No Lead Contact)" or "(Unassigned)"
  3. Review tradeflows without assignments
  4. Reassign as needed

Update External Communications​

Notify affected parties:

  • Partners who worked with this user
  • Clients who had this person as their contact
  • Internal teams who collaborated with this user

Update contact information:

  • Website contact pages
  • Email signatures (if shared mailboxes reference the user)
  • Partner portal listings
  • Customer-facing documentation

Re-adding a Deleted User​

If you need to restore access for a deleted user, you must create a new account.

Process​

  1. Navigate to Settings → Organisation
  2. Click + Add User
  3. Enter the same email address and details
  4. Assign role and save

Important notes:

  • This creates a new account, not a restoration
  • Previous account history is NOT restored
  • Previous tradeflow assignments are NOT restored
  • Previous custom views and settings are NOT restored
  • The user must set up a new password

See How to Add Users for detailed instructions.

Troubleshooting​

Delete Option Not Available​

Possible causes:

  1. You are not an Administrator

    • Only admins can delete users
    • Solution: Ask an administrator to perform the deletion, or request admin promotion

  2. Trying to delete yourself

    • Users cannot delete their own accounts
    • Solution: Ask another administrator to delete your account

  3. Trying to delete the last administrator

    • System requires at least one administrator
    • Solution: Promote another user to administrator first, then delete

Check:

  1. Verify spelling (search is exact or partial match)
  2. Try searching by email instead of name
  3. Check if user is already deactivated (filter: "Inactive users")
  4. Verify user exists in your organization (not a partner user)

Solution:

  • Clear search and scroll through full user list
  • Ask colleagues if the user was already deleted
  • Contact support if user should exist but doesn't appear

Deletion Confirmation Doesn't Appear​

Possible causes:

  1. Browser popup blocker
  2. Browser extension interference
  3. Slow network connection

Solution:

  1. Disable popup blockers temporarily
  2. Try in incognito/private mode
  3. Try a different browser
  4. Refresh the page and try again
  5. Contact support if issue persists

User Still Has Access After Deletion​

Check:

  1. User deleted from your organization (not just removed from a team)
  2. Deletion confirmation was completed (not canceled)
  3. User is not logging into a different organization on Dockflow

Solution:

  1. Verify user no longer appears in Settings → Organisation user list
  2. Ask user to log out and log back in (sessions may persist briefly)
  3. Wait 5 minutes for system to sync
  4. Contact support if user still has access after 15 minutes

Need to Restore Deleted User Data​

Unfortunately, deletion is permanent.

What can be recovered:

  • Tradeflow activity logs (notes, updates) are preserved and still visible
  • Export historical data before deletion if needed

What cannot be recovered:

  • User account and login credentials
  • User's personal settings and preferences
  • User's custom views and saved filters
  • Tradeflow assignments

Recommendation: Always deactivate instead of delete if there's any chance you'll need to restore access or data.

Best Practices​

Before Deleting​

Checklist:

  • Verify user no longer needs access (confirm with manager)
  • Reassign all active tradeflows
  • Export user's data or reports if needed
  • Notify relevant partners and clients
  • Update external contact lists
  • Document deletion in your internal records
  • Consider deactivation instead if there's any uncertainty

Security Considerations​

When someone leaves the company:

Immediate actions (do within 24 hours):

  1. Deactivate user account immediately (blocks access)
  2. Review user's recent activity (Settings → Organisation → Activity Log)
  3. Change passwords for any shared accounts the user had access to
  4. Revoke API keys or integrations the user created

Follow-up actions (do within 1 week):

  1. Reassign tradeflows and workload
  2. Notify partners and clients
  3. Delete user account permanently (after verification period)

Why deactivate first, delete later:

  • Immediate access blocking without affecting tradeflows
  • Time to verify no outstanding issues or investigations
  • Ability to reactivate if mistake or misunderstanding

Multiple Administrators​

Always maintain at least 2-3 administrators:

  • Prevents lockout if one admin leaves
  • Ensures coverage during vacations
  • Allows peer review of sensitive actions like deletions

Before deleting an administrator:

  1. Verify at least 2 other administrators remain
  2. Transfer any admin-specific tasks or responsibilities
  3. Document admin-level knowledge (passwords, integrations, etc.)

Documentation​

Keep records of:

  • User deletion date and reason
  • Who performed the deletion
  • Tradeflow reassignments made
  • External parties notified
  • Any data exported before deletion

Useful for:

  • Compliance and audit purposes
  • Historical reference
  • Troubleshooting issues later
  • Training and process improvement

Security & Compliance​

Data Retention​

What's deleted:

  • User login credentials (email/password)
  • Personal account settings
  • Custom views and preferences

What's retained:

  • User activity logs (notes, updates, changes)
  • Attribution of past actions
  • Audit trail of user's work

Retention period: Indefinite (for audit and compliance purposes)

GDPR & Data Privacy

If a deleted user requests removal of all their personal data under GDPR or similar regulations:

  • Contact [email protected]
  • Provide user email and deletion date
  • Support team will process complete data removal request

Normal deletion does not remove audit logs. Specific data privacy requests require additional processing.

Audit Trail​

Track user deletions:

  1. Navigate to Settings → Organisation → Activity Log
  2. Filter by:
    • Action type: "User Deleted"
    • Date range: Last 30/60/90 days
  3. Review deletion history

Information logged:

  • User who was deleted (name, email)
  • Administrator who performed deletion
  • Date and time of deletion
  • IP address of admin

Need Help?​

  • Deletion issues: [email protected]
  • Cannot delete user: Verify admin permissions or contact support
  • Data recovery: Deletion is permanent, contact support for alternative solutions
  • Compliance questions: [email protected]

Migrated from: https://support.dockflow.com/how-to-delete-a-user Last updated: January 28, 2026