Deactivating and Reactivating Users
Overview
When someone leaves your organisation, takes extended leave, or no longer needs access to Learn Amp, you can deactivate their account. Deactivation preserves their data while preventing them from logging in. When they return, you can reactivate them and their history will be restored.
This is different from deleting a user, which permanently removes all their data, or anonymising a user, which removes personal identifiers for GDPR compliance.
Pre-requisites
Role Requirements
Role | Capabilities |
|---|---|
Admin | Can deactivate/reactivate users within their company |
HR | Can deactivate/reactivate users |
Owner | Full access to user status management |
⚠️ Important: At least one Owner must remain active in the company at all times.
Deactivating a User
Quick Start Guide
From the sidebar, click People
Select Individuals
Find the user you want to deactivate (use the search or filters)
Click the three dots (⋮) on the right side of their row
Select Deactivate user
Confirm when prompted
What Happens When You Deactivate
Removed immediately:
The user is removed from all Teams
All Tasks set for this user are deleted
All Event Enrolments are deleted
All Objectives owned by this user are deleted
All Key Results associated with their objectives are deleted
All Purchase Requests (budgeting) are deleted
If they're a Manager of Teams or Groups, the Owner becomes the temporary manager
Users they managed (via override) are transferred to the Owner
If they're a Coach, their coachees no longer have a coach assigned
Any content editing permissions are removed
Preserved for later:
Their profile remains accessible to admins
Survey responses are kept
All Activity Data (activity log history)
All Notes on their profile and notes they created
All Documents on their profile
Locations, Specialisms, Teams, Languages data
Q&A questions and answers
1-to-1 records
Exercise submissions and scoring
Quiz attempts
Likes and Shares
Content they created (showing them as creator)
Tasks they issued (showing them as issuer)
What the User Sees
If a deactivated user tries to log in, they'll see a message: "Your account has been deactivated. If you believe this is in error please contact us."
Reactivating a User
Quick Start Guide
From the sidebar, click People
Select Individuals
Click the Status filter and select Deactivated
Find the user you want to reactivate
Click the three dots (⋮) on their row
Select Reactivate user
What Happens When You Reactivate
The user can log in again
All preserved data becomes visible and accessible
They appear in searches again
They receive notifications and emails again
💡 Tip: After reactivating, review their team assignments and manager settings to ensure everything is set up correctly for their return.
Reactivating via Integration
If your system is connected to an HR integration or identity provider (like Azure AD), make sure the user is reactivated in that system first. Otherwise, the integration may automatically deactivate them again during the next sync.
Deactivation vs Other Options
Option | What It Does | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
Deactivate | Prevents login, preserves all data, can be reversed | Extended leave, temporary departures |
Taking a break | User stays active but stops receiving notifications | Short-term leave, reduced hours |
Delete | Permanently removes user and all their data | Permanent removal, cannot be undone |
Anonymise | Removes personal identifiers from a deactivated user | GDPR compliance, right to be forgotten |
💡 Tip: Use "Taking a break" for parental leave or sabbaticals where the person will definitely return and you want their tasks and events preserved. Use deactivation when you're unsure of their return or need to immediately prevent access.
FAQs
Q: Can I bulk deactivate multiple users at once?
Yes, you can use the CSV import feature with a leave date in the past to trigger automatic deactivation, or contact support for assistance with bulk deactivation.
Q: What happens to content created by a deactivated user?
Content they created remains in the system and continues to show them as the creator. Other users can still access and interact with this content.
Q: Can I edit a deactivated user's details?
Yes, admins can still view and edit deactivated user profiles. Use the Status filter to find deactivated users.
Q: How long can a user stay deactivated?
There's no time limit. Users can remain deactivated indefinitely and be reactivated at any time. For GDPR compliance, consider anonymising users who won't return.
Troubleshooting
Issue | Solution |
|---|---|
Can't find deactivated user | Use the Status filter and select "Deactivated" to view deactivated users. |
User keeps getting deactivated | If using an HR integration, ensure the user is active in your HR system. The integration may be re-deactivating them during sync. |
Can't deactivate the last owner | At least one Owner must remain active. Assign another user as Owner before deactivating. |
Reactivated user can't see their old content | Check their team assignments – they may need to be re-added to teams to regain access to team-specific content. |
User's tasks didn't return after reactivation | Tasks are deleted during deactivation and don't return. You'll need to reassign tasks manually. |