User Deactivation & Data Retention FAQs

Overview

This FAQ is for admins handling people who leave your organisation or go on extended leave. Instead of deleting an account straight away, you deactivate it and choose a status: Temporary Long Leave or Terminated. The status decides how long their data is kept. This guide explains how deactivation works, what happens to their data, and how to bring someone back.

General Questions

What happens when I deactivate a user?

When you deactivate a user account:

• Immediate effects: Their access to the platform is removed straight away, and their data is removed from your admin views and reports.
• Where they go: They move to the Deactivated tab in People & Teams → People, where you can see their status, when they were deactivated, and reactivate them.
• Data retention: Depends on the status you choose (see below).
• Reporting impact: By default the user no longer appears in your people list, course enrolments, or reports. In Learning Records you can turn on Include → Deactivated users to bring deactivated accounts back into the results and the CSV export, so you can still report on the learning history of people who have left.

How long do you keep a deactivated user's data?

People deactivated through a CSV sync or an HRIS integration are set to Terminated. Accounts without a status (for example, older deactivations) are not deleted automatically.

For Administrators

How do I deactivate a user?

1. Go to People & Teams → People
2. Find the user you want to deactivate
3. Click the more actions (⋯) menu next to their name
4. Select Deactivate user account
5. In the Deactivate 1 user from account dialog, choose Temporary Long Leave or Terminated
6. Click Deactivate 1 User to confirm

You can't deactivate your own account. For someone who hasn't registered yet, the menu shows Delete invite from account instead, which cancels their invitation.

How do I deactivate several users at once?

In People & Teams → People, tick the checkboxes next to the people you want to deactivate, then click Deactivate N Users in the action bar. Choose a status in the dialog and confirm. The status you choose applies to everyone you selected.

Can I reactivate a deactivated user?

Yes. Open the Deactivated tab, then either use a person's row menu and choose Reactivate, or tick several people and click Reactivate N Users. Their account returns to active with its existing team, role, and manager. If any of those no longer exist, you'll see a message asking you to reassign them from the All People tab.

Inviting the email address of a deactivated person also reactivates their existing account rather than creating a new one.

Once a Terminated account reaches the end of its 3-year retention period and is permanently deleted, it can't be recovered.

What if I chose the wrong status?

On the Deactivated tab, open the person's row menu and choose Change to Long Leave or Change to Terminated. For accounts without a status, the options are Set to Terminated and Set to Long Leave. Changing someone to Long Leave cancels their automatic deletion. Changing someone to Terminated shows the date their account will be permanently deleted.

Can I disable a user’s access to 5Mins.ai, but still see their data in Admin?

Yes. Deactivate them as Temporary Long Leave if you want their data kept indefinitely. They stay listed on the Deactivated tab, and you can include their learning history in Learning Records by turning on Include → Deactivated users.

Data Access & Retrieval

How can I access a deactivated user's data?

• Learning history: In Learning Records, turn on Include → Deactivated users to see their records and export them as CSV.
• List of deactivated people: On the Deactivated tab, filter by status or source and click Download List to export a CSV.
• Everything else: Reactivate the account, or contact our support team with the user's email address and let us know what information you need.

Reporting & Analytics

Why don't deactivated users appear in my reports?

By default, a deactivated user's data is hidden from your admin views and reports, so they no longer appear in your people list, course enrolments, or most reports. One exception: in Learning Records you can switch on Include → Deactivated users (off by default) to include deactivated accounts in the results and the CSV export, which is useful when you need the learning history of people who have left.

Getting Help

When should I contact support?

Contact our support team for:

• Accessing data from a deactivated user that you can't get from Learning Records
• Questions about an account that was deactivated in error
• Technical issues when deactivating or reactivating users
• Questions about specific retention requirements

How to contact support

• Email: support@5mins.ai
• Help desk: Available through your admin panel