# Deactivating users permanently
**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/deactivating-users-permanently/37169
**Category:** Support
**Created:** [December 27, 2015, 8:49am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/deactivating-users-permanently/37169 "2015-12-27T08:49:07Z")
**Posts on this page:** 9
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@skoota](https://meta.discourse.org/u/skoota)
#### Post date: [December 27, 2015, 8:49am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/deactivating-users-permanently/37169/1 "2015-12-27T08:49:08Z")
Hi all,
I am using Discourse as a discussion platform for my students and classes. We are now approaching the beginning of another school year, so I need to deactivate the accounts of students who are no longer studying the courses (and should no longer have access to the forum).
I can’t delete the users, as that would require all their posts to be deleted (and I want to maintain a full history of previous threads, and if posts disappeared it would make the threads quite jumpy).
However, I need some way of preventing those users from logging in and using the system, and also from receiving any emails (e.g. if they are mentioned, digest emails, etc.).
So, I wanted to ask what are my options here? The closest seems to be suspending the user for a long period of time (like 10 years) but is there a better and neater way? Would the suspended users still receive emails from the system?
Thanks!
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### Author:  [@jomaxro](https://meta.discourse.org/u/jomaxro)
#### Post date: [December 27, 2015, 9:00am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/deactivating-users-permanently/37169/2 "2015-12-27T09:00:27Z")
Unfortunately I think suspending the users is the only way you can accomplish what you want here. Based on @sam’s description of the user states I think suspending is the way to go. From the linked thread:
> [@Understanding user statuses, roles, and permissions](https://meta.discourse.org/t/understanding-user-statuses-roles-and-permissions/35171/1):
>
> ## Suspended
>
> Account suspended from Discourse instance
>
> - A note is displayed on user page denoting suspension reason
> - Login is not allowed
> - Account no longer shows up in search
> - No emails are sent to user for any notifications (digest, message and so on)
> - As an exception any emails initiated by staff are still sent to user
So this will accomplish your goal of preventing login and emails, unless you (the admin) explicitly initiate an email.
> [@Understanding user statuses, roles, and permissions](https://meta.discourse.org/t/description-of-various-user-states-in-discourse/35171):
>
> bookmark This is a guide for understanding the various user statuses, roles, and permissions within Discourse, including how they affect user capabilities and how they are stored in the database. person_raising_hand Required user level: Administrator Discourse has many built-in user statuses, roles, and permissions. These statuses and roles can be seen for a given user when viewing their profile from the users’ section of the admin dashboard: Permi…
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### Author:  [@cpradio](https://meta.discourse.org/u/cpradio)
#### Post date: [December 27, 2015, 11:55am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/deactivating-users-permanently/37169/3 "2015-12-27T11:55:50Z")
You can also anonymize each account unless you need to keep their actual name with their posts.
You can use the deactivate account button on the admin user page too. You may have to alter their email preferences to stop emails though (such as the digest)
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### Author:  [@skoota](https://meta.discourse.org/u/skoota)
#### Post date: [December 28, 2015, 6:47am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/deactivating-users-permanently/37169/4 "2015-12-28T06:47:07Z")
Thanks for your replies @jomaxro and @cpradio . I am thinking that I will take the route of suspending the users for a long time which will effectively disable their accounts without modifying the content already on the forum.
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### Author:  [@sjmscott](https://meta.discourse.org/u/sjmscott)
#### Post date: [January 2, 2016, 4:28am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/deactivating-users-permanently/37169/5 "2016-01-02T04:28:34Z")
@skoota Thanks for asking the question for me! I have the exact issue!
Does anyone know if there is a way to bulk suspend? Or do I need to do it for each of my students?
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### Author:  [@MarieBe](https://meta.discourse.org/u/MarieBe)
#### Post date: [March 3, 2017, 7:20pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/deactivating-users-permanently/37169/6 "2017-03-03T19:20:37Z")
is there a way for an admin to change the note that was given for a member who was suspended?
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### Author:  [@jomaxro](https://meta.discourse.org/u/jomaxro)
#### Post date: [March 3, 2017, 7:21pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/deactivating-users-permanently/37169/7 "2017-03-03T19:21:19Z")
Unsuspend and resuspend.
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### Author:  [@MarieBe](https://meta.discourse.org/u/MarieBe)
#### Post date: [March 3, 2017, 7:24pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/deactivating-users-permanently/37169/8 "2017-03-03T19:24:19Z")
while I was over here asking, another admin did just that. thanks!
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### Author:  [@JammyDodger](https://meta.discourse.org/u/JammyDodger)
#### Post date: [June 8, 2024, 12:44pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/deactivating-users-permanently/37169/9 "2024-06-08T12:44:55Z")
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