# Exporting data to bring a user back

**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/exporting-data-to-bring-a-user-back/267984
**Category:** Support
**Created:** [June 12, 2023, 2:57am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/exporting-data-to-bring-a-user-back/267984 "2023-06-12T02:57:22Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![Zarooma](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/zarooma/32/310889_2.png) [@Zarooma](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Zarooma)
#### Post date: [June 12, 2023, 2:57am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/exporting-data-to-bring-a-user-back/267984/1 "2023-06-12T02:57:22Z")

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I was wondering if it is possible to export a users data if they want to be deleted and then if needed or they change there mind use the data you exported to bring there account back

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### Author: ![pfaffman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/pfaffman/32/120154_2.png) [@pfaffman](https://meta.discourse.org/u/pfaffman)
#### Post date: [June 12, 2023, 10:48am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/exporting-data-to-bring-a-user-back/267984/2 "2023-06-12T10:48:07Z")

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If they ask to be deleted them keeping their data is a violation of what they are asking for. But they can export their own data. I’m not sure what’s in that dump and whether it contains the original post ids.

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### Author: ![Canapin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/canapin/32/119591_2.png) [@Canapin](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Canapin)
#### Post date: [June 12, 2023, 1:04pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/exporting-data-to-bring-a-user-back/267984/3 "2023-06-12T13:04:18Z")

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That’s an interesting question.

Here’s what contains a data request:

 ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/meta/original/4X/a/0/d/a0d7160c226b109fff02223bb7dad0de4f14685e.png)

The posts are contained in `user_archive.csv`:

 ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/meta/original/4X/4/f/c/4fce0e7123927cc3b3bb788b1f61628c0807692f.png)

I guess restoring a deleted user using a custom script would be possible, but there would be missing or broken data, especially regarding interactions.

Basically, it wouldn’t be a good idea.

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### Author: ![Zarooma](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/zarooma/32/310889_2.png) [@Zarooma](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Zarooma)
#### Post date: [June 12, 2023, 11:06pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/exporting-data-to-bring-a-user-back/267984/4 "2023-06-12T23:06:14Z")

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Okay thank you for telling me this