# Recommendations for closing accounts: Delete vs Anonymize vs Suspend

**URL:** <https://meta.discourse.org/t/recommendations-for-closing-accounts-delete-vs-anonymize-vs-suspend/156636>\
**Category:** Product Support\
**Created:** [July 2, 2020, 9:43pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/recommendations-for-closing-accounts-delete-vs-anonymize-vs-suspend/156636 "2020-07-02T21:43:36Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 1

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**Author:** ![jessicah](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/jessicah/32/102653_2.png) [@jessicah](https://meta.discourse.org/u/jessicah)\
**Post date:** [July 2, 2020, 9:43pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/recommendations-for-closing-accounts-delete-vs-anonymize-vs-suspend/156636/1 "2020-07-02T21:43:36Z")

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What is the recommendation for closing accounts? I’m having trouble discerning the difference between anonymizing and deleting users, or whether I should just use suspend forever?

I would prefer post content to remain, but it sounds like deleting a user results in their posts getting removed as well? If I anonymize a user, their content remains, but then, as I understand it, their details get completely scrubbed? So if content remains, then people wouldn’t know who it came from anymore? So would suspending forever be more preferable? Their content remains, and can see who it came from?

I suppose if I start with suspending users, I can always transition to deleting or anonymizing at a later date…?

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