Deactivating and deleting a user in Zoho One are two distinct actions, and the deletion process has become considerably more thorough since this was first documented, now walking you through transferring ownership of everything that user was responsible for.
Note on UI versions: Zoho One currently supports two interface versions, the Spaces UI and the Unified UI, and the exact steps differ slightly between them. Check which version your organisation is on before following steps below, or consult Zoho's current documentation for the version-specific walkthrough.
Deactivating a User
Deactivating suspends the user's access without deleting them or their data, useful for someone on extended leave or under review, where you want to preserve everything as-is.
- Sign in to Zoho One and go to the Users section (via the Directory icon or Admin Panel, depending on your UI version).
- Find the user you want to deactivate.
- Change their status from Active to Deactivate.
Deleting a User
Deleting removes the user from your organisation entirely, and depending on their role and responsibilities, involves several additional steps to make sure nothing they owned is orphaned.
Requires Org Owner or Org Admin role. You'll also be asked to periodically re-authenticate during this process, since it's a sensitive action.
- Sign in to Zoho One, click the Directory icon in the top-right corner, then Users.
- Hover over the user you want to delete, click the options menu, then Delete.
- Read the disclaimer carefully, then click Continue.
- Depending on the user's role, complete whichever of the following steps apply: assigning a new admin for each Zoho application they administered, reviewing third-party application status, transferring ownership of directory store integrations, transferring department ownership, reassigning their reportees to a new manager, and transferring or storing their application data.
Before deleting anyone: Log in to the apps that person was assigned to and reassign their records and activities first if the deletion flow doesn't fully cover this for a specific app, and ensure proper backups are taken. Deletion cannot be undone.
Need help? 1 Cloud Consultants can help you safely deactivate or delete users in Zoho One, including transferring ownership of everything they were responsible for.
Book a discovery call with 1 Cloud Consultants.