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| 1 | +--- |
| 2 | +title: Delete a Community |
| 3 | +description: Guide to safely deleting communities and all associated data |
| 4 | +layout: ../../../layouts/MainLayout.astro |
| 5 | +--- |
| 6 | + |
| 7 | +Deleting a community is a permanent operation that removes the community and all its associated data from your school. This includes all posts, comments, members, and payment plans. |
| 8 | + |
| 9 | +> **Important**: Community deletion is permanent and cannot be undone. All community content, memberships, and payment plans will be permanently removed. |
| 10 | +
|
| 11 | +## How Community Deletion Works |
| 12 | + |
| 13 | +When you delete a community, CourseLit performs a comprehensive cleanup: |
| 14 | + |
| 15 | +1. **Content Deletion**: Removes all posts, comments, and reports |
| 16 | +2. **Membership Cleanup**: Cancels all memberships and payment plans |
| 17 | +3. **Page Removal**: Deletes the community's public page |
| 18 | +4. **Media Cleanup**: Removes all associated media files |
| 19 | +5. **Community Document**: Deletes the community itself |
| 20 | + |
| 21 | +## Prerequisites |
| 22 | + |
| 23 | +To delete a community, you must have the `Manage Community` permission. |
| 24 | + |
| 25 | +> **Note**: Even community moderators cannot delete a community. Only users with the `Manage Community` permission (typically site admins) can perform this operation. |
| 26 | +
|
| 27 | +## Deleting a Community |
| 28 | + |
| 29 | +1. Navigate to the **Communities** area from your admin dashboard |
| 30 | +2. Select the community you want to delete |
| 31 | +3. Click on **Manage** to open settings |
| 32 | +4. Scroll down to the Danger zone and click on **Delete Community** button |
| 33 | + |
| 34 | +  |
| 35 | + |
| 36 | +5. Confirm the deletion when prompted |
| 37 | + |
| 38 | +## What Gets Deleted |
| 39 | + |
| 40 | +### Community Content |
| 41 | + |
| 42 | +All content within the community is permanently removed: |
| 43 | + |
| 44 | +- **Posts**: All posts created in the community |
| 45 | +- **Comments**: All comments on posts, including nested replies |
| 46 | +- **Reports**: All content reports filed by members |
| 47 | +- **Media**: All images, videos, and files uploaded to posts (when media uploads are enabled) |
| 48 | + |
| 49 | +### Memberships & Subscriptions |
| 50 | + |
| 51 | +All membership-related data is removed: |
| 52 | + |
| 53 | +- **Community Memberships**: All member records for the community |
| 54 | +- **Payment Subscriptions**: All active subscriptions are automatically cancelled |
| 55 | +- **Payment Plans**: All payment plans associated with the community |
| 56 | +- **Included Product Memberships**: If the community's payment plans included access to courses, those memberships are also removed |
| 57 | +- **Post Subscriptions**: All user subscriptions to community posts |
| 58 | + |
| 59 | +### Community Infrastructure |
| 60 | + |
| 61 | +The community's infrastructure is removed: |
| 62 | + |
| 63 | +- **Community Page**: The public-facing community page |
| 64 | +- **Community Settings**: All configuration and settings |
| 65 | +- **Categories**: All community categories |
| 66 | +- **Featured Images**: Community banner and featured images |
| 67 | + |
| 68 | +### Related Data |
| 69 | + |
| 70 | +Additional data associated with the community: |
| 71 | + |
| 72 | +- **Activities**: Activity logs related to payment plan enrollments |
| 73 | +- **Notifications**: Notifications related to the community (for members) |
| 74 | + |
| 75 | +## What Happens to Members |
| 76 | + |
| 77 | +When a community is deleted: |
| 78 | + |
| 79 | +1. **Active Subscriptions**: All payment subscriptions are automatically cancelled through your payment provider (Stripe, PayPal, etc.) |
| 80 | +2. **Membership Records**: All membership records are permanently deleted |
| 81 | +3. **Access Revoked**: Members immediately lose access to the community |
| 82 | +4. **Included Products**: If members had access to courses through the community's payment plan, that access is also revoked |
| 83 | + |
| 84 | +## Payment Plan Considerations |
| 85 | + |
| 86 | +### Subscription Cancellations |
| 87 | + |
| 88 | +- All active subscriptions are cancelled automatically |
| 89 | +- Payment providers (Stripe, PayPal, etc.) are notified |
| 90 | +- No further charges will occur |
| 91 | +- Members will not receive refunds automatically |
| 92 | + |
| 93 | +### Included Products |
| 94 | + |
| 95 | +If your community's payment plans [included access to courses](/en/communities/grant-access-to-additional-products) or other products: |
| 96 | + |
| 97 | +- All memberships to those products (activated through the community plan) are removed |
| 98 | +- Activity logs for those memberships are deleted |
| 99 | +- Direct purchases of those products (not through the community) are not affected |
| 100 | + |
| 101 | +## Media Cleanup |
| 102 | + |
| 103 | +The deletion process handles media files appropriately: |
| 104 | + |
| 105 | +- **Community Images**: Featured images and banners are deleted |
| 106 | +- **Post Media**: When media uploads are enabled, all media from posts is deleted |
| 107 | +- **User Avatars**: Not affected (user avatars are tied to user accounts, not communities) |
| 108 | + |
| 109 | +> **Note**: Currently, media uploads in community posts are not enabled. When this feature is activated, the deletion process will handle post media cleanup automatically. |
| 110 | +
|
| 111 | +## Safety Measures |
| 112 | + |
| 113 | +CourseLit implements safety measures to ensure proper deletion: |
| 114 | + |
| 115 | +1. **Permission Check**: Only users with `Manage Community` permission can delete |
| 116 | +2. **Confirmation Required**: Deletion requires explicit confirmation |
| 117 | +3. **Atomic Operation**: The entire deletion succeeds or fails as a unit |
| 118 | +4. **Subscription Cancellation**: Automatic cancellation prevents future charges |
| 119 | + |
| 120 | +## Before Deleting a Community |
| 121 | + |
| 122 | +Consider these steps before deleting: |
| 123 | + |
| 124 | +1. **Notify Members**: Inform community members about the upcoming deletion |
| 125 | +2. **Export Data**: If you need to preserve any content, export it manually. Only works for self-hosted installations. |
| 126 | +3. **Handle Refunds**: Process any necessary refunds through your payment provider |
| 127 | +4. **Alternative Actions**: Consider making the community private instead of deleting it |
| 128 | + |
| 129 | +## After Deletion |
| 130 | + |
| 131 | +After a community is deleted: |
| 132 | + |
| 133 | +- The community page returns a 404 error |
| 134 | +- Members cannot access the community anymore |
| 135 | +- All content is permanently lost |
| 136 | +- Payment subscriptions are cancelled |
| 137 | +- The community name becomes available for reuse |
| 138 | + |
| 139 | +## Handling Refunds |
| 140 | + |
| 141 | +Community deletion does not automatically issue refunds. To handle refunds: |
| 142 | + |
| 143 | +1. **Before Deletion**: Note all active subscriptions and their subscription IDs |
| 144 | +2. **Access Payment Provider**: Log into your Stripe, PayPal, or other payment provider dashboard |
| 145 | +3. **Process Refunds**: Manually issue refunds as appropriate |
| 146 | +4. **Delete Community**: Once refunds are processed, proceed with deletion |
| 147 | + |
| 148 | +## Alternative to Deletion |
| 149 | + |
| 150 | +If you want to preserve content but stop new members from joining: |
| 151 | + |
| 152 | +1. **Disable the Community**: Toggle the community to "disabled" in settings |
| 153 | +2. **Remove Payment Plans**: Archive all payment plans |
| 154 | + |
| 155 | +This approach preserves content while preventing new access. |
| 156 | + |
| 157 | +## Troubleshooting |
| 158 | + |
| 159 | +### Cannot Delete Community |
| 160 | + |
| 161 | +If you encounter errors: |
| 162 | + |
| 163 | +- **"Action not allowed"**: You don't have the `Manage Community` permission |
| 164 | +- **"Item not found"**: The community may have already been deleted or doesn't exist |
| 165 | +- **"Community not found"**: You may not have access to this community |
| 166 | + |
| 167 | +### Subscription Cancellation Issues |
| 168 | + |
| 169 | +If subscriptions fail to cancel: |
| 170 | + |
| 171 | +1. Manually cancel subscriptions in your payment provider's dashboard |
| 172 | +2. Contact support if issues persist |
| 173 | + |
| 174 | +### Partial Deletion |
| 175 | + |
| 176 | +If deletion fails partway through: |
| 177 | + |
| 178 | +- The operation is designed to be atomic, but in rare cases, partial deletion may occur |
| 179 | +- Contact support with error details |
| 180 | +- Manual cleanup may be required |
| 181 | + |
| 182 | +## Best Practices |
| 183 | + |
| 184 | +1. **Communicate Early**: Give members advance notice before deletion |
| 185 | +2. **Export Important Content**: Save any valuable discussions or content |
| 186 | +3. **Process Refunds First**: Handle refunds before deleting to maintain records |
| 187 | +4. **Document the Decision**: Keep records of why and when the community was deleted |
| 188 | +5. **Consider Alternatives**: Evaluate if disabling is sufficient instead of deletion |
| 189 | + |
| 190 | +## GDPR and Data Protection |
| 191 | + |
| 192 | +Community deletion helps with data protection compliance: |
| 193 | + |
| 194 | +- All member data within the community is removed |
| 195 | +- Personal information in posts and comments is deleted |
| 196 | +- Membership records are permanently erased |
| 197 | +- The operation can be part of a broader data cleanup strategy |
| 198 | + |
| 199 | +## Stuck somewhere? |
| 200 | + |
| 201 | +We are always here for you. Come chat with us in our <a href="https://discord.com/invite/GR4bQsN" target="_blank">Discord</a> channel or send a tweet at <a href="https://twitter.com/courselit" target="_blank">@CourseLit</a>. |
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