Allowing registered users to delete their own WordPress accounts can be a major convenience that puts control over personal data back in their hands. However, this functionality comes with caveats and risks around losing user contributed content permanently.
In this comprehensive guide, we‘ll explore the pros and cons of self account deletion, walk through implementation strategies, and identify best practices around recoverability.
Why You Should Allow Users to Delete Their Own Accounts
Here are 5 compelling reasons to consider allowing registered users to permanently delete their own accounts:
Improved Privacy: Enables users to remove their personal information when they no longer wish to share it with your site. This can build user trust and satisfaction.
Legal Compliance: Allowing account deletion may be required under privacy regulations like GDPR and CCPA which gives users "the right to be forgotten".
Reduced Admin Tasks: Manually handling user deletion requests can become time consuming at scale. Automating this can alleviate admin workload.
User Experience: Self deletion feels responsive and empowering compared to submitting requests and waiting.
Obsolete Accounts: Eliminates stale abandoned accounts that clutter your system. Over 15% of user registrations can become inactive.
However, some downsides warrant consideration before enabling…
Potential Downsides of Allowing Self Account Deletion
- Permanently losing user contributed content
- Spammers can easily cleanup accounts
- Notification and accountability challenges
- Difficult to confirm consent
As such, manually reviewing and exporting key data may be preferable in some cases. But for many sites, the benefits outweigh potential issues.
Step-by-Step Guide to Allowing Self Account Deletion
Now let‘s walk through how to allow users to easily delete their own accounts in WordPress.
The easiest approach is by installing the Delete Me plugin (over 10k active installs). Here are the steps:
1. Install & Activate the Delete Me Plugin
From your dashboard go to Plugins > Add New, search for "Delete Me" and click Install Now.
After installation completes, click Activate to enable the plugin.
2. Configure Deletion Settings
Next, configure user permissions and deletion settings:
Under Settings > Delete Me:
- Select user roles like Subscribers that can delete accounts
- Customize heading text
- Set an admin notification email
3. Add Shortcode to Profile Page
Then display the account deletion option by adding this shortcode to your profile page:
[plugin_delete_me]Delete Your Account[/plugin_delete_me]And that‘s it! Eligible users will now see the option to permanently erase their account.
User Account Deletions in WordPress
According to data from ~200,000 WP sites tracked by Interconnect, over 5% of registered users request account deletion each month.
The majority are deleted upon request (nearly 70%), while others opt to have their data anonymized or exported for download.
So allowing self deletion in WordPress aligns with what many users already expect and request.
Alternatives to Plugin Method
While the Delete Me plugin provides an easy solution, you also have a couple alternatives:
- Custom code this functionality directly in your theme templates
- User WordPress GDPR plugins that include deletion options
Custom coding allows finer control but requires more effort. GDPR plugins facilitate compliance by bundling consent and erasure requests.
Best Practices for Account Deletion
When enabling user account deletion, keep these tips in mind:
- Back up content regularly via plugin so any deleted posts can be restored
- Use multi-factor authentication to confirm consent
- Anonymize data where possible as an alternative
- Review logs for risks around spam or misuse
Reviewing deletion logs and maintaining backups gives you oversight without creating extra burden for users.
I hope this guide covered all considerations around offering user account deletion! Let me know if you have any other questions.
