# Deactivating accounts and what deactivation removes

*Slack Administrator Study Guide · User Lifecycle Management · Last updated October 21, 2026 · https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/slack-administrator/user-lifecycle-management/deactivating-accounts-and-what-deactivation-removes*

Who can deactivate which accounts on Free, Pro and Business+ versus an Enterprise org, why a Primary Owner must transfer ownership first, what deactivation removes and keeps, how SCIM deprovisioning ends access from the identity provider, and what reactivation restores.

- Certification: Salesforce Slack Administrator
- Exam section: User Lifecycle Management
- Study guide: https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/slack-administrator

**Official exam objective:**

> Given a scenario, determine the correct way to deactivate the user accounts.

## What the exam expects

- Identify who can deactivate a member, guest, Admin, Owner or Primary Owner on Free, Pro and Business+.
- Explain that an Enterprise org deactivates only at the org level, and that removing someone from a workspace is not deactivation.
- State what deactivation removes and what it keeps, including billing.
- Recommend SCIM deprovisioning from the identity provider when offboarding must follow the HR process.
- Describe what reactivation restores.

Key terms:
- **Deactivation**: ending an account's access; the person is removed from all channels, signed out on all devices and can't sign back in.
- **Remove from workspace**: an Enterprise org action that takes someone out of one workspace while the account stays in the org.
- **Workspace Primary Owner**: the single person who can delete or transfer a workspace, and who can't be deactivated.
- **SCIM deprovisioning**: deactivating a Slack account from the identity provider through its SCIM connector app.
- **Users Admin**: an Enterprise system role that can add, remove or deactivate non-admin users.

## Key facts

| Fact | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Workspace Admins deactivate | Members and guests only | [Deactivate an account](https://slack.com/help/articles/204475027-Deactivate-a-members-account) |
| Deactivate a Workspace Owner | Workspace Primary Owner only (Free, Pro, Business+) | [Deactivate an account](https://slack.com/help/articles/204475027-Deactivate-a-members-account) |
| Primary Owner | Can't be deactivated until ownership is transferred | [Deactivate an account](https://slack.com/help/articles/204475027-Deactivate-a-members-account) |
| Enterprise org deactivation | Org level only; workspace level can only remove | [Deactivate an account](https://slack.com/help/articles/204475027-Deactivate-a-members-account) |
| Security Admin, Users Admin | Can deactivate anyone except the Org Primary Owner at the org level | [Deactivate an account](https://slack.com/help/articles/204475027-Deactivate-a-members-account) |
| Notification | People aren't notified when deactivated | [Deactivate an account](https://slack.com/help/articles/204475027-Deactivate-a-members-account) |
| Content and profile | Messages, files and profile information are not deleted | [Deactivate an account](https://slack.com/help/articles/204475027-Deactivate-a-members-account) |
| Billing | Deactivated accounts aren't billed; credit deposited the next day (self-serve plans) | [Fair Billing Policy](https://slack.com/help/articles/218915077-Fair-billing-policy) |
| SCIM | Creates or deactivates members; Multi-Channel Guests on Enterprise plans | [SCIM provisioning](https://slack.com/help/articles/212572638-Manage-members-with-SCIM-provisioning) |
| IdP group removal | Removes only from required workspaces | [Connect IdP groups](https://slack.com/help/articles/115001435788-Connect-identity-provider-groups-to-your-Enterprise-organization) |
| Reactivation | Immediate sign-in; previous channels not restored | [Reactivate an account](https://slack.com/help/articles/360002061747-Reactivate-a-members-account) |

## Check yourself

- Why can't a Workspace Admin on Business+ offboard a departed Workspace Owner?
- When does removing a person from a workspace in an Enterprise org end their Slack access?
- What happens to a deactivated member's messages and files?
- Why does deprovisioning the Slack app in the IdP end access but removing IdP groups does not?

## Sources

- [Deactivate a member's account](https://slack.com/help/articles/204475027-Deactivate-a-members-account)
- [Reactivate a member's account](https://slack.com/help/articles/360002061747-Reactivate-a-members-account)
- [Manage members with SCIM provisioning](https://slack.com/help/articles/212572638-Manage-members-with-SCIM-provisioning)
- [Connect identity provider groups to your Enterprise organization](https://slack.com/help/articles/115001435788-Connect-identity-provider-groups-to-your-Enterprise-organization)
- [Types of roles in Slack](https://slack.com/help/articles/360018112273-Types-of-roles-in-Slack)
- [Change a member's role](https://slack.com/help/articles/218124397-Change-a-members-role)
- [The difference between inactive and deactivated billing status](https://slack.com/help/articles/49001792038803-The-difference-between-inactive-and-deactivated-billing-status)
- [Slack's Fair Billing Policy](https://slack.com/help/articles/218915077-Fair-billing-policy)
- [Understand guest roles in Slack](https://slack.com/help/articles/202518103-Understand-guest-roles-in-Slack)

## About the full unit

The "Core concepts", "Exam traps" and "Worked scenario" sections of this unit, its 5 linked practice questions, and unlimited timed mock exams are included with the Slack Administrator pack (USD $19): https://www.certifyforce.com/practice-exams