Summary: This guide is for admins and HR teams who handle offboarding. It explains what happens when you delete a user from your Speakap network, how the 30-day grace period works, and how to bring an account back if an employee returns.
The 30-day grace period (soft delete)
When you delete a user from your Speakap network, their data is not wiped right away. The profile is placed in a soft-deleted state and suspended for exactly 30 days.
This buffer protects your network against accidental deletions and data loss. During the 30-day window:
- Data is preserved. All account information, profile data, and past posts are fully retained.
- The profile is hidden. Other users can no longer find the deleted user by searching for their name or email address.
- Access is blocked. The deleted user cannot log in on the desktop web browser or the mobile apps.
Reactivating an account within the window
If someone was offboarded by mistake, or a team member rejoins within the 30-day grace period, you can restore their account with their full history. Reactivation works both ways:
Manually managed networks: re-invite with the same email address
- Go to your desktop Network Settings and open the Users tab.
- Send a new invitation to the exact same email address as the soft-deleted profile.
- Speakap recognizes the match and pulls the account out of its suspended state.
User Sync networks: the XID anchors the account
In networks managed by User Sync, identity is anchored on the XID (the unique identifier from your HR system). When a returning employee appears in your HR data again, the sync reconnects them to their suspended account based on the XID. If the returning employee gets a new identifier, the "Allow XID change on reactivation" option lets the sync reconnect them to their old account anyway. See Configuring options, invitations, and schedules in User Sync.
Once reactivated, the user gets their original account back with full access. Past conversations, direct messages, group memberships, and Feed history pick up exactly where they left off.
After the grace period ends
Once the 30 days are up, the soft-delete window closes and the account can no longer be reactivated.
If you invite that same email address on day 31 or later, Speakap treats it as a brand-new request. A new account is created from scratch, so the returning employee starts with an empty profile and has no access to files or messages from their previous account.
Whether the expired account's data is fully removed or anonymised depends on your network's deletion settings. See Account Deletion and Data Visibility (GDPR Compliance).
Frequently asked questions
Can a deleted employee still read past group chats or download documents after I delete them?
No. The moment an account is deleted, the user's access is revoked. They are immediately blocked from logging in on desktop and mobile, so they cannot view any posts, updates, or attached files.
Why can't I find a soft-deleted user in the search bar to reactivate them?
Soft-deleted accounts are hidden from the interface and from search to keep your active network clean. You cannot browse for their name or email address. To reactivate them, send a fresh invitation to their original email address, or, in a User Sync network, let the sync reconnect them via their XID.
What happens if I invite a returning employee with a different email address?
In a manually managed network, the account is matched on the email address. An invitation to a new or changed email address bypasses the soft-deleted account and creates a completely new profile, leaving the old history detached. In a User Sync network, the XID is the anchor instead, and the "Allow XID change on reactivation" option can reconnect a returning employee even if their identifier changed.
Will my historical analytics break during the 30-day soft-delete period?
No. All data records stay securely stored during the 30-day grace period, so your analytics and historical reporting stay accurate. The user's information is simply hidden from view.
Still stuck?
Email us at support@speakap.com with your network name, the deleted user's name or email address, and the date of deletion, and we'll help you out.