--- title: Suspending an Account and Deleting it Later with GAT Flow description: "[https://www.youtube.com/embed/DkmBfAu6CNM?feature=oembed&color=red&rel=0&controls=1&start=&end=&fs=0&iv_load_policy=0&autoplay=0&mute=0&modestbranding=0&cc_load_policy=1&playsinline=1](https://www.youtube.com/embed/DkmBfAu6CNM?feature=oembed&color=red&rel=0&controls=1&start=&end=&fs=0&iv_load_policy=0&autoplay=0&mute=0&modestbranding=0&cc_load_policy=1&playsinline=1) [Google Workspace](https://workspace.google.com/) Admin may need to keep a user's account and data for a certain period of time for compliance reasons. [GAT Flow](https://gatlabs.com/products/gat-flow/) makes this task easier for admins by suspending the account and deleting it automatically after a…" url: "https://gatlabs.com/knowledge/tech-tips/suspending-an-account-and-deleting-it-later-with-gat-flow/" updated: "2026-07-02" category: "Users Audit & Management / On-boarding, Off-boarding & Modifying" tags: - GAT Flow --- # Suspending an Account and Deleting it Later with GAT Flow [https://www.youtube.com/embed/DkmBfAu6CNM?feature=oembed&color=red&rel=0&controls=1&start=&end=&fs=0&iv_load_policy=0&autoplay=0&mute=0&modestbranding=0&cc_load_policy=1&playsinline=1](https://www.youtube.com/embed/DkmBfAu6CNM?feature=oembed&color=red&rel=0&controls=1&start=&end=&fs=0&iv_load_policy=0&autoplay=0&mute=0&modestbranding=0&cc_load_policy=1&playsinline=1) [Google Workspace](https://workspace.google.com/) Admin may need to keep a user's account and data for a certain period of time for compliance reasons. [GAT Flow](https://gatlabs.com/products/gat-flow/) makes this task easier for admins by suspending the account and deleting it automatically after a set period. You may need to run this type of workflow when you have a user who leaves your organization. ## Create a Workflow First, in GAT Flow, select **Create Workflow** and switch the**'Include suspended users'** slider to the **'on'** position. We will use **'Offboarding'** for this type, as this will allow us to choose an offboarding action of either archive, suspend or delete the user. For this example, we will choose to delete the user. Later, click **'Next'** to continue. ![Creating a workflow](https://gatlabs.com/knowledge/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/2026-07-02-11_44_59.png) ## Search for a User On the next screen, select the user(s) on which you want to run the workflow and click**'Next'**. ![Step 2. Searching for a user](https://gatlabs.com/knowledge/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/2026-07-02-11_52_09.png) ## Choose Actions In the **Choose actions** click on the **(+) button **(1) and then click the **Add action** button (2) ![](https://gatlabs.com/knowledge/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/2026-06-15-13_48_04.png) The available actions will be displayed by default. Search and select the **Suspend user** action. ![](https://gatlabs.com/knowledge/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/2026-07-02-12_03_24.png) If you have other actions you would like to perform, you can select them on this screen. Some common actions during offboarding are [revoking app tokens](https://gatlabs.com/knowledge/tech-tips/gat-flow-revoke-all-apps-for-google-workspace-user/), [wiping the calendar](https://gatlabs.com/knowledge/tech-tips/wipe-data-from-users-calendars-with-gat-flow/), and [migrating emails](https://gatlabs.com/knowledge/tech-tips/how-to-migrate-bulk-emails-in-google-workspace-2/). After you have finished, click the **'+'** **button** again to add an action and select the**'Delay'** action. ![](https://gatlabs.com/knowledge/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/2026-07-02-12_09_26.png) Here we will set the length of time you want to suspend the account. In this example, we will use 6 months. ![](https://gatlabs.com/knowledge/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/2026-07-02-12_15_30.png) We will then add our final offboarding action of deleting the user. ![](https://gatlabs.com/knowledge/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/2026-07-02-12_20_07.png) When you are finished, click **'Send approval request'.** ## Results Sent the request to the security officer for approval. Once the security officer approves this request, the workflow will start and suspend the user. It will also run any other actions you have asked it to do when they are set **before** the delay. As a result, your user will be suspended and can be unsuspended at any time in the next 6 months if necessary. **At the end of th****e 6 months, the account will be permanently deleted**, without having to take any other actions. ## Saving the workflow for reuse If this is a process that you regularly do at your organization, you can always **save it as an action set**, to run the workflow faster next time. To do this, click the **'Workflow'** button in the GAT Flow menu on the left-hand side to view your previous workflows. Click the**'eye'** **icon** beside the workflow that you want to save again. ![Saving the workflow for reuse](https://gatlabs.com/knowledge/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/2026-07-02-12_44_04.png) On the next page you will see the details of the workflow. On the top right hand side, you can select the **'Save as action set'**option. ![Saving as action set](https://gatlabs.com/knowledge/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/2026-07-02-12_52_15.png) You can apply this set of actions at any time during the **offboarding workflow**by clicking the**'double +' button**, as shown below. ![Adding an action set](https://gatlabs.com/knowledge/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/2026-07-02-12_56_38.png) ## Related Posts - [Suspend user(s) in Google Workspace via GAT Flow](https://gatlabs.com/knowledge/tech-tips/suspend-users-in-google-workspace-via-gat-flow/) - [Select and Take Actions on Suspended Users in GAT Flow](https://gatlabs.com/knowledge/tech-tips/select-and-take-actions-on-suspended-users-in-gat-flow/) - [Deleting Suspended Accounts From Google Workspace](https://gatlabs.com/knowledge/tech-tips/deleting-suspended-accounts/)