---
schema_version: "1"
id: 132bce2505d25db00d5e84c97a8c88b642bb904d83ad94104b8368392770d0e4
title: Guidelines for Deleting Accounts
collection: admin
version: current
locale: en-us
portal_url: https://docs.salesforce.com/admin/current/en-us/sales/264-0-0/account_del.md
canonical_url: https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=sales.account_del.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5
source_site: help.salesforce.com
content_type: documentation
content_hash: d5dfeb9f1520ee8ee62e6fb854ff3ac1d7a164f275fd2d8597260d80ec165843
description: Most accounts and their related records can be deleted in one click. Some accounts can’t be deleted until related records have been removed.
products:
  - Sales Cloud
release: "264"
---
# Guidelines for Deleting Accounts

Most accounts and their related records can be deleted in one click. Some accounts can’t be deleted until related records have been removed.

### Required Editions

<table class="slds-table slds-table_bordered slds-max-medium-table_stacked slds-m-bottom_small edition"><colgroup><col></colgroup><tbody><tr class=""><td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;">Business accounts available in: Lightning Experience and Salesforce Classic</td></tr><tr class=""><td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;">Business accounts available in: <strong>All</strong> Editions</td></tr><tr class=""><td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;">Person accounts available in: Lightning Experience and Salesforce Classic</td></tr><tr class=""><td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;">Person accounts available in: <strong>Professional</strong>, <strong>Enterprise</strong>, <strong>Performance</strong>, <strong>Unlimited</strong>, and <strong>Developer</strong> Editions</td></tr></tbody></table>

<table class="slds-table slds-table_bordered slds-max-medium-table_stacked slds-m-bottom_small permission">
        <colgroup>
          <col style="width:50%">
          <col style="width:50%">
        </colgroup>
        <thead class="slds-text-title_caps ">
          <tr class="">
            <th scope="colgroup" class="slds-cell-wrap" colspan="2" style="text-align:center;vertical-align:top;" id="d16057e90">User Permissions Needed</th>
          </tr>
        </thead>
        <tbody>
          <tr class="">
            <td data-label="User Permissions Needed" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d16057e90 ">To view accounts:</td>

            <td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d16057e90 ">Read on accounts</td>

          </tr>
          <tr class="">
            <td data-label="User Permissions Needed" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d16057e90 ">To delete accounts:</td>

            <td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d16057e90 ">Delete on accounts</td>

          </tr>
        </tbody>
      </table>

![Important](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-sales-sales_core-264-0-0-production-enus/3c339c40-ca6c-49ba-9c6e-684be7a55f80/images/icon_important.png)

Important You see the Delete option only if you have permission to delete an account. The Delete option is available on the account’s detail page and on the account list view in Lightning Experience and Salesforce Classic. If you don’t see the Delete option, you don’t have permission to delete the account. Ask your Salesforce admin for help.

Deleted accounts are moved to the Recycle Bin, along with these related items. If you restore an account from the Recycle Bin, related items are also restored, except the following.

- Contacts
- Opportunities
- Orders
- Contracts (if they're not activated)
- Activities
- Notes
- Attachments
- Portal roles and groups (if all portal users in the account are disabled)
- Partner relationships
- Relationship group members

- Relationship group members in certain cases
- Portal roles and groups
- Scorecard associations

If any of the following conditions apply, you can’t delete an account.

- A case is related to the account
- You don’t have the Delete permission on accounts
- You aren’t the account’s owner, above the account’s owner in the role hierarchy, or a Salesforce admin
- When a contact on the account is related to an order via the Bill to Contact lookup field

If any of the following conditions apply, you can’t delete a partner account. To delete an account with closed–won opportunities that you own, you have to delete the closed–won opportunities along with the account. To delete an account associated with a channel program membership, you have to delete the membership first.

- Child records, activated contracts, or related opportunities owned by other users are related to the account
- Related contacts enabled as customer or partner users are related to the account
- A channel program membership is related to the account

![Note](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-sales-sales_core-264-0-0-production-enus/3c339c40-ca6c-49ba-9c6e-684be7a55f80/images/icon_note.png)

Note You don’t need the Delete permission on related records.

#### See Also

- [Deleting Records](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=xcloud.basics_deleting_records.htm&type=5&language=en_US)
- [Merge Duplicate Accounts](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=sales.account_merge.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "Keep your records clean and free of duplicates so you can reach more customers and maintain better relationships with them.")