How to Delete Customer Profiles on Shopify

Customers are the backbone of your store. Sometimes, you may find it necessary to remove customer profiles from your Shopify store—perhaps due to lost contact or a direct request to erase their data.

In this guide, I’ll show you how to easily delete customer profiles on Shopify, ensuring that your store stays organized and compliant with data protection regulations.

Considerations Before Deleting Customer Profiles on Your Shopify Store

Here’s what you need to keep in mind:

• Legal Compliance: Ensure your actions adhere to privacy laws like the GDPR. Many regions require deleting customer data upon request, and failure to comply can result in legal issues.
• Irreversibility of Deletion: Once a customer profile is deleted, all associated personal data (e.g., names, addresses) will be permanently removed from Shopify’s records. This action cannot be undone.
• Deletion Restrictions: Profiles with active subscriptions, pending redactions, or those linked to undelivered orders cannot be deleted due to Shopify’s safeguards. These protections help maintain transaction history and subscription integrity.

Before deleting a customer profile from your Shopify store, you should:

• Ensure all customer orders are completed
• Informing the customer about the deletion and the reason behind it
• Obtain explicit consent from the customer before deleting their data
• Respond to any pending customer inquiries to ensure there are no unresolved issues before deletion
• Securely export customer details, order histories, and other vital records
• Clearly communicate with your customers about any upcoming changes

Step-by-step Guide To Delete Customer Profiles Individually

This is an irreversible process, double-check that you’re deleting the correct profile and follow these steps carefully.

Desktop:

• Step 1: Log in to your Shopify admin and navigate to the Customers section.

• Step 2: Click on the name of the customer whose profile you wish to delete.

• Step 3: Click on More actions and then select Delete customer.

• Step 4: A prompt will appear asking for confirmation. Click Delete customer to finalize the process.

Iphone:

• Step 1: Launch the Shopify app on your iPhone and tap the … button to reach Customers section

• Step 2: Select All customers. Click the customer profile you want to delete.

• Step 3: Tap … button on the top-right corner, click Delete customer, and then confirm by tapping Delete again in the confirmation prompt.

Android:

1. Start the Shopify app on your Android device and tap the ☰ button.
2. Tap on Customers and then select All customers.
3. Select the profile you intend to delete. Click the ⋮ to catch the delete option in the dropdown menu
4. Tap Delete and confirm by tapping Delete again in the confirmation prompt.

Deleting Customer Profiles In Bulk

In the case of dealing with a large number of customers, Shopify allows you to efficiently delete multiple customer profiles at once.

Desktop:

• Step 1: Log in to your Shopify admin and go to the Customers section.

• Step 2: Check the boxes next to each customer profile you want to delete.

• Step 3: Click the … button next to the Bulk edit button, then select Delete customers from the drop-down menu.

• Step 4: A confirmation prompt will appear. Click Delete to permanently remove the selected profiles.

iPhone:

• Step 1: Launch the Shopify app on your iPhone and tap the … button.

• Step 2: Tap on Customers, then select All customers.

• Step 3: Tap Select and check the boxes next to the customer profiles you wish to delete.

• Step 4: Tap Delete and then confirm your choice by tapping Delete again in the confirmation prompt.

Android:

• Step 1: Open the Shopify app on your Android device and tap the ☰ button.
• Step 2: Tap on Customers, then choose All customers.
• Step 3: Tap ⋮, select Select customers, and check the boxes next to the profiles you want to delete.
• Step 4: Tap Delete and confirm by tapping Delete again when prompted.

Special Cases & Troubleshooting

Unexpectedly, there are some cases when you can not delete customer profiles. Let’s explore those scenarios and how you can deal with them:

Customers with Existing Orders:

• Reason: Shopify prevents deletion to maintain accurate transaction records and customer service history.
• Solution: Instead of deleting, consider editing and anonymizing the customer data, and replacing personally identifiable information with generic or non-identifying details.

Pending GDPR Erasure Requests:

• Reason: Profiles with pending data erasure requests are protected until the process is complete, ensuring compliance with privacy regulations.
• Solution: You’ll need to wait until the erasure request is fully processed before attempting to delete the profile.

Customers with Active or Past Subscriptions:

• Reason: Shopify safeguards subscription records to manage ongoing or future billing and service obligations.
• Solution: Focus on updating or archiving these profiles instead of deleting them entirely.

Recipients of Scheduled Gift Cards:

• Reason: Profiles linked to undelivered gift cards are locked to prevent disruptions in gift card delivery. Solution: Once the gift card is delivered, you can re-evaluate the need to keep or delete the profile.

Accidental Deletions

Unfortunately, once a customer profile is deleted, it cannot be recovered.

Pro tip: If you’re unsure about deleting a profile, consider “disabling” it instead. Disabled profiles are hidden from your customer list but can be reactivated later if needed.

In case of an accidental deletion:

• Reach out to Shopify support immediately. While they might not be able to restore the entire profile, they might be able to retrieve some customer data, which you can then use to recreate a new profile manually.
• Implement measures to prevent future accidental deletions, such as using a third-party app that offers a “trash” or “archive” feature for customer profiles.

Bottom Line

By following the right steps, you can delete customer profiles on Shopify and keep your customer list clean and compliant. Just remember—once a profile is gone, it’s gone for good, so take a moment to double-check before hitting that delete button.

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