How to delete your GitLab account
GitLab is a DevOps platform with around 30 million users, offering Git repository hosting, CI/CD, container registry, and project management. GitLab.com (the SaaS offering) stores your repositories, commit history, issues, merge requests, CI pipelines and artifacts, container images, comments, snippets, group memberships, and (for paid users) billing and team info. Self-hosted GitLab instances are separate — each is controlled by its own admin.
Delete your GitLab account, step by step
- 1Sign in to gitlab.com
- 2Click your avatar (top-right) > 'Edit profile'
- 3Open the 'Account' tab in the left sidebar
- 4Scroll to 'Delete account'
- 5Type your username to confirm
- 6Enter your password
- 7Click 'Delete account' — account enters a 7-day grace period then is permanently deleted
What actually happens when you delete
Gets removed
- ✓Your username (held briefly then released)
- ✓Personal projects, snippets, and personal-access tokens
- ✓Profile, avatar, bio, and SSH keys
- ✓Comments and issues you opened — re-attributed to 'Ghost User'
- ✓Container images, packages, and CI/CD artifacts in personal projects
Stays behind
- ✗Projects in groups where you weren't the sole owner
- ✗Contributions and commits in OTHER projects (re-attributed to Ghost)
- ✗Issues and MRs you commented on (text remains, author re-attributed)
- ✗Records GitLab retains for billing, fraud, and legal compliance
- ✗Forked copies of your repos that others made remain
Before you delete
Transfer ownership of any groups or projects you don't want deleted FIRST — GitLab won't auto-transfer them. Your contributions to OTHER projects stay (re-attributed to Ghost User). Cancel paid subscriptions (Premium/Ultimate) before deletion. CI pipelines complete in flight but new ones can't run. Container images in the registry are deleted with the projects you own. Self-hosted GitLab is separate — contact the instance admin.
Download your data from GitLab first
Most platforms only honor a data-export request while the account is still active. Do this before you delete.
- 1Open Edit profile > 'Account' tab
- 2Click 'Export account data'
- 3GitLab generates a tarball of your projects, settings, and metadata
- 4Download link arrives by email when ready (typically minutes to hours)
Want to take a break instead? Deactivate
Deactivation hides your profile without permanently destroying it. Logging back in restores everything.
- 1Edit profile > 'Account' > 'Deactivate'
- 2Account is marked inactive; you can reactivate by logging back in within roughly a year
- 3After extended inactivity GitLab may auto-purge the account
If deletion fails — or you live in the EU, UK, or California
You have a legal right to request erasure of your personal data under GDPR (EU/UK) and CCPA (California). Use these official channels if the self-service flow doesn't work.
GitLab deletion FAQs
Will my GitLab repositories be deleted when I close my account?+
Personal projects you own are deleted with the account after the 7-day grace period. Projects in groups where someone else is an owner remain. Transfer ownership BEFORE deletion if you want a personal project to survive in a group.
What's the difference between deactivating and deleting GitLab?+
Deactivation marks the account inactive — you can come back by logging in. Deletion is permanent (after the 7-day grace period). Deactivation is the safer choice if you might return.
Will my commits on other people's projects be removed?+
No. Commits, comments, issues, and MRs in OTHER projects stay (the project belongs to the owner). Your name is replaced with 'Ghost User' on the GitLab UI, but the underlying git history retains your email.
Can I move my GitLab repos to GitHub or elsewhere before deleting?+
Yes. Use 'Export project' from each project's Settings to get a tarball, then import to GitHub, Bitbucket, or self-hosted GitLab. Or push directly: add a new remote and `git push --mirror`. Do this before deletion or projects are unrecoverable.
What about my self-hosted GitLab instance?+
Self-hosted GitLab is run by whoever installed it (your employer, a community, your own server). Contact the instance admin to delete an account there. Closing your GitLab.com account has no effect on self-hosted instances.
Will GitLab cancel my paid Premium or Ultimate subscription?+
Cancel BEFORE deletion via Billing in Group Settings. Active paid plans on your personal account end at the next billing date. Group-level subscriptions remain with the group.
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