> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://learn.doubletick.io/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://learn.doubletick.io/customers/how-to-delete-customers.md).
# How to delete customers
Learn how to delete customer data from DoubleTick — one contact at a time, in bulk, for a filtered segment, or your entire account — plus how to do it through the public API.
Managing customer data responsibly matters for every business. DoubleTick's **Delete Customer Data** feature lets you remove customer information in a secure, controlled way — from inside the app or through the public API.
#### What's covered
* [Who can delete customer data?](#who-can-delete-customer-data)
* [Which customers do you want to delete?](#which-customers-do-you-want-to-delete)
* [Ways to delete customers](#ways-to-delete-customers)
* [Deleting customers using the public API](#deleting-customers-using-the-public-api)
* [Important considerations](#important-considerations)
* [Key takeaways](#key-takeaways)
* [Frequently asked questions](#frequently-asked-questions)
#### Who can delete customer data?
Not everyone on your team can delete customer data — it depends on the role and permissions assigned to them.
* The **account owner** has full access and can delete customers, including all data.
* Users with **owner-level access** can also perform deletion actions.
* If you've created **custom roles**, only users explicitly given the **Delete Customer** permission can delete data — see [How to set permissions for custom organization role](/settings/manage-roles/how-to-set-permissions-for-custom-organization-role.md) to configure this.
* Team members without this permission won't see or be able to use the delete option at all.
#### Which customers do you want to delete?
Before you start, it helps to be clear on scope — do you want to delete **all** your customers, or only the customers in a **particular segment or broadcast list**? If it's a specific segment, go to the **Customers** tab and open that segment — it'll be named after the broadcast list it belongs to. From there:
* Click the checkbox to the left of the **Name** column header to **select all** customers in that segment, or
* Manually select only the specific customers you want to remove.
Once you've made your selection, click **Delete**. If you haven't set up segments yet, see how to create customer segments first.
#### Ways to delete customers
DoubleTick gives you five ways to delete customer data, depending on what you need:
**Individual contact deletion**: Use this when you want to delete a single customer. Go to the **Customers** tab and search for the contact you want to delete. Select the contact and click **Delete** to remove it.
**Deleting customers from a segment or broadcast list:** If you want to delete customers from a specific segment or broadcast list, open the relevant segment from the **Customers** tab. Select the customers you want to delete, or click the checkbox on the left side of the list to select all customers in that segment. Then, click **Delete**.
**Delete all customer data:** Use this option when you want to permanently delete all customer data from your DoubleTick account. In the **Customers** tab, click **Delete All** in the top-right corner. Enter the OTP sent to the account owner's registered phone number to confirm the deletion. Once verified, the deletion will be processed, and you'll receive a confirmation message through email and WhatsApp.
#### Deleting customers using the public API
You can also delete customers programmatically, without needing internal UI access — useful if you're managing customer data from your own systems.
* The endpoint is `DELETE /customer`. It accepts a `phoneNumbers` array (max 10 per request) and queues them for deletion — it runs through the same underlying deletion pipeline used inside the app, so behaviour stays consistent either way.
* If any of the numbers you send don't match a customer in your org, the response tells you exactly which ones in `notFoundPhoneNumbers` — and if none of them matched at all, you'll get a `404`.
{% hint style="warning" %}
This endpoint requires the **DELETE\_CUSTOMER** permission on the user the API key is bound to, and is capped at **200 deletes/day** and **30 requests/minute** per org.
{% endhint %}
For the full request and response reference, see the [Delete Customer API documentation](https://docs.doubletick.io/reference/delete-customer). You'll need an API key to call it — see [How to Create and Manage Your API Key in DoubleTick](/settings/developer-documentation/how-to-create-and-manage-your-api-key-in-doubletick.md) if you don't have one yet.
#### Important considerations
**Permissions for deletion:**
* Only users with the correct permissions can delete customer data.
* The in-app deletion methods require permission from the account owner.
* Permissions can be configured under **custom roles and responsibilities**.
**Irrecoverable action:**
* Once customer data is deleted, it cannot be recovered.
* Always double-check before confirming deletion.
**Security and compliance:**
* The **Delete All** option is protected with OTP verification.
* This ensures that only authorized users can perform large-scale deletions.
#### Key takeaways
* You can delete customers one at a time, in bulk, by filtered cohort, entirely, or through the public API.
* Decide your scope first — all customers, or just one segment/broadcast list — before you start.
* Deleting through the API uses the same pipeline as in-app deletion, so the result is identical either way.
* API deletion needs the DELETE\_CUSTOMER permission and is limited to **200 deletes/day** and **30 requests/minute per org**.
* Deletion is permanent and cannot be undone — double-check before confirming.
#### Frequently asked questions
Who can delete customer data?
Only the account owner, users with owner-level access, or team members explicitly given the Delete Customer permission on a custom role.
Anyone without this permission won't see the delete option at all.
Can I delete customers from just one segment or broadcast list?
Yes.\
Open that segment from the Customers tab — it's named after the broadcast list — then select all or specific customers and click Delete.
Can I delete customers using the public API instead of the app?
Yes.\
The `DELETE /customer` endpoint lets you delete customers by phone number directly from your own systems, without needing internal UI access.
Is customer deletion reversible?
No.\
Once a customer's data is deleted — whether from the app or the API — it cannot be recovered, so always double-check your selection first.
What happens if I send phone numbers that don't exist in my account to the delete API?
The response tells you exactly which numbers didn't match, in the `notFoundPhoneNumbers` field.\
If none of the numbers you sent matched a customer in your org, you'll get a `404` instead.
#### Related articles
* [Create Customer Segments](/customers/create-customer-segments.md)
* [How to Import Customer Data](/broadcast-list/get-started-with-broadcast-list/how-to-import-customer-data.md)
* [How to set permissions for custom organization role](/settings/manage-roles/how-to-set-permissions-for-custom-organization-role.md)
* [How to Create and Manage Your API Key in DoubleTick](/settings/developer-documentation/how-to-create-and-manage-your-api-key-in-doubletick.md)
* [Security and Compliance](/get-started-with-doubletick/security-and-compliance.md)
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