ServiceNow Myth (Day 1) : You can safely delete user records to clean up unused users

[Omender Singh]

Myth:

It’s fine to delete old or demo user records from the sys_user table—just bulk delete them to keep the system clean.

Truth:

Deleting user records causes real data loss and reporting issues—such as losing caller information on incidents and breaking reference fields. The recommended approach is to deactivate (set Active = false, Lock out) and, if needed, remove roles/groups. Cascade delete rules and notifications tied to sys_user also make deletion slow and risky.

Do you agree?

[Community Alums]

Great point! Deleting users often seems like an easy cleanup, but it can cause unexpected problems across the platform. Deactivating users keeps the history intact, so reports, audit trails, and references still work properly. I’ve also seen that bulk deleting can trigger business rules and cause performance issues. It’s definitely safer to just deactivate and remove roles instead of deleting. Thanks for highlighting this!

[jnsmith24]

I agree especially from the ITIL user standpoint of what my current job role entails. We use ServiceNow with Workday to store employee information. We use the Employee information to send them emails; when they quit, retire, or leave the company for any reason, to retrieve the company equipment issued to them.

[Shubham_Jain]

@Omender Singh 

Best Practice:

Instead of deleting:

• Set Active = false

• Set Locked out = true

• Remove roles and groups (if needed)

This approach preserves data integrity while preventing login and role-based access.