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The Danger Zone

Written by Joseph Russo, Principal Architect, Networks and Tech, AskVault · Reviewed by Allison Chan
Last updated: · 4 min read

Why a separate "Danger Zone"

Irreversible actions belong in a section that's:

  • Visually distinct. Red border, danger icons, separated from routine settings.
  • Confirmation-gated. Type the exact name (workspace) or email (account) to confirm.
  • Audit-logged. Every action recorded with author and timestamp.

Because these actions are immediate and permanent, the confirmation step is the only safety net: there's no grace period to catch a mistake afterward.

Workspace-level danger action

One action under Workspace Settings > Danger Zone:

Delete workspace

Permanent removal: effective immediately.

Steps:

  1. Workspace Settings > Danger Zone > Delete.
  2. Confirmation modal asks you to type the workspace name exactly.
  3. Click Delete.

What happens, in the same request:

  • All indexed content, conversations, and chat history are removed.
  • The vector index and knowledge sources are removed.
  • The workspace row itself is deleted.

This is not reversible. There's no "Pending deletion" status and nothing to restore: plan accordingly, and consider exporting anything you need first.

API: DELETE /v1/workspaces/ws_xxx. The API takes no separate confirmation payload beyond your auth token: the typed-name check is a dashboard safeguard, not an API-level requirement, so be careful if you're calling this endpoint directly or scripting it.

Account-level danger action

One action under Settings > Password & Security:

Delete account

Removes your AskVault account and all of its data: immediately.

Steps:

  1. Settings > Password & Security > Delete account.
  2. Confirmation modal: type your account email exactly (and your password, if your account has one).
  3. Click Delete account.

What happens:

  • Every workspace you own is deleted, following the same permanent removal described above.
  • Any paid subscription is cancelled immediately, with no refund for the rest of the current billing period. If the cancellation can't be confirmed with the payment provider, nothing is deleted and you are asked to try again.
  • Login is disabled immediately. There is no recovery window: if the account (or an FK constraint) can't be hard-deleted outright, it's anonymized instead (name and identifying fields scrubbed) rather than left recoverable.

What's not auto-deleted (you need to handle):

  • Customer data subject requests if you had any pending; complete those first.
  • API integrations on your side pointing at AskVault. Re-route or remove.
  • Linked accounts (Google OAuth, etc.). Those external accounts persist; only the AskVault link removes.

Exporting your data first

AskVault doesn't currently offer a one-click "export everything" bundle before you delete. If you need a copy of your data, pull it via the API before you delete: conversations, leads, and knowledge sources each have their own list/export endpoints: or contact support for help assembling a full export.

Confirmation patterns

Each danger action requires typing an exact match before it proceeds:

  1. Type the name. Workspace delete requires typing the workspace name.
  2. Type your email. Account delete requires typing your account email.

Defeats accidental deletes from a misclick. Neither confirmation is enforced at the API level (see API access above): only in the dashboard UI, so take care with scripted or API-driven deletes.

Audit trail

Danger actions are logged with:

  • Action type (e.g. workspace_deleted, account_deleted).
  • Target (workspace ID or account ID).
  • Author (the user who performed it).
  • Timestamp.

Useful for:

  • Forensic investigation if an account is compromised.
  • Compliance evidence of when data was removed.

GDPR Right to Erasure

For end-customer (lead/contact) deletion requests, not the workspace owner:

  1. Customer requests deletion.
  2. You as the data controller delete the lead/contact record from your dashboard, or via the API.
  3. The record is removed immediately: there's no soft-delete stage for this either.
  4. Provide evidence to the customer if requested (the audit log entry).

See GDPR compliance.

Common pitfalls

Deleted the wrong workspace. There's no undo. Contact support immediately: recovery isn't guaranteed, but it's worth asking in case a very recent backup snapshot exists.

Confirmation phrase mismatch. Type exactly as shown. Case-sensitive.

Assumed there was a grace period. Unlike some SaaS tools, AskVault does not soft-delete: double-check before you click Delete.

Scripting the delete API without the dashboard's typed-name safeguard. The API doesn't require it, so a scripted DELETE /v1/workspaces/ws_xxx call executes immediately. Build your own confirmation step if you're automating this.

FAQ

Can I undo a workspace delete?

No. Deletion is immediate and permanent: there's no recovery window. Contact support if you deleted the wrong workspace; recovery isn't guaranteed.

Will deleting my account stop billing immediately?

It stops it. Deleting your account cancels any paid subscription immediately, so you are not charged again. No refund is issued for the rest of the current billing period. If the cancellation can't be confirmed with the payment provider, your account is not deleted and you are asked to try again.

Does deleting a workspace affect my other workspaces?

No. Each is independent.

Can I transfer a workspace to a teammate instead of deleting it?

Not today: there's no self-serve ownership-transfer feature. Add the teammate with full access instead, or contact support.

What if I forgot my password and can't access Danger Zone?

Use password reset first. Then access Danger Zone normally.

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