Not everything is meant to last forever, and profiles are no exception. For reasons of data protection or data purging, sometimes a profile must go the way of the dinosaur. 🦖☄️ Still, should it be totally lost to history or leave a few fossils behind? That will depend entirely upon the circumstances. Read on to find out your options for managing profile data while maintaining compliance and data integrity.
What are your profile deletion options?
Full Fabric offers three ways to handle unwanted profiles, each serving different needs:
1. Purge profile
Completely and irreversibly wipes out any trace of a profile from Full Fabric. 💣 This removes all personal information AND all statistical data associated with the profile.
2. Anonymize profile
Deletes personal identifiers (name, email, nationality, etc.) while preserving anonymized statistical contributions for reporting and analytics. This is the recommended option for most deletion scenarios.
3. Scrub profile
Permanently deletes all associated data except for the person's first name, last name, and primary email address. This option is typically used for GDPR "Right to Erasure" requests and prevents the profile from being accidentally recreated by staff.
Understanding the 'Anonymize' option
The Anonymize option addresses two common challenges:
GDPR Compliance: Removes personally identifiable information (PII) while maintaining legitimate business interests in anonymized data.
Data Integrity: Prevents distortion of historical analytics when cleaning up inactive profiles. Your conversion rates, application statistics, and campaign performance remain accurate.
What gets removed:
First name, last name
Email address
Gender, nationality
Other personal identifiers
What gets preserved:
Application submissions (counts and dates)
Form completions
Campaign interactions (delivery, open, click rates)
Event registrations and attendance
Lifecycle progression statistics
In reports and lists, these profiles appear as "profile-deleted-001", "profile-deleted-002", etc.
When to use each deletion method
Use Case | Recommended Method |
GDPR "Right to Erasure" request | Scrub profile |
Inactive prospects cluttering your database | Anonymize profile |
Data protection compliance with analytics needs | Anonymize profile |
Complete removal required (rare cases) | Purge profile |
Test profiles or data cleanup | Purge profile |
How to purge, anonymize or scrub a profile
Individual profiles
Enter a profile and open the Advanced tab
Access the General tab
Click Delete profile
In the modal that pops, choose the deletion method (purge, anonymize, scrub)
Check "I understand this action cannot be undone"
Click Delete profile
Bulk deletion for multiple profiles
Access or create a segment with the profiles you want to delete
Click the vertical ellipsis (⋮) on the list search bar
Choose Delete profiles
Select your preferred deletion method in the modal
Confirm the action
Can anonymized and scrubbed profiles be deleted?
Yes, a profile that's been anonymized or scrubbed can still be deleted. However, you'll lose the benefits of the anonymize or scrub status, including protection against accidental profile recreation.
⚠️ Important Reminder: All the purging, anonymizing and scrubbing actions are irreversible. Full Fabric cannot recover deleted data. Choose your deletion method carefully based on your specific needs.