Delete your Rootsgen account and see what happens to your trees
Sometimes it is time to move on. Rootsgen lets you close your own account from inside the app, without emailing anyone, and shows you exactly what will happen to your trees before anything is deleted.
Where to find it
Open your account menu and choose Preferences. Delete my account is the last section on the page.
What you are shown first
Pressing Delete my account… opens a summary of every tree you own, and says what will happen to each one:
- The tree has a co-owner. Ownership passes to that co-owner, and the tree stays exactly as it is, with all its people, photos and everyone's access. If there is more than one co-owner, you choose which one. They are emailed to let them know, if they have an email address on file.
- The tree has no co-owner. The tree is permanently deleted, and the summary tells you how many other people will lose access. Editors and viewers are never promoted automatically, because owning a tree is a big responsibility that you should hand over deliberately.
- Trees other people own. You are simply removed from them. Nothing in them changes.
If you want a tree to outlive you, make someone a co-owner first. See sharing your tree.
Make a copy first
Deleting is permanent, and we cannot get a tree back afterwards. Each tree that will be deleted has its own Export GEDCOM/media button right on this screen, so you can take a copy in one click. For a complete, restorable copy, open the tree and use Backup tree (.db) too. See backing up your tree and exporting your tree.
Before the delete button works you must also tick a box confirming that you understand those trees will be permanently deleted and that you have saved any backup or export you want to keep. Rootsgen does not ask for this when every tree is simply passing to a co-owner, because nothing is lost.
Confirming
To go ahead you confirm your identity with a real passkey ceremony and type your username. Only then, together with the confirmation box above, does Permanently delete my account become available. When it finishes you are signed out, and your account, its feedback messages and any trees that had no co-owner are gone.
Frequently asked questions
Can I delete a single tree without closing my account? Yes. Use Tree options → Delete this tree…. See deleting a tree.
Can an administrator account delete itself here? No. Administrator accounts cannot be closed from the Preferences page.
I would rather someone else did it. Email admin@rootsgen.net and we will delete your account or a tree for you.
Where can I read what happens to my information? In the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Conditions.