Deactivating vs deleting a client

Quick answer

When a client relationship ends, you have two choices: deactivate (hides the client from active lists, preserves all history, fully reversible) or delete (removes the client and all their data permanently — no recovery possible). Deactivation is the safe default for almost every situation. Deletion is restricted to Company Owners and cannot be undone.

Who can do this

• Company Owners — can deactivate and permanently delete any client.
• Company Admins — can deactivate clients. Cannot permanently delete.
• Company Members — can deactivate clients if client management is not restricted in company settings. Cannot permanently delete.

Deleting a client is a Company Owner-only action. If you do not see the Delete client button, your role does not permit it. Use deactivation instead, or ask your Company Owner to perform the deletion.

Comparison at a glance

	Deactivate	Delete
**Data preserved?**	Yes — tasks, invoices, time entries, notes, files all remain intact	No — all client data is permanently removed
**Reversible?**	Yes — reactivate at any time	No — cannot be undone
**Appears in active lists?**	Hidden by default; visible with Status filter set to Inactive	Gone entirely
**Reports affected?**	Historical data still appears in reports	All historical data is lost
**Who can do it?**	Company Owners, Company Admins, and Company Members (if not restricted)	Company Owners only
**Confirmation required?**	No confirmation dialog	Yes — a warning dialog appears before deletion

When to deactivate

Deactivating is the right choice in almost every situation:

• The client has ended their engagement with your firm but you need to retain the work history for tax or audit purposes.
• The client is temporarily paused and may resume in the future.
• You want to clean up the active client list without losing any data.
• You are unsure whether you will need the client’s records again.

Deactivated clients are hidden from the default client list view. To find them, set the Status filter to Inactive. You can reactivate a deactivated client at any time.

How to deactivate a client

Path: Clients → find the client → kebab menu (three-dot icon) → Deactivate

1. Go to Clients in the main sidebar.
2. Find the client in the list. Use Search if needed.
3. Click the three-dot icon at the end of the client’s row to open the action menu.
4. Click Deactivate.

The client disappears from the active list immediately. Their tasks, invoices, time entries, notes, and files are all preserved.

How to reactivate a client

1. Set the Status filter on the client list to Inactive.
2. Find the client.
3. Click the three-dot icon and select Activate.

When to delete

Permanent deletion is appropriate in a narrow set of circumstances:

• A client was created by mistake (for example, a duplicate or a test entry) and has no real work history.
• You are required by law or a data-deletion request (GDPR right-to-erasure) to remove all client data.
• The client was a demo or practice entry that should never have been created.

Do not delete a client if there is any chance you will need their invoices, time records, or task history in the future. That data cannot be recovered after deletion.

How to delete a client

Path: Clients → open client profile → Edit → Delete client

1. Go to Clients and open the client’s profile.
2. Click Edit in the client header.
3. Scroll to the bottom of the edit form and click the red Delete client button.
4. Read the confirmation warning carefully and confirm deletion.

Deletion removes the client and all associated data immediately. There is no undo.

If you do not see the Delete client button, your account does not have Company Owner rights. Contact your Company Owner to perform the deletion.

Troubleshooting

I cannot find the Deactivate option in the client’s action menu

Company Members may not see deactivation if the company setting Disable client editing for members is enabled. Contact a Company Admin or Company Owner to deactivate the client on your behalf, or ask them to review the client management setting in Settings & Apps → Clients.

I deleted a client by mistake — can I restore them?

No. Deletion is permanent and cannot be reversed by any user, including the Company Owner. If the deletion was accidental and you need to restore data, contact Uku support as soon as possible — recovery from a backup may be possible in exceptional cases, but is not guaranteed.

Deactivated clients are still appearing in reports

This is expected. Deactivating a client hides them from the active client list but their historical data — time entries, invoices, tasks — remains visible in reports. This ensures your historical records stay accurate. If you need to exclude a deactivated client from a report, apply a Client filter in the report to select only active clients.

I see a client’s data in reports but cannot find them in the client list

The client is likely deactivated. Change the Status filter on the client list to Inactive to find them. If the client has been permanently deleted, their historical data will not appear anywhere.