Written & Verified By
Delete.Directory Content TeamOur team of privacy advocates and former social media employees verify every deletion process through hands-on testing.
This guide helps you permanently delete your GitHub account. We believe in digital autonomy: your right to leave any platform should be as easy as joining it. Follow these verified steps to ensure complete account deletion.
How We Verified This Guide
Methodology: Hands-on testing with live accounts
Quick Information
Time Required
5 minutes
Difficulty
easy
Steps
5 steps
Official Resources
Official deletion guide from GitHub
Additional Resources
Details about how GitHub handles your data and privacy
Information about exporting your GitHub account data
Step-by-Step Guide
Log in to Your GitHub Account
Open your web browser and go to github.com. Log in with your username and password or authentication method.
Tips
- •Make sure you're logged into the correct account
- •If you have multiple accounts, verify which one you want to delete
- •Complete any two-factor authentication if enabled
Handle Your Repositories First
Before you can delete your account, you must delete or transfer all repositories you own. Go to each repository's settings and either delete it or transfer ownership to another user or organization.
Tips
- •Consider downloading a backup of important repositories first
- •Transferred repositories can be reclaimed if the transfer is declined
- •Remember to check for any forked repositories as well
Warnings
- •Deleted repositories cannot be recovered
- •All issues, pull requests, and wiki content will be permanently lost
- •Your contribution history will be preserved but unlinked from your account
Access Account Settings
Click on your profile picture in the upper-right corner of any GitHub page, then click 'Settings' from the dropdown menu.
Tips
- •Settings can also be accessed via github.com/settings/profile
- •Make sure you're in Personal settings, not Organization settings
Navigate to Account Deletion
In the left sidebar, scroll down to the bottom and click 'Account'. Then scroll down to the 'Delete account' section at the bottom of the page.
Tips
- •The delete option is at the very bottom of the Account settings page
- •You may need to scroll past several other account management options
Confirm Account Deletion
Click 'Delete your account', read through the warnings carefully, type your username to confirm, enter your password, and click the final confirmation button to permanently delete your account.
Tips
- •Consider exporting your data before deletion if you want to keep any records
- •Make note of any active GitHub Sponsors or subscription commitments
- •Cancel any GitHub paid plans before deletion to avoid billing issues
Warnings
- •This action is permanent and cannot be undone
- •All your data, including gists, issues, and comments will be permanently deleted
Important Warnings
Permanent Loss of Repositories
Contribution History Unlinked
Lost Stars, Forks, and Following Lists
GitHub Organizations and Teams
Access Tokens, SSH Keys, and Gists
Alternatives to Consider
GitLab
GitLab is a complete DevOps platform with built-in CI/CD, issue tracking, and code repository management. It offers both cloud-hosted and self-hosted options.
Pros
- •Built-in CI/CD pipelines without third-party integrations
- •Free private repositories with unlimited collaborators
- •Self-hosting option for complete control over your data
- •Comprehensive DevOps features in one platform
- •Strong focus on security and compliance features
Cons
- •Smaller community compared to GitHub
- •Some learning curve for GitHub users
- •Fewer integrations and third-party apps available
- •UI can feel more complex for simple tasks
Bitbucket
Bitbucket is Atlassian's Git-based code hosting platform that integrates seamlessly with Jira, Trello, and other Atlassian products.
Pros
- •Excellent integration with Atlassian ecosystem (Jira, Confluence, Trello)
- •Free private repositories for small teams (up to 5 users)
- •Built-in CI/CD with Bitbucket Pipelines
- •Good code review and pull request features
- •Supports both Git and Mercurial repositories
Cons
- •Smaller community than GitHub or GitLab
- •Free tier limitations on team size
- •Less popular for open-source projects
- •Can be expensive for larger teams
Codeberg
Codeberg is a non-profit, community-driven Git hosting platform focused on free and open-source software, running on Gitea/Forgejo software.
Pros
- •Completely free and open-source platform
- •No tracking or data mining - strong privacy focus
- •Non-profit organization run by volunteers
- •No ads or commercial interests
- •Active community supporting FOSS projects
Cons
- •Smaller user base and community
- •Fewer advanced features compared to major platforms
- •Less reliable uptime (community-run infrastructure)
- •Limited integrations with third-party tools
- •May not be suitable for enterprise use
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Once your GitHub account is permanently deleted, it cannot be recovered. Your username will be released and could be claimed by someone else. Make sure to export any important data and transfer or backup repositories before deletion.
References & Citations
- [1]GitHub Privacy Statement
Details about how GitHub handles your data and privacy
https://docs.github.com/en/site-policy/privacy-policies/github-privacy-statement
- [2]GitHub Data Portability
Information about exporting your GitHub account data
https://docs.github.com/en/account-and-profile/setting-up-and-managing-your-personal-account-on-github/managing-personal-account-settings/requesting-an-archive-of-your-personal-accounts-data
All citations verified as of 11/11/2025. We regularly review and update all external links to ensure accuracy.
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Last Updated
November 11, 2025