Open ChatGPT, go to Settings, then Data Controls, then Delete Account. Type your email and the word DELETE to confirm. The account and its conversations are removed within 30 days, the deletion cannot be reversed, and the email address cannot be used for a new OpenAI account afterwards.
Short answer
Open ChatGPT, go to Settings, then Data Controls, then Delete Account. Type your email and the word DELETE to confirm. The account and its conversations are removed within 30 days, the deletion cannot be reversed, and the email address cannot be used for a new OpenAI account afterwards.
Step by step
Export your data first: Settings, Data Controls, Export Data. OpenAI emails a download link, usually within minutes. This ZIP is the only copy of your conversations you will ever get, and the link expires after 24 hours.
Cancel any paid plan: Settings, Subscription, Cancel. Deleting the account does not automatically refund the current billing period, so cancel first and let the period lapse if you want to avoid an extra charge.
Open the deletion screen: Settings, Data Controls, Delete Account. On mobile the same option sits under your profile picture, then Settings, then Data Controls.
Confirm with your email and DELETE: OpenAI asks you to type the account email address and the word DELETE in capitals. This is deliberate friction because there is no undo.
Check the confirmation email: You receive a confirmation that deletion is in progress. Conversations are purged from OpenAI systems within 30 days unless legally required to be retained.
Deleting a ChatGPT account is a two minute job. The part worth slowing down for is everything that leaves with it.
What deletion actually removes
| Removed | Kept or blocked |
|---|---|
| All conversations and archived chats | Billing records OpenAI must keep for tax and legal reasons |
| Saved memories and custom instructions | Content already used in model training before you opted out |
| Custom GPTs you built | Your email address, which is blocked from reuse |
| API keys tied to the same login | Anything shared publicly via a share link that others saved |
That last row on the left catches developers out. If your ChatGPT login is also your API login, deleting the account kills the keys and any production integration using them.
The email address problem
OpenAI does not free up the email address after deletion. If you delete the account attached to your main address and later want to come back, you cannot sign up with that address again. People who are deleting to reset billing, clear an embarrassing history, or start fresh usually want the opposite outcome. Clearing your chat history and turning off training data collection achieves the reset without burning the address.
Delete the account, or just the history?
Ask what is actually bothering you.
Worried about what is in your chats? Delete all chats in Data Controls. Same privacy result, account intact.
Worried about training? Turn off "Improve the model for everyone" and use Temporary Chat. No deletion needed.
Worried about spend? Cancel the subscription. The free tier keeps working.
Leaving the platform for good? Then account deletion is the right call.
Export first, and check the export before you confirm
The most common regret we hear about is losing a year of work that was never anywhere else. Requests for a data export after deletion do not succeed, because the account that would receive the email no longer exists.
Download the ZIP, open it, and confirm conversations.json is there and not empty. That file is a raw JSON dump, unreadable as it stands. Running it through a converter turns it into Word, PDF, or Markdown files you can read, search, and keep for as long as you want. Do that before you type DELETE, not after.
Deleting a workspace or Team account
Team and Enterprise accounts work differently. An individual member leaving does not delete the workspace conversations, which stay under the workspace owner's control. If you are the owner, the workspace has to be deleted from the admin console, and the members should each export their own data first.
Frequently asked questions
Can I recover a deleted ChatGPT account?
No. Once the deletion is confirmed, OpenAI cannot restore the account or its conversations, and support will not reverse it.
How long does deletion take?
Access is removed straight away. Data is purged from OpenAI systems within 30 days, apart from records retained for legal reasons.
Will I be refunded for the rest of my Plus month?
Not automatically. Cancel the subscription first and delete once the paid period has ended.
Can I use the same email to sign up again?
No. OpenAI blocks the address from being used for a new account, so use history deletion instead if you plan to return.
Does deleting my account remove shared links?
Shared conversation links should stop working, but anyone who copied or screenshotted the content already has it. Unshare anything sensitive separately.