> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://help.researchgate.net/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://help.researchgate.net/account-settings/deleting-your-account.md).

# Deleting your account

#### Page contents

* [How can I delete my account?](/account-settings/deleting-your-account.md#deletingyouraccount-howcanideletemyaccount)
* [Why is my deleted account still appearing in search results?](/account-settings/deleting-your-account.md#deletingyouraccount-whycanistillfindmyprofileinsearchengines)
* [How can I delete an account I can no longer access?](#h_01j3qctn38jzjx4ja65dzk3a1b)

Deleting your ResearchGate account is permanent and cannot be undone. Before deleting your account, please keep in mind that you can update your profile, publication list, email preferences and privacy settings without having to delete your account. If you're sure you want to proceed with deleting your account, follow the steps below.

#### **How can I delete my account?** <a href="#deletingyouraccount-howcanideletemyaccount" id="deletingyouraccount-howcanideletemyaccount"></a>

If you decide to delete your account, here’s how:

1. **Log in** to your ResearchGate account.
2. Go to your [Account settings](https://www.researchgate.net/settings/account).
3. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click **Delete account**.
4. Confirm your decision by clicking **Continue**.
5. If you’d like to, you can share details about why you're deleting your account. Your feedback helps us improve ResearchGate.
6. To finalize the deletion, enter your password and click **Delete account**. If you've forgotten your password, you can find out how to reset it [here](/account-settings/logging-in.md).
7. Your account will be deleted, and you’ll be logged out.

If you change your mind and wish to rejoin ResearchGate, you can sign up again at any time by visiting [researchgate.net](https://researchgate.net/) and clicking "Join for free."

#### Why is my deleted account still appearing in search results? <a href="#deletingyouraccount-whycanistillfindmyprofileinsearchengines" id="deletingyouraccount-whycanistillfindmyprofileinsearchengines"></a>

Once your account is deleted, the old profile URL redirects to our researcher index. We cannot control what the major search engines choose to keep on their search results, and it may often take some time for these pages to disappear from results due to the speed with which search engines manage and index changes to web pages.

#### **How can I delete an account I can no longer access?** <a href="#h_01j3qctn38jzjx4ja65dzk3a1b" id="h_01j3qctn38jzjx4ja65dzk3a1b"></a>

If you’d like to delete your account but are unable to[ log in](https://www.researchgate.net/login), [reset your password](https://www.researchgate.net/application.LostPassword.html), or recall the associated email address, you can submit an account deletion request [here](https://www.researchgate.net/contact?ticket_form_id=26539200920209).


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