Manage the Calendar events of former users

As an administrator, you can manage the Google Calendar events of former users. If their account is deleted or suspended without taking steps to manage calendar events, this can leave behind orphaned Google Calendar events. 

Transfer events when deleting a user

When you delete a user, you can transfer their future events to a new owner, such as the former user’s manager. This ensures that important future events aren’t missed.

1. Sign in to your Google Admin console.

   Sign in using an account with super administrator privileges (does not end in @gmail.com).

2. From the Admin console Home page, go to Users.

3. (Optional) To delete a single user, do the following:

   • In the Users list, find the user.
   • Hover over the user you want to delete and click More  Delete. (You can also find this option at the top-left of the user's account page, under More.​)

4. (Optional) To delete multiple users, do the following:

   • Check the box for each user you want to delete in the Users list.
   • At the top of the page, click Delete selected users.

     Tip: If all users belong to the same organizational unit, select it on the left to find the users more easily. (You can click  at the upper left to see the organizational tree.) Or, if the users are in different organizations, on the left, select Users from all organizational units.

5. If you're a delegated admin (not a super admin), check the boxes to confirm you understand the impact of deleting the account.
6. (Optional, for super admins only) In the Delete users box next to Calendar, check the box. You can also choose to release resources such as rooms and equipment.
7. In the Transfer to section, search for a user account by entering the first few characters of the user's name or email address. When you see the account you want, select it.
8. Click Delete User or Delete Users.
9. If necessary, delete the user from your contacts list.

When the event transfer is finished, a new secondary calendar with the Transferred from [e-mail] name appears in the calendar list of the new owner. This calendar contains the events of the former user.

Note: Only future, non-private events (with at least 1 guest or resource) from primary calendars are transferred. Future private events are canceled so that orphaned events don't stay in resources and other user's calendars. If you don’t need to maintain the user’s data, then cancel all of their future events. Secondary calendars and events are not transferred.

Transfer events when suspending a user

After you suspend a user, you can transfer their future events to a new owner (for example, the former user’s manager). This ensures that important future events aren’t missed.

1. Sign in to your Google Admin console.

   Sign in using your administrator account (does not end in @gmail.com).

2. From the Admin console Home page, go to AppsGoogle WorkspaceCalendar.
3. Click Manage Events.
4. Under Event Cancellation / Transfer, in the User text field, enter the source user (for example, the former employee) whose events need to be transferred.
5. Select Keep user’s future events and Transfer Events to.
6. (Optional) Select Release Resources to release calendar resources that are booked from a user’s future events. 
7. In the text field that follows, enter the destination user who will become the new owner of the source user’s future calendar events.
8. Click Transfer Events.

When the event transfer is finished, a new secondary calendar with the Transferred from [e-mail] name appears in the calendar list of the new owner. This calendar contains the events of the former user.

Note: Only future, non-private events (with at least 1 guest or resource) from primary calendars are transferred. Future private events are canceled so that orphaned events don't stay in resources and other user's calendars. If you don’t need to maintain the user’s data, then cancel all of their future events. Secondary calendars and events are not transferred.

Release resources former users booked

When a user leaves your organization and their account is either active or suspended, you can release resources booked by that user and make them available to others in the organization.

Note: You can't release resources for deleted accounts.

1. Sign in to your Google Admin console.

   Sign in using your administrator account (does not end in @gmail.com).

2. From the Admin console Home page, go to AppsGoogle Workspace Calendar.
3. Click Manage Events.
4. Under Event Cancellation / Transfer, in the User text field, enter the source user (for example, the former employee) whose events need to be transferred.
5. Select Keep user’s future events and Transfer Events to.
6. Click Release Resources. 

The Release Resources operation starts approximately 10 minutes later and may last 15 minutes. You can trace released resources in Google Calendar audit logs.

Cancel future events belonging to former users

If a former user's account is either active or suspended, you can cancel all their future events. Canceling their future events ensures those events won't be orphaned if the user's account is deleted.

Note: If a user's account has already been deleted, you might be able to cancel their future events by opting in to automatic event cancellation. However, if you opt in more than 20 days after an account is deleted, future events in that account can't be cancelled.

1. Sign in to your Google Admin console.

   Sign in using your administrator account (does not end in @gmail.com).

2. From the Admin console Home page, go to AppsGoogle Workspace Calendar.
3. Click Manage Events.
4. Under Event Cancellation / Transfer, in the User text field, enter the source user (for example, the former employee) whose events need to be transferred.
5. Check Cancel user’s future events.
6. Click Cancel future events. 

The cancellation process starts approximately 10 minutes later, and can last up to 15 minutes. To avoid spamming guests, Calendar doesn't send event cancellation notifications. You can trace event cancellation operations in Google Calendar audit logs.

Note: You can’t undo this operation. If you delete a user’s future events by mistake, you can restore those events from the user’s calendar’s trash.

Automatically cancel events belonging to deleted users

When you opt in to Silently cancel future events of deleted users, events are automatically canceled 21 days after users are deleted. This prevents events from being orphaned when you delete users. 

Note: If you opt in more than 20 days after a user is deleted, that user's future events won't be deleted.

1. Sign in to your Google Admin console.

   Sign in using your administrator account (does not end in @gmail.com).

2. From the Admin console Home page, go to AppsGoogle Workspace Calendar.
3. Click Manage Events.
4. Under Events of deleted users, select Silently cancel future events of deleted users.

Event cancellations occur 21 days after users are deleted. To prevent mass emails, automatic cancellations don't trigger notifications. You can trace event cancellations in Google Calendar audit logs.