WF-115: Team Deletion/Archival

Workflow ID: WF-115 Category: Team Management Priority: P1 Last Updated: January 11, 2026

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Overview

This workflow handles team deletion or archival, including member reassignment, project migration, data preservation, and a 30-day soft delete recovery period.

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Trigger Events

• Admin initiates team deletion
• Team restructuring/merger
• Organization downsizing
• Compliance-required removal

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Sequence Diagram

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Process Steps

1. Deletion Preview

System Analysis:

Check	Description
Active members	Count of members to reassign
Projects	Projects needing migration
Data volume	Storage to archive/migrate
Integrations	External connections to sever
Pending tasks	Incomplete work items

Preview Response:

{
  "team_id": "team_123",
  "team_name": "Engineering Alpha",
  "members": {
    "count": 12,
    "roles": {"admin": 2, "member": 10}
  },
  "projects": {
    "count": 5,
    "total_storage_gb": 45.2
  },
  "pending_work": {
    "tasks": 23,
    "pull_requests": 7
  },
  "integrations": ["github", "slack"],
  "estimated_archive_size": "52.1 GB",
  "can_delete": true
}

2. Member Reassignment

Options:

Option	Action
Reassign to team	Move members to another team
Reassign to individual	Make independent contributors
Revoke access	Remove from organization
No action	Leave unassigned (dangerous)

Reassignment Flow:

1. Admin selects destination per member
2. System transfers memberships
3. Permissions updated automatically
4. Members notified of change

3. Project Migration

Migration Options:

Option	Description
Transfer	Move to another team
Archive	Read-only preservation
Clone	Copy to new team
Delete	Permanent removal (requires confirmation)

Per-Project Selection:

{
  "project_id": "proj_456",
  "action": "transfer",
  "destination_team": "team_789",
  "migrate_history": true,
  "migrate_issues": true,
  "notify_collaborators": true
}

4. Data Archival

Archived Data:

Data Type	Retention	Format
Team settings	7 years	JSON
Member history	7 years	JSON
Audit logs	7 years	JSON
Project archives	30 days*	Compressed
Chat history	30 days*	JSON

*Extended on request

Archive Package:

team_123_archive.tar.gz
├── team_metadata.json
├── members/
│   └── member_history.json
├── projects/
│   ├── proj_456.tar.gz
│   └── proj_789.tar.gz
├── audit_logs/
│   └── team_audit_log.json
└── MANIFEST.json

5. Soft Delete Period

30-Day Recovery Window:

Day	State	Recovery
0-7	Soft deleted	Instant restore
8-14	Soft deleted	Restore with warning
15-29	Soft deleted	Admin approval required
30+	Permanent deletion	Not recoverable

During Soft Delete:

• Team invisible in UI
• Data preserved in archive
• Members reassigned
• Projects migrated
• Integrations disabled

6. Permanent Deletion

After 30 Days:

1. Archive moved to cold storage
2. Team ID blacklisted
3. Audit record created
4. Storage reclaimed
5. Final notifications sent

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API Endpoints

Endpoint	Method	Purpose
/api/v1/teams/{id}/deletion-preview	GET	Preview deletion impact
/api/v1/teams/{id}/delete	POST	Initiate soft delete
/api/v1/teams/{id}/restore	POST	Restore soft-deleted team
/api/v1/teams/{id}/force-delete	DELETE	Permanent delete (admin)

Request: Delete Team

POST /api/v1/teams/team_123/delete
{
  "member_actions": [
    {"user_id": "usr_1", "action": "transfer", "destination": "team_789"},
    {"user_id": "usr_2", "action": "revoke"}
  ],
  "project_actions": [
    {"project_id": "proj_456", "action": "transfer", "destination": "team_789"},
    {"project_id": "proj_789", "action": "archive"}
  ],
  "reason": "team_restructure",
  "notify_members": true,
  "archive_data": true
}

Response

{
  "status": "soft_deleted",
  "team_id": "team_123",
  "deleted_at": "2026-01-11T12:00:00Z",
  "recovery_deadline": "2026-02-10T12:00:00Z",
  "archive_reference": "ARC-TEAM-2026-0111-001",
  "members_reassigned": 12,
  "projects_migrated": 5,
  "data_archived_gb": 52.1
}

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Notifications

To Team Members

Subject: Your team "[Team Name]" has been archived

Content:

• Reason for archival
• Your new team assignment (if applicable)
• Data export deadline
• Recovery period information

To Organization Admins

Subject: Team deletion completed

Content:

• Team details
• Actions taken
• Archive reference
• Recovery instructions

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Error Handling

Error	Cause	Resolution
ACTIVE_BILLING	Team has active subscription	Cancel subscription first
PENDING_TRANSFERS	Incomplete project transfers	Complete transfers
MEMBER_CONFLICTS	Reassignment issues	Resolve conflicts
ARCHIVE_FAILED	Storage error	Retry archival

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Audit Events

Event	Logged
team.delete.initiated	Admin, Team, Reason
team.members.reassigned	Member count, Destinations
team.projects.migrated	Project count, Destinations
team.data.archived	Archive reference, Size
team.soft_deleted	Deletion timestamp
team.restored	Restore timestamp, Admin
team.permanent_deleted	Final deletion timestamp

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Related Workflows

• WF-114: Multi-OpUnit Access Assignment
• WF-116: Bulk User Import
• WF-113: Auditor Access Revocation

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Last Updated: January 11, 2026