Terminating a hosting account after a verified handover

Confirm the exact username, domains and owner, plus the approved deletion scope. Preserve website files, databases, mail, DNS records and any required audit data. Test the replacement service and a backup restore before proceeding.

1. Use List Accounts to confirm the account’s identity and ensure it is not the reseller’s main account or another customer with a similar name.
2. Complete the handover: verify website transactions, incoming and outgoing mail, scheduled jobs and external integrations on the destination.
3. Open Terminate Accounts and select only the approved account. Decide whether Keep DNS Zone is required by an active DNS-cluster or migration arrangement.
4. Read the deletion confirmation and perform the termination only after the backup and retention checks are complete. Record its result.
5. Verify the destination and DNS still work. Manage retained backup copies according to the agreed retention policy; do not leave ambiguous old backups that could collide with a later reused username.

The retired account should be absent while the replacement services and intentionally retained DNS remain correct. Keep the approved deletion record and protected recovery copy.

Termination cannot be undone with Unsuspend. If the wrong account is removed, stop related changes and initiate a controlled restore from the verified backup with the server administrator. Do not recreate an empty account and assume its data will return.

A planned suspension can be a useful reversible stage while confirming retirement, but it interrupts service and is not a backup. It does not remove the need for explicit deletion authorisation and a verified recovery copy.

• Restoring an account from a WHM backup
• Planning DNS and mail cutover after a WHM transfer
• Finding the owner, package and resource usage of a WHM account
• Applying reseller contact details and branding without changing server ownership

• cPanel: Terminate Accounts
• cPanel: List Accounts