How to Remove a User's Natterbox Licence - if they cannot be removed from groups

Issue

You are unable to remove a user from a specific group, which in turn prevents the associated user licence from being freed up. This issue can be observed when attempting to remove both active and inactive users, and a direct deactivation is not possible or desired.

Possible error messages shown in the picture below:

Resolution

There are two methods to resolve this issue. The standard method is a straightforward deactivation. The manual method is for advanced users and provides a way to remove group memberships directly before reclaiming a licence.

Method 1: Standard User Deactivation

This is the recommended procedure that automatically unassigns a user's licence and removes them from any groups of which they are a member.

1. Navigate to the NATTERBOX Users page within your Salesforce environment.

2. From the user list, locate the specific user that you wish to remove.

3. Select the 'Deactivate' option that is associated with the user's record.

Please note: This action will successfully remove the user from all associated groups and reclaim the licence.

Method 2: Manual Removal Using The Developer Console

Use this method if the standard deactivation does not work, or if you need to remove group memberships before managing the licence separately.

1. Navigate to the NATTERBOX Users tab and select the user profile you wish to update.

2. Copy the 18-character User ID from the URL in your browser's address bar. This is the unique identifier for that user's record (as shown in the screenshot below).

3. Open the Developer Console by selecting the gear icon (⚙️) and then choosing 'Developer Console'.

4. Within the console, select the Query Editor tab located at the bottom of the window.

5. Enter the following SOQL query, replacing 'insert user ID' with the 18-character ID you copied in step 2. Select Execute.

6. SQL

SELECT Id, Name, nbavs__Group__r.Name FROM nbavs__GroupMember__c WHERE nbavs__user__c = 'insert user ID'

7. The 'Query Results' panel will display the user's group memberships. Select all rows returned in the results.

8. Select the Delete Row button, and then select Save Rows to confirm the deletion. This action removes the user's group memberships from the system (as shown in the screenshot below).

9. Return to the main Salesforce window and refresh the user's profile page on the Natterbox Users tab. The group fields should now appear blank.

10. Finally, navigate to Admin Home > Manage User Licences. You can now deselect the licence for the user and select Save.

FAQS

Q: Which method should I use?
A: For most situations, Method 1 (Standard User Deactivation) is the quickest and recommended solution. You should only use Method 2 if you are comfortable with the Salesforce Developer Console and need to manually manage group memberships.

Q: What is the 'User ID' and why do I need it?
A: The 18-character User ID is a unique record identifier in Salesforce. The SOQL query in Method 2 requires this ID to know exactly which user's group memberships to find and delete.

Q: What happens if the query in the Developer Console returns no rows?
A: If the query returns no results, it means the user is not a member of any NATTERBOX groups. You can proceed directly to step 9 to manage their licence.

Q: Does deactivating a user remove them from Salesforce?
A: No, this procedure only deactivates the user within the NATTERBOX application. The master user record within Salesforce remains unchanged.

Q: Why can I not just remove the user from the group directly on their profile?
A: A user's group membership is directly linked to their active licence assignment. The correct procedure is to use either the 'Deactivate' function or the manual query process, which are designed to handle the removal correctly.