Users Cleanup
 

This mod helps to automatically delete user account upon custom-defined rules. For example, you can delete members, who didn't comfirmed emails after 3 days, delete members, who have zero posts and didn't visited your forum for a long time, and so on.

Any conditions can be defined! Cleanup can be done in both automatic and manual mode.

Difference between built-in vB user pruner:

1. Completely automated.
2. Comfotable management of multiple rules.
3. More flexible prune criterias.

Some stat for my forum (only zero-posts users were cleared):

- last user ID 50652
- total users left 19359

60% effectivity!!!

Installation:

Upload files and import product XML.

Configuration:

• Enter ACP and go to Users -> Cleanup.
• Create cleanup rules you needs, and save in inactive state.
• Test you rules. Do manual cleanup, if you wish.
  
• Activate rules (enable automatic cleanup), if you are satisfied with testing results.

Warning! Don't activate cleanup rules without testing! Don't forget to backup your forum database!

PS. Product is marked as beta, because i can't test all possible rules combinations. But those been used - works fine. If you have strange results duging testing, don't hesitate to post screenshot with your rule, and explain what is wrong.

Was NOT tested with 3.6.x & 3.7.x, but probably works.

This mod is delelopped here http://github.com/rcdesign/vb-users_cleanup . Patches are welcome.

Some hints. Here is current config at my site. Can't recomment to everyone, but that can give you some ideas.

User groups (upgraded on time basis):

1. Just registered - no posting permissions, upgraded after 1 day. Nice way to beat spammers.
2. Novice - specific for my forum. Limited access. Can make posts, but no writing access to "trading" categories. Upgraded after 30 days.
3. Full memfer

Cleanup rules:

1. Delete "Just registered" after 7 inactivity days.
2. Delete "Novice" with zero posts after 21 inactivity days.
3. Delete "Full Members" with zero posts after 180 inactivity days.
4. Delete "not validated emails" after 3 days.

Effectivity - 60%.

Also tested this rule: "delete old members, less than 5 posts, gone more than 2 years ago". - only 5% effectivity.

Wow, this is a very useful module, might end up using it in the future. Depending on whether or not i want to keep my statistics or not.

When you say above "havent viewed in a long time", what do mean like whats the set time?

I'm not sure, that understand your question. Any rule set depends on forum policy, and can't be generalised. All possible conditions are shown on screenshot, but values depend on each forum owner.

Not so useful but still thanks a lot

I don't agree. More than 50% accounts are dummy, and can be cleared, to free usernames. That make sense for big forums, and simplify maintenance in some cases.

Stats for mu forum:

- last user ID 50652
- total users (after cleanup) 19359

PS. Added statistics to mod description.

Vitaly you do great works.. And i appreciate it very much. This is very very useful and i will sure use it in near future. Right now i will tag it for future use. But i did want to thank you for this great job.

Very useful, thanx!

installed

Little suggestion:

When testing, it displays all users defined by rule on sinle page, maybe will be better to split on several pages, e.g. 100 per page?

Added "live config" example to second post. Enjoy :)

When your rules are active, those are applyed every days, and test results are very small. Big list can exist ONLY before first cleanup. So, I don't see reasons to overcomplicate code :)

Hint: you can increase "inactivity" value and clear users manually with several passes.

Yes, that is true. Before first clean up, my Firefox stops responding, but now, everithing works fine :up:

Thank You

Frondy, could you publish statistics for your forum? Last user ID and total members after cleanup?

20.354 last ID
10,880 after

I have filtered just members not active for 365 days and with no posts

:D

this is a big ask, but could you add an addon like a counter for the post thanks hack?
some boards, we just use the thanks hack so people dont post useless threads

so we can check 0 posts 0 thanks etc

I'm not sure, that will customize this mod in nearest future for third-party products. The only good news, that mod is reuseable :)

Looks interesting; what's the difference between vBulletin's built-in user pruning options and this? More criteria?

1. Completely automated.
2. Manage multiple rules.
3. More flexible criterias.

PS. added to mod description.

Thank you Vitaly, I was just looking for something like this! Marked installed! :)

I like this.

I used to have a mod that removed unverified accounts after 7 days if the member did not verify by email.

What settings would I use to do the same with your mod?

Question. How does this get automated? I just installed and configured and marked the rule active. But I don't see any crontab appearing in the Scheduled task manager. How is it made automated then?

Would be really useful to my board, if inactive members get reminder emails first. This would certainly increase the number of active members on a board. Just deleting the inactive accounts without trying to get those members active first, seems to be missing the boat.

Sorry, no. I consider such methods as "abusing".

Installed and want to know answer for quoted question too!
And how to manually delete users? ==> Click on test and then delete users???

There should be "Users Cleanup" crontab after import. Look for code in end of XML-file.
Yes.

aaaaa, I see now
So, by default it is run every 4 hours and 10 minutes?

Cpacibo!

Every day in 04:10. That's enougth.

Is there any chance to add filter for members without e-mail?
I use one mod to remove nonvalid emails from users profile

Thank you

No such plans.

You could use email validation during registration, and the make rule to remove members from "validating email" group.

Yes, that is my plan, tu use mail validation, but it is too late for older members...

Thank you anyway :up:

Not sure why you would want toss members away like this, it doesn't cost anything to keep them.

I have old members that haven't posted in a long time, but when they get the birthday email they come back sometimes.

I would suggest a reminder email based on criteria, they signed up that is NOT abuse.

Also rather then deleting anyone ever they should be moved to another user group like "inactive"

Never discard members totally IMO.

Hi Vitalik!
I'm trying to install it, but "Invalid File Specified" still came out while I'm importing xml file in my admin control panel.
please помогите.

Seems you haven't uploaded files from "upload" folder.

What happens to user's posts once the user is deleted?

Nothing. Result is the same, as when you delete user manually.

Believe me... After awhile you just need to start as fresh as possible. Any server will crumble a few times when you DB is 200 MB. I went in cleaned up posts that haven't been replied to within the last year and I deleted all members that have no posts that registered over 2 weeks ago.

What's the purpose of cleaning users? And if I clean up my users, will it decrease my "users" stat on my site?

Hello, uploaded all the files but can not get the file imported, exact steps for this please.

this seems to be a very usefull mod!

but is there a chance to have the option that a user needs to have for example 3 posts within the last 30 days or otherwise he will get banned?

greetz

billiejoe

How are you guys importing this in vb admin please, havign issues here gettign it done

Hi,
1. Does it work correctly with you ?
2. Can it display the users to be deleted for confirmation ? I may put by mistake undesired rules, then I loose my users without knowing !

Thanks,,