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How to Remove Deleted Users from SharePoint Online User Information List

Aamir Naveed Akram Oct 19, 2026 868 views

Question details

SharePoint administrators need a way to permanently remove stale, deleted, or nonexistent user accounts that still appear in the User Information List after being removed via PowerShell.

How to Remove Deleted Users from the SharePoint Online User Information List

Product: SharePoint Online
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Cleaning up stale user accounts from a SharePoint site collection to ensure accurate user directories and prevent security or administrative confusion.
Observed behavior: Deleted users continue to appear in the SharePoint Online User Information List even after their accounts have been successfully removed using PowerShell commands.

Before you start

Ensure you are logged in with Site Collection Administrator privileges for the specific SharePoint site collection before attempting to delete users.

Solution 1Recommended

Delete Stale Users Using the People and Groups Page

Access the hidden User Information List page to manually delete nonexistent users from the specific site collection.

SharePoint maintains a hidden User Information List that caches user profile data for each site collection. Removing users from Microsoft 365 or via PowerShell does not always clear them from this local cache. You must access the hidden user directory page to force the deletion.

Access the hidden User Information List

Open the affected SharePoint site. In your browser's address bar, append '/_layouts/15/people.aspx?MembershipGroupId=0' to the end of your base site URL (e.g., https://tenant.sharepoint.com/sites/sitename/_layouts/15/people.aspx?MembershipGroupId=0) and press Enter.

Select the nonexistent users

Scroll through the list or use the search function to locate the deleted or nonexistent users. Check the box next to each user you want to remove.

Delete users from the site collection

Click on the 'Actions' dropdown menu located above the user list, then select 'Delete Users from Site Collection' to permanently remove their cached profiles.

Delete Stale Users Using the People and Groups Page

Contacting Microsoft Support: If the deleted users still appear after following these steps, or if the 'Delete' option is missing from the Actions menu, contact Microsoft Support. Provide your site URL, the affected accounts, and the troubleshooting steps you have already completed.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why do deleted users still show up in SharePoint Online?

SharePoint caches user profiles in a hidden User Information List specific to each site collection. Even if a user is completely deleted from the Microsoft 365 admin center or removed via PowerShell, their metadata remains in this local cache until it is manually cleared from the People and Groups page.

What permissions are needed to remove users from the site collection?

You need Site Collection Administrator permissions to access the hidden MembershipGroupId=0 page and successfully execute the 'Delete Users from Site Collection' action under the Actions dropdown.

What should I do if the 'Delete Users from Site Collection' option is missing?

If the option is unavailable in the Actions menu, first verify that you have full Site Collection Administrator permissions. If your permissions are correct and the option remains missing, you will need to contact Microsoft Support for advanced backend assistance.

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