Is There a REST API to Delete Constituents in Luminate Online?

Hey there, @Venky Immadisetty

I have done this with a list import to remove constituents in the past when doing so en masse. They will be marked as "Removed" and will be set to an "inactive" status when doing so. So, this won't completely delete the data off of the platform, but it will ensure that they are no longer considered active and will also automatically be suppressed from future email deliveries and also be a comparison list to check against when uploading/importing new data lists manually. So, it's a good thing to do, to ensure that you don't accidentally reintroduce the constituent to the the Luminate Online Constituent360 database through a data sync or future list import by keeping them inactive. Please note, however, that marking them as "Removed" (inactive) will not be in compliance with the many privacy laws across the United States, so if the constituent lives in one of the states listed, you will also need to make sure that they are deleted completely and not just marked as "removed" (inactive) and that is done by adding all constituent records to a group in Luminate Online and then filing a Blackbaud Support case at https://support.blackbaud.com if you need to mass delete records.

Now, if you are just seeking to mark the constituent records as "removed" (inactive), you can set up a spreadsheet as a .csv file and have the constituent ID (header is cons_id) in one column and their active status (header is active_status) in a second column. The constituent ID is the Luminate Online constituent ID and the other column will have a "2" in the column all the way down to the last record. This 2 stands for "removed" as a status. Then, when using the Import/Export feature under Data Management, select to create a new custom constituent import. I recommend testing with a couple of records first before committing the entire file to verify that the records that were tested did indeed get marked at "removed" (inactive). When setting up the new custom constituent import, on the very last step, select the very bottom radio button to overwrite the constituent record with the values from the import file. This will then mark the constituent record as "removed" (inactive) as a result of that data import operation.

Additional documentation around privacy in Blackbaud's Privacy Resource Center related to Luminate Online's privacy options: https://host.nxt.blackbaud.com/privacy/docs/luminate-online

If you are trying to do all of this via API, I recommend unsubscribing the constituent record as the method through API as the unsubscribe will be very similar to the "remove" (inactive) status when it comes to email as the platform will ensure that the constituent is suppressed from receiving email messages from the platform going forward from that point. Again, if you are seeking legal compliance with data privacy laws, that means that they need to be deleted, and Blackbaud Support can help with that, and I recommend again, if you are seeking to do this with API, to set up a form that submits to an LO survey and then you can field requests as they come in by going to each record that filled out the survey form and either manually going to the record and removing them with a daily or weekly review of the survey's respondents or adding them to a group through the survey's configuration and then you can submit a Blackbaud Support to request assistance in deleting the records en masse. That would be the way that I would do it when gathering requests from an external location that isn't hosted on a Luminate Online page.

Finally, please make sure you consult with legal counsel to ensure that you are fully in compliance with data privacy laws and choose the method that best reflects their recommendation when it comes to either marking the record as "removed" (inactive) or completely deleted from the database.

I hope you find this information helpful.

Thanks,
Will
Principal Consultant, Luminate Online, Blackbaud Professional Services