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Restrict message editing and deletion

This feature is only available to organization owners and administrators.

Zulip lets you separately configure permissions for editing and deleting messages, and you can set time limits for both actions. Regardless of the configuration you select, message content can only ever be modified by the original author.

Note that if a user can edit a message, they can also “delete” it by removing all the message content. This is different from proper message deletion in two ways: the original content will still show up in message edit history, and will be included in data exports. Deletion permanently (and irretrievably) removes the message from Zulip.

Configure message editing permissions

Users can only edit their own messages.

  • Instructions for all platforms

  1. Go to Organization permissions.

  2. Under Message editing:

    • Toggle Allow message editing.
    • Configure Time limit for editing messages.

  3. Click Save changes.

Configure message deletion permissions

These permissions can be granted to any combination of roles, groups, and individual users.

  • Instructions for all platforms

  1. Go to Organization permissions.

  2. Under Message deletion:

    • Configure Who can delete any message.
    • Configure Who can delete their own messages everywhere.
    • Configure Time limit for deleting messages. This time limit does not apply to users who can delete any message.
    • Configure Who can allow users to delete messages in channels they administer.

  3. Click Save changes.

A user can delete messages sent by bots that they own just like messages they sent themself.

Configure who can delete messages in a specific channel

  • Desktop/Web

  1. Click on the gear () icon in the upper right corner of the web or desktop app.

  2. Select Channel settings.

  3. Click All in the upper left.

  4. Select a channel.

  5. Select the General tab on the right.

  6. Click Advanced configuration to view advanced configuration options.

  7. Under Moderation permissions, configure Who can delete any message in this channel and Who can delete their own messages in this channel.

  8. Click Save changes.

Don't see an answer to your question? Contact this Zulip server's administrators for support.