Nathan FieldTo delete a Skool community, cancel the group's plan, let it archive, make sure you are the only person left in it, then click Delete group. Those are the conditions in Skool's own help article. This guide puts them in a safe order for an owner, and covers what your members, your payouts and your Skool bill go through on the way.
To delete a Skool group, you must be the only person left in it and the group must be archived. Cancel the plan under SETTINGS, Billing, Manage subscription. The group archives at the end of the billing cycle. Then go to SETTINGS, Billing, Delete group. Skool says cancelling alone is usually enough to stop billing.
Do you need to delete it, or just cancel?
Skool's delete group article ends with a note worth reading first: in most cases you only need to cancel to stop the billing. "Deleting the group isn't a required step." The help centre documents three ways out.
| Option | What it does | Can you undo it? |
|---|---|---|
| Cancel the plan | Stops your Skool bill. You keep access until the billing period ends. Then the group is archived. | Yes. Skool says everything is saved and you can reactivate the group. |
| Transfer ownership | Pro plan only. Someone else owns and pays for the group. You stay on as an admin. | Skool does not say. |
| Delete the group | Removes the group. Only works once it is archived and you are the only person left. | Skool does not say, so plan as if you cannot. |
For a transfer, the new owner must be an admin first, and the group stays archived until they add their payment details. On Hobby you must upgrade to Pro first, which is a charge.
Can you pause a Skool community?
Skool's help centre does not document a pause. We searched it for "pause" on 3 October 2026 and no article came up.
How do you delete a Skool community? Step by step
Skool's steps start at cancelling. The extra steps protect your members and your money. Start at least two weeks before your plan renews, for the reason in step 6.
- Tell your members. Post the closing date in the group before you remove anyone.
- Save what you want to keep. Your invoices are under SETTINGS, then Billing, Manage subscription, View payment history. Print each month to PDF. Once the group is archived, Skool says you must reactivate it to see that history again. To keep a course, use Share course key in the Classroom tab's three dots menu, then Import with key in another group (Skool's steps). The Export button on the Members tab exports answers to your membership questions.
- Stop your members' billing. In the Members tab, click MEMBERSHIP SETTINGS next to each paying member. Cancel subscription removes them after their billing date. Remove from group takes them out now and cancels their subscription. Both are listed in Skool's refund article.
- Remove everyone but you. Click the MEMBERSHIP gear next to a name, then Remove from group, then REMOVE (Skool's steps). Skool's condition is that you, the group creator, are the only one left, so that includes admins and moderators. Do it before the group archives. Skool does not say whether removing works in an archived group.
- Cancel the group's plan. Click SETTINGS in your community, open Billing, click Manage subscription, then Cancel subscription (Skool's steps). In the app, scroll the top settings menu sideways to find Billing.
- Let your last payout land. Skool pays your available balance every Wednesday, and says funds become available for payout after 8 to 14 days. Its payout article says archived groups do not start a payout. Check the Payout tab under SETTINGS before your billing date.
- Delete the group. Once it is archived and you are the only one left, go to SETTINGS, then Billing, then Delete group.
What happens to your members when you close a Skool group?
- If you cancel their subscription, they stay until their billing date, then Skool removes them.
- If you remove them, they leave the group and their subscription is cancelled. They can rejoin later.
- If they cancel themselves, they are removed at the end of their billing cycle. Our guide to cancelling a Skool subscription covers their side.
- Refunds are your call. Cancelling refunds no one. Open the member's MEMBERSHIP SETTINGS, then Payments, click the payment date, then REFUND PAYMENT. You cannot refund more than your available balance, so refund before your last payout empties it. A refund alone does not cancel their subscription.
One gap: Skool's help centre does not say what happens to members still in a group when it archives, whether they keep being charged or can still read it. That is why steps 3 and 4 come first.
What happens to your payouts and your Skool bill?
Your plan stops at the end of the period you paid for. Payouts only start while the group's subscription is active, so the timing in step 6 matters. Skool does not say what happens to money still in your balance once the group is archived. If that could happen to you, ask before you cancel: our guide to contacting Skool support lists every route, and our Skool payouts guide covers the schedule.
Deleting the group does not delete your Skool account. That is a separate request: see how to delete your Skool account.
Before you close it: is the problem members leaving?
If members drift off or cards keep failing, check what Skool already does. It retries a declined card itself, and the member's invoice shows the retries and lets you retry by hand (Skool's article). On Pro you can add a cancellation video. What Skool does not do is send a message in your words. Backpack is a Chrome extension, not made by Skool, that messages a member when their card fails or they cancel, using messages you write. It runs on our servers and costs $9 a month for every community you admin. Try Backpack free for 7 days before you shut the doors.
If you have decided, that is how to delete a Skool community: save what you need, empty the group, cancel the plan, let the last payout land, then click Delete group once it archives.
FAQ
Can I delete my Skool community right away?
No. Skool only lets you delete a group that is already archived and has no one left in it but you. A group archives at the end of the billing cycle after you cancel its plan under SETTINGS, Billing, Manage subscription. Once that happens, the Delete group option is under SETTINGS, then Billing.
Can I pause my Skool community?
Skool's help centre does not document a pause for a group. We searched it for "pause" on 3 October 2026 and found no article. The options it does document are cancelling the group's plan, transferring ownership on the Pro plan, and deleting the group once it is archived.
What happens to paying members when I close my Skool group?
That depends on what you do. Cancelling a member's subscription keeps them in until their billing date. Removing them takes them out and cancels their subscription. Refunds are your choice and come from your available balance. Skool does not say what happens to members still in a group when it archives.
Do I still get paid after I cancel my Skool group?
Only while the group is active. Skool pays your available balance every Wednesday, but its payout article says archived groups do not start a payout. Skool says funds take 8 to 14 days to become available, so start closing at least two weeks before your plan renews and check the Payout tab.
Can I get my Skool group back after cancelling?
Yes, if you only cancelled. Skool says everything is saved and you can come back and reactivate the group. Deleting is different. Skool's delete group article does not say whether a deleted group can be restored, so save your invoices and copy your courses to another group before you delete.