Error "User <username> could not be deleted because they own content." When Attempting to Delete a User

Issue

When attempting to delete a user, the following error message might occur even though it appears that the user does not own any workbooks, views, data sources etc:

User <username> could not be deleted because they own content. <username> has been unlicensed.

Environment

Tableau Server
Tableau Cloud

Resolution

Step 1 - Find the content owned by the user

Navigate to the owner's user page (search the owner's name and select their name under Users).
All content owned by the user, including projects, will appear in separate tabs.
Transfer content to another user.

Note:
Make sure to enable the creation of Ask Data lenses and collections on the Site Setting page because when they are disabled the corresponding tabs are hidden and the site administrator can not check these contents in the UI.

Step 2 - Find subscriptions

A Tableau Server Administrator can navigate to Tasks > Subscriptions and there may be a subscription that is still associated with the user. A user search may not find the subscription associated with the user.

Sort by the "Subscriptions" column then scroll to the user. The user may have "subscribed by" still associated with their account. Make a note of the users that have subscriptions and resubscribe under a new content owner.

If a user is subscribed to a view then unlicensed, their subscription still exists but the email does not get sent. For a very large user base, if the unlicensed user is the only user getting a subscription, it will be important for Server performance to delete this user's subscription. Tableau Server will do the work but not send the email.

Cause

A user cannot be removed if any content is owned, including projects, but they will be unlicensed. For more information, see the Tableau Cloud Help to Remove users from the server.

For a subscription, if a user A subscribes user B to a subscription, this subscription will not be visible from user A's contents page. User A does not have permission to see what a specific user is subscribed to.