How to delete your Apiary account

About deleting your Apiary account

Apiary is a robust platform specifically designed for API design, documentation, and testing. It allows developers to use Blueprint or Swagger/OpenAPI formats to create interactive API documentation, facilitating collaboration between frontend and backend teams. Because Apiary acts as a central repository for API definitions, it hosts sensitive technical documentation and potentially proprietary schema information.

Users often choose to delete their Apiary account for several reasons related to their evolving development workflow:

• Migrating API documentation to alternative platforms like ReadMe or Postman.
• Clearing out deprecated or legacy API specifications that are no longer in active development.
• Reducing the attack surface by minimizing the number of third-party platforms that host your API schemas and documentation structures.
• Complying with organizational data security policies that require centralized documentation management.

What happens to your data

When you initiate the deletion process for your Apiary account, you are effectively removing your access to the collaborative environment and all associated API projects. While Apiary attempts to purge your user-specific data upon request, the nature of collaborative documentation means that:

• Personal data: Your user profile, email address, and associated user identifiers are removed from the active database.
• Project metadata: Any API Blueprint or Swagger files stored directly within your private Apiary projects are marked for deletion.
• Collaborative logs: Comments, team member associations, and access history related to your account are generally purged.
• System backups: Apiary may retain data in secure, encrypted backups for a limited period to ensure system integrity, though this data is generally inaccessible for operational purposes.

Privacy considerations

Using Apiary requires entrusting your internal API structures and developer workflows to a third-party service. Since these documents often contain details about your backend architecture and endpoint security, privacy is paramount.

• API Sensitivity: Always ensure that your API schemas uploaded to Apiary do not contain hardcoded credentials or private infrastructure IP addresses.
• Third-party tracking: Apiary may utilize analytics cookies and trackers to monitor user interaction with documentation; consider using privacy-focused browser extensions if you are concerned about telemetry.
• Access controls: Regularly audit your team members' access rights to ensure that sensitive API definitions are not being shared with unauthorized individuals before deciding to delete the entire account.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I recover my API projects after deleting my Apiary account?

No, account deletion is generally a permanent action. Once your credentials and project data are removed from the Apiary servers, they cannot be restored.

Does Apiary delete all my API documentation automatically?

When you delete your account, your personal documentation projects are removed. However, if you shared ownership of a project with a team, that project may persist under the organization's account.

How long does it take for Apiary to process my deletion request?

If you are required to email support for manual deletion, the process typically takes a few business days depending on their current ticket volume.

Will my API endpoint functionality be affected by deleting my Apiary account?

No. Apiary is a documentation and design tool. Deleting your account only removes the documentation and design files from the platform; it does not shut down your actual API servers or infrastructure.

Should I back up my API blueprints before deleting my account?

Yes, you should manually export your OpenAPI or Blueprint files from the Apiary dashboard before starting the deletion process to ensure you retain your technical documentation.

Can I delete my account if I have an active subscription?

It is recommended to cancel your active billing subscription before requesting account deletion to avoid any potential issues with automated recurring payments.