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“Remove Identity” Missing for a Secondary Email

Overview

In Kayako, removing a secondary email from a user can fail in an edge case where the email identity was created in a legacy/system-generated/imported state. The UI symptom is that the identity action menu shows Copy only and does not show Remove Identity, even though other users (or newly added emails) correctly display Remove Identity.

A practical workaround is to temporarily add a new email, set it as the Primary email, remove the problematic identity, then restore the intended Primary email and remove the temporary email.

When to use this

Use this workaround when the email identity you want to remove shows Copy but does not show Remove Identity on a specific user record.

What you will see

  • On one specific email identity: action menu shows Copy only (no Remove Identity).
  • On other users, or on a newly added email identity for the same user: Remove Identity is available.

Prerequisites / notes

  • Primary email identities generally cannot be removed directly. If the problematic email is Primary (or behaves like it), set another email as Primary first.
  • You must have permission to edit the user and manage identities.

Steps

  1. Add a temporary email identity
    • Add a new email to the user, <temporary_email>.
    • Use a valid address you control for the procedure.
  2. Set the temporary email as the Primary email
    • In the user profile, set <temporary_email> to Primary.
  3. Remove the problematic email identity
    • Return to the identity list and attempt to remove <secondary_email> (the legacy/system-generated/imported identity).
    • Once <secondary_email> is no longer Primary, the UI will show the removal path for this identity.
  4. Restore the intended Primary email
    • Set <primary_email> (the email you want as Primary) back to Primary.
  5. Remove the temporary email identity
    • Remove <temporary_email>.

How to Verify the Fix

  1. Open the user profile and confirm <secondary_email> is no longer listed under email identities.
  2. Confirm the correct <primary_email> is set as Primary.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How do I know I’m encountering this specific issue?

In the user’s email identities list, the problematic email shows only Copy and does not show Remove Identity, while other users (or newly added emails) do show Remove Identity.

2. Why does adding a new email make removal possible?

Primary email status affects what can be removed. By adding a temporary email and making it Primary, the problematic identity can be removed in a state where the UI allows the removal action.

3. Can I remove the Primary email directly?

No. Primary email identities generally cannot be removed until another email is set as Primary. Use the workaround to switch Primary first.

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  1. Atilla Onay

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