How to anonymize user data for privacy in Bubble

To anonymize user data in Bubble, you remove or replace all personal identifiers (like email, name, phone) with non‑identifying values, while keeping the database structure intact. The most reliable approach is to run a Backend Workflow that updates each User record and clears or replaces the fields you no longer want to store. This is fully doable using Bubble’s built‑in workflow actions such as Make changes to a thing or Make changes to a list of things. Combine this with strong Privacy Rules so no sensitive data is ever exposed to the client.

What You Actually Do

You anonymize by transforming identifiable fields into harmless values. In Bubble, this means using backend workflows so the user can’t see the anonymization happen, and enforcing Privacy Rules so no sensitive fields can ever be viewed from the browser.

• Email: Replace with something like "[email protected]".
• Name: Clear it ("").
• Phone: Clear it ("").
• Any connected data: Remove links or convert them to safe values.
• Other sensitive fields: Clear or scramble them.

How to Do It in Bubble (Step-by-step)

Inside the backend section, create an API Workflow called “anonymize_user”. Set a parameter like “user_to\_clean” of type User. Then add a Make changes to thing step where you modify only the fields you want to anonymize.

// Backend Workflow: anonymize_user
// Parameter: user_to_clean (User)

Make changes to user_to_clean:
  email = "anon-" + random string:generate // Bubble's built-in random string
  name = ""
  phone = ""
  address = ""
  notes = ""

Triggering the Anonymization

• You can trigger this workflow when a user clicks “Delete account”.
• Use Schedule API Workflow to run anonymization on that user.
• Optionally log the anonymization by creating an internal “Audit” data type.

Privacy Rules (Critical)

Go to Data → Privacy. Make sure the User type has rules so that fields like email, phone, and name are not visible to “Everyone else”. Only keep them visible to This User when needed. This ensures that even before anonymization, no unintended data leaks to the browser.

This approach keeps your app compliant, cleans the user data properly, and avoids breaking existing database relationships.