How to resolve error "Unable to delete user: ... At least one standard user needs to have the 'Admin' role" when removing a user from Panther

Last updated: February 14, 2026

Issue

When trying to delete a user in the Panther Console, the following error occurs:

Unable to delete user: ... At least one standard user needs to have the 'Admin' role

Resolution

To resolve this error:

  1. Create a new non-SAML account that will be used for recovery/break glass situations:

    1. Navigate to the Panther console

      1. Click the ⚙ icon on the top right

      2. Click Users

      3. Click Invite User

  2. Assign the Admin role to this new account

  3. If SSO is enforced, temporarily disable "Enforce Single Sign On"

  4. Using your new account, delete the user you want to remove

  5. Re-enable "Enforce Single Sign On"

Cause

This issue occurs when there are no non-SAML users with the Admin role remaining in your environment. Even if there are other Admins, Panther requires at least one Admin account that is not tied to SAML/SSO for critical operations like deleting users. Please refer to this article and this article for more information.