What action should be taken if an external user no longer needs access to a community?

Deactivating the external user account is the appropriate action to take when an external user no longer needs access to a community. This process ensures that the user's access is revoked without permanently deleting their account and associated data. Deactivation is beneficial as it allows for the possibility of reactivating the account in the future if the individual requires access again.

Moreover, deactivating an account maintains the integrity of the audit logs and records that are tied to that user, allowing administrators to track past interactions and access. This flexibility can be vital for compliance and record-keeping purposes.

In contrast, deleting the external user account would remove all data and history related to that user, making it impossible to recover their information. Transferring ownership of records is irrelevant if the objective is solely to restrict access; this option does not remove access to the community. Restricting user permissions may still allow the user to retain some level of access, which is not appropriate when complete access revocation is necessary. Thus, deactivation is the preferred and strategic approach.