How to Delete Website on WordPress: A Step-by-Step Guide
If you have decided to delete your WordPress website, whether due to a change in direction, lack of use, or any other reason, it’s important to do it properly to avoid any potential issues. Deleting a website on WordPress is a straightforward process, but it requires careful attention to ensure that all data is removed correctly. In this article, we will walk you through the steps to delete a website on WordPress, so you can start fresh or free up space on your hosting account.
Step 1: Backup Your Website
Before you proceed with deleting your website, it’s crucial to create a backup. This ensures that you have a copy of all your website’s data, which can be useful if you decide to restore the website later. To backup your website, you can use the built-in WordPress backup feature or a third-party plugin like UpdraftPlus.
Step 2: Deactivate and Delete Themes
Next, you’ll want to deactivate and delete any themes you have installed on your website. This is important because some themes may have custom code that could cause issues after deletion. To do this, go to Appearance > Themes in your WordPress dashboard, and click on the “Delete” link next to each theme you want to remove.
Step 3: Deactivate and Delete Plugins
Similar to themes, plugins can also have custom code that may cause problems after deletion. Therefore, it’s essential to deactivate and delete any plugins you have installed. Navigate to Plugins > Installed Plugins in your WordPress dashboard, and click on the “Delete” link next to each plugin you want to remove.
Step 4: Delete Posts, Pages, and Media
Now it’s time to delete all the content on your website. Go to Posts > All Posts and select all the posts you want to delete. Then, click on the “Bulk Actions” dropdown menu, choose “Delete,” and click “Apply.” Repeat this process for pages and media files.
Step 5: Delete the Website
With all the content removed, it’s time to delete the website itself. Log in to your hosting account, and navigate to the cPanel. Look for the “MySQL Databases” section and select the database associated with your WordPress website. Click on the “Delete Database” button to remove the database and all its contents.
Step 6: Delete the Website from Your WordPress Dashboard
Finally, you can delete the website from your WordPress dashboard. Go to Tools > Export in your WordPress dashboard, and select “All Content.” Click on “Download Export File” to save a copy of your website’s content. Then, go to Tools > Delete Site and click on “Delete All Content.” Confirm the deletion by entering your WordPress password.
Congratulations! You have successfully deleted your WordPress website. Remember to keep the backup you created in case you need to restore the website in the future.
