Delete a WordPress.Com Blog

Getting rid of a blog is a big decision, and it will be gone permanently if you go through with it. While you can never get rid of your Wordpress account without mailing Wordpress directly, you can ditch individual blogs with ease. If that feels too severe, there are also numerous ways to only take down certain sections, take the blog offline temporarily, and backup all of your content so you can reinstate it later.

Steps

Completely Deleting Your Blog

  1. Head to WordPress.com and log in to your account. No matter whether your want to delete a specific page, the whole blog, or take the whole thing temporarily offline, you'll need to be logged into your account to accomplish anything. Note, however, what deleting a site actually means before continuing:
    • All posts, comments, followers, etc. will be permanently deleted.
    • You will not be able to use your domain (website.wordpress.com) ever again.
    • You cannot delete your Wordpress account, only individual blogs.[1]
  2. Click on "My Sites" and "WP Admin" to get to the dashboard. Wordpress has unfortunately made it difficult to find this crucial site. To get there, click on "My Sites" in the upper left corner after logging in. Scroll down in the box the opens on the left of the screen to "WP Admin." This will bring up your dashboard, where you can delete the blog.
    • You can always find the dashboard by adding the name of your blog to .wordpress.com/wp-admin/. For example, a blog at WikihowFriend.wordpress.com has a dashboard at WikihowFriend.wordpress.com/wp-admin/.
    • If you don't have the correct blog open in the Dashboard (for example, you have multiple blogs, but only want to delete one), hover over "Switch Sites" (top left corner), then hover over the blog you want to delete. Click on "WP Admin" when it appears next to the chosen blog.[2]
  3. Export your content -- posts, comments, viewers, etc. -- in case you want to bring your blog back at some point. Once you delete the blog, it isn't coming back. To prevent later regrets, you can save all of your content easily through the "Export Content" feature, allowing you to re-instate the blog later if you want. To export:
    • Click on "Tools" in the WP Administrative Screen.
    • Click on "Export Content."
    • Choose "All Content" and click "Download Export File."
    • Save and download the .XML file of your entire blog's content.[3]
  4. Cancel any upgrades to your site, like premium service, themes, or domain mapping. Go to the "Manage Upgrades" screen and cancel or transfer all of your upgrades -- you cannot delete the blog with them on. Note, however, that if you forget to do this now you will be prompted with a "Manage my Upgrades" button later in the deletion process.[2]
    • Adjusting your upgrades now allows you to keep using the upgrades you've already paid for on a different blog.
  5. Click on "Tools," then "Delete Site" to get rid of the blog permanently. You'll notice that you're asked again if you want to export content, allowing you one last chance to save your precious posts.
  6. Alternatively, delete the blog from the main menu. If you can't get to the WP Admin page, you can still delete the site, though it is harder to export content without the WP Admin view. Simply click on "My Sites" → "Settings" → "Delete Site" to do it from the main menu.[4] All of the buttons needed will be on the left side of the screen.
  7. Confirm that the correct blog is being deleted, then click "Delete Site." You will have to retype the URL of your blog to confirm that this is the one you want deleted, a great safety measure that prevents you from destroying content you want to keep. Remember, deleting a site on WordPress is permanent -- think about this before clicking yes.[5]

Removing Your Blog Without Permanent Deletions

  1. Navigate to the WP Admin page. This is a more robust page than Wordpress offers naturally, and is needed for advanced settings. To get there, click on "My Sites," then scroll down to "WP Admin."
    • You can also type in the URL of your blog (like MySite.wordpress.com) and add the phrase "/wp-admin/," so that you get MySite.wordpress.com/wp-admin.
  2. Keep your content, but take it offline, by making your blog private. You can bar anyone else from visiting the blog indefinitely, allowing you to keep your domain name and content in place while still taking your blog offline. This is a good alternative to a hard delete. To do it:
    • Click on "Settings."
    • Click on "Reading."
    • Scroll down to "Site Visibility."
    • Click on the bubble labeled, "I would like my site to be private, visible only to myself and users I choose." Your site is now private.
    • Alternatively, click on "My Sites" → "Settings" → "Search Visibility" from the main, blue and white Wordpress page after logging in.[6]
  3. Delete all posts, pages, and/or media to delete the blog but keep the domain name. You can delete individual posts or all of them -- the process is the same no matter what. Navigate to the thing you want to delete in the WP Admin screen -- posts, categories, etc. From there:
    • To delete one object, hover over it until a little red "Trash" button appears with other options. This works for all types of content on Wordpress.
    • To delete multiple objects, select the boxes to the left of the things you want deleted. Then choose "Move to Trash" (posts, pages,) or "Delete" (categories, media, tags) under the "Bulk Actions" button at the top of the screen and hit "Apply."[7]
  4. Change your site's address while keeping the content intact. You do not have to delete the entire blog just because you don't like the name anymore. You can change the first part of the address (ThisPart.wordpress.com) anytime, or pay for a domain name upgrade to get rid of the "wordpress.com" part. Note, however, that changing names will break all links to your blog (from other sites and blogs) unless you buy a "Site Redirect" upgrade. To change your address:
    • In WP Admin, click on "My Blogs."
    • Move your mouse over the address you want to change
    • When it appears, click on "Change Blog Address."
    • Read through the warnings, then write and confirm your new title.
    • Do not change your username. You'll be offered a chance to create a new one, but this may mess with some links and your profile. It is best to avoid this.
    • Decide if you want to keep the old name. This is your final choice -- afterwards the name change is in effect.[8]
  5. Import your old blog into a new one if you realize you still want it. If you saved your content before deleting by exporting your content ahead of time, you can reinstall all your old content on a new blog, or move it from one old blog to a new one. To import your old content, simply:
    • Click on "Tools" in the WP Admin page.
    • Choose "Import."
    • Note how you can import from any number of blog types. Click "Wordpress" for now.
    • Find and choose the XML file that you exported when backing up your Wordpress blog.[9]



Tips

  • Be sure that this is what you want to do. Once it is deleted, you cannot create another one using the same email address.

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ https://en.support.wordpress.com/delete-site/
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 https://en.support.wordpress.com/delete-site/#deleting%C2%A0a-site-with-upgrades
  3. ↑ http://www.wpbeginner.com/beginners-guide/how-to-delete-your-wordpress-blog/
  4. ↑ http://www.deleteyouraccount.com/sites/wordpress
  5. ↑ http://www.wpbeginner.com/beginners-guide/how-to-delete-your-wordpress-blog/
  6. ↑ https://en.support.wordpress.com/settings/privacy-settings/
  7. ↑ https://en.support.wordpress.com/posts/edit-posts-screen/#deleting-posts
  8. ↑ https://en.support.wordpress.com/changing-blog-address/
  9. ↑ https://en.support.wordpress.com/import/
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