Delete an inactive WordPress account

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  ketutt40 · Member · Feb 9, 2017 at 5:58 pm

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  I want to delete an WordPress account to free up my email address. I haven’t used that account since 2012.

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  staff-doublebassd · Staff · Feb 9, 2017 at 6:35 pm

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  Hey there!

  Since we don’t want other people to have your username in the future, we don’t delete usernames (they are kept so they cannot be recycled). For more information, please see this link below:

  http://en.support.wordpress.com/deleting-accounts/

  Here’s a few suggestions for you if you’d like to scrub the account:

  1) Empty and delete your sites:

  First of all, be sure to empty your sites of all content. You can find out more about how to do this here:

  Empty Your Site to Start Fresh

  Next, delete the site following the guide on this page:

  Delete a Website

  Please be aware that this is irreversible!

  2) If you are trying to unsubscribe from emails sent to you from WordPress.com, go here and click on “Block Emails”:

  https://wordpress.com/settings/notifications/

  3) You can also go here to remove all data except the account name and an email address. Create a throwaway email address and change the account email to that throwaway address. This will only leave the username behind:

  https://wordpress.com/me/account/
  https://wordpress.com/me/profile

  4) To ensure the account is locked up tightly, visit this site, generate a password of 15-20 characters, and change the account password to it:

  http://www.thebitmill.com/tools/password.html

  5) While you cannot completely delete your Gravatar profile, you can remove all of your profile information easily through the “Edit My Profile” page here:

  http://en.gravatar.com/profiles/edit/?noclose#about-you

  You can also hide your Gravatar profile from external access. Visit your profile page (click your name in the top navigation of the website), then click the “Hide My Profile” link in the bottom, right-hand corner.

  Let me know if you have any questions. Thanks!