How to cancel or make a site private with no authentication or identity proof

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  mvpb2 · Member · Jun 10, 2026 at 9:14 pm

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  A few years ago I created a website as a favor for this small company, but I lost access a long time ago and no longer have any of the information required regarding ownership. The company is now creating a new website (again on WordPress), but the old one is still active on the server (even though the domain has not been pointing to it for years), which is obviously causing quite a few problems. I would like to ask whether it is possible to make it private, or if not, to shut it down, or to get guidance on how I can proceed. Thank you SO MUCH for any help!

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  rohansadanandan · Staff · Jun 11, 2026 at 4:34 am

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  Hi,

  Thanks for reaching out.

  If the site is hosted on WordPress.com, we’ll need to verify ownership before we can make changes such as making the site private or shutting it down.

  Since you no longer have access to the account and don’t have the ownership details, could you please provide the site’s URL and any information you may still have about the original setup (such as the email address that may have been used, the company name, or when the site was created)? We’ll take a look and advise on what options may be available.

  If the site is not hosted on WordPress.com, you’ll need to contact the hosting provider that currently hosts the site, as they would be responsible for managing or removing it.

  We look forward to hearing from you.

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  inspiring5999c8f430 · Member · Jun 12, 2026 at 4:39 am

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  If you don’t have access to the account, authentication credentials, or a way to verify ownership, most platforms won’t let you cancel, delete, or make a site private for security reasons.

  Your best options are:

  • Recover access through the platform’s account recovery process.
  • Contact the platform’s support team and explain the situation.
  • Provide any evidence of ownership they request (billing records, domain ownership, email access, etc.).
  • If the site contains personal information and you have legal rights over it, ask support about their privacy or takedown procedures.

  Without some form of identity verification or proof of ownership, platforms generally cannot make changes to a site on your behalf.