Delete a website

This guide explains how to shut down your WordPress.com site and erase (delete) all of its content permanently.

Complete these important steps before proceeding with site deletion:

• Verify that your site is hosted through WordPress.com.
• Review the alternatives to deletion to confirm deletion is necessary.
• If you have active purchases (plans or domains), remove these first. You will be prompted to do this during the deletion process as well.
• Consider exporting your content for safekeeping. You will also have an option to do this during the deletion process.

To permanently delete your WordPress.com website, follow these steps:

1. Log into your WordPress.com account and go to your Sites list.
2. Under the Actions column (under the thumbnail in grid view), click the ellipsis (⋮) menu and select Settings.

3. Scroll to the Delete site section at the bottom of the screen and click the “Delete” button.

4. If you have not removed active purchases, you will be prompted to do so.
5. If you intend to save your content, click the “Export Content” link in the warning. Learn more in our Export guide.
6. Type the full site address shown in red into the confirmation field and click the “Delete Site” button to permanently delete your site.

Once deleted, anyone who visits your site will see a message stating that it has been deleted by the author.

If your site has active paid purchases (such as a plan or domain), you must remove these before deletion.

To remove purchases, follow these steps:

1. When prompted during the deletion process, click Manage Purchases.
2. On your Purchases page, select each purchase associated with the site.
3. Follow the steps to cancel each purchase.
4. Return to the site settings to continue the deletion process.

Note: If you have trouble canceling any purchases, contact support for assistance.

Instead of deleting your website, these less permanent options might better suit your needs:

• Make your site private so only you can see it.
• Cancel your purchases to revert to a free site with no future charges.
• Change your site’s address to a different name.
• Reset your site for a fresh start while keeping the same address.
• Transfer your site to another WordPress.com account.

You can restore a deleted site within 30 days of deletion. After 30 days, the site data is permanently removed and the address cannot be reused.

To restore a deleted site, follow these steps:

1. Go to your Sites list.
2. Click the “Add Filter” icon next to the “Search sites…” bar.

3. Select the Status filter and choose Deleted.

4. Click the “Restore site” icon. It looks like a clock with a reverse arrow.

Your site will be restored after a few seconds. If you need to restore plugins and other features from a Business or Commerce plan, learn how to restore your site after the plan expires.

If you cannot log in to delete your site, follow our account recovery guide to regain access. Our support team cannot delete sites on your behalf.