Hey there! Ever wondered how to delete WordPress from your cPanel?
It’s an important task for managing your website’s content and keeping things secure online.
When you’re ready to remove WordPress from your hosting account, doing it right is key to avoiding any glitches with your site’s function or data.
Let’s walk through the process together.
We’ll cover all the steps and precautions you need to take to make sure you delete WordPress from cPanel smoothly and securely.
Here we go!
Understanding WordPress and cPanel
Let’s start with the basics before we get into how to delete WordPress from cPanel.
WordPress is a really popular tool for creating websites. It’s free and lets you manage everything from blogs to online stores.
People love it because it’s easy to use, you can customize it a lot with themes and plugins, and it’s safe too.
This is thanks to a big community of users and developers always improving it.
Now, cPanel is like a dashboard for your website.
It’s where you can control everything about your hosting and website, like files, emails, and databases.
It’s designed to make managing your site straightforward, so web hosting companies use it to help their customers keep things running smoothly.
How Does WordPress and cPanel Link?
WordPress helps you build and update your site, while cPanel handles all the behind-the-scenes stuff like managing your hosting.
When you know how both work together, you can keep your site secure and working like a charm.
Preparations Before Deleting WordPress
Before you hit delete on WordPress, let’s make sure you’ve covered your bases.
It’s important to get things ready so you don’t lose anything important or regret your decision later.
Backup Your Data
First things first, backup your entire WordPress site. This includes all your files and the database where everything is stored.
Here’s a simple way to do it using cPanel:
1. Log into Your cPanel Account
Sign in to your cPanel dashboard using your username and password.
2. Go to the Files Section
Scroll down to find the “Files” section and click on the “Backup” link.
3. Download a Partial Backup
Choose the “Partial Backup” option and select to download the “Home Directory” and your MySQL database.
4. Download the SQL File
Head to the “Databases” section and click on the “phpMyAdmin” icon. Choose your WordPress database and go to the “Export” tab. Opt for the “Quick” export method and hit “Go” to download the SQL file.
5. Save the Files
Keep both the compressed folder and SQL file safe on your computer.
There are plugins like UpdraftPlus that can help you backup your data easily.
Next, before deleting, deactivate WordPress.
Head to your WordPress admin dashboard, click on “Settings,” then “General.”You’ll see the “WordPress Address” field—just change the URL to something like “http://localhost” to turn off WordPress.
Considerations and Warnings
Deleting WordPress isn’t just a click — it’s a big decision with consequences.
Here are a few things to think about:
What Happens When You Delete WordPress
Deleting WordPress means wiping out your entire site — posts, pages, plugins, everything.
If you change your mind later, you’ll have to start fresh.
Alternatives to Deleting
If you’re unsure, consider disabling WordPress instead of deleting it.
This way, your site’s content stays put, but it won’t be accessible through WordPress.
Steps to Delete WordPress from cPanel
Before we dive in, make sure you’re logged into your cPanel account.
You can get there by typing your domain name followed by “/cpanel” in your browser’s address bar (like “example.com/cpanel“).
Enter your username and password to log in.
1. Accessing cPanel
First things first, log in to your cPanel account.
You usually do this by going to your domain followed by “/cpanel” in your browser.
Enter your cPanel username and password when prompted, and you should land on your cPanel dashboard.
2. Removing WordPress Files
Once you’re in cPanel, find the “File Manager” section.
This is where you manage all your website files and folders.
Look for the folder named “public_html” – that’s typically where WordPress lives.
Inside, you’ll see all the files and folders related to your WordPress site.
Select everything WordPress-related and hit “Delete” to remove them.
3. Deleting the Database
Next up, let’s take care of the WordPress database.
In cPanel, head over to the “Databases” section and click on “MySQL Databases.”
You’ll see a list of databases associated with your site. Find the one for WordPress, select it, and click “Delete.”
Don’t forget to also delete the database user – scroll down to “MySQL Users,” find the user linked to your WordPress database, and delete it too.
4. Removing WordPress through Softaculous (if applicable)
If you installed WordPress using Softaculous in cPanel, you can use it to uninstall WordPress easily.
Go back to your cPanel dashboard and look for “Softaculous Apps Installer.”
Click on it, find your WordPress installation in the list, and hit “Uninstall.”
Follow any prompts to finish removing WordPress using Softaculous.
That’s it! You’ve successfully deleted WordPress from your cPanel account.
If you followed these steps, your site should now be free of WordPress and its associated files and databases.
Post-Deletion Steps: Tidying Up After Removing Your WordPress Site
Verifying Deletion
After you’ve deleted your WordPress files and database, it’s crucial to make sure everything’s gone for good.
In cPanel, head back to the File Manager.
Check that the entire WordPress folder and all its files are completely wiped out.
Then, go to the MySQL Databases section.
Confirm that the WordPress database is also history.
Ensuring Domain Redirection
You’ll want to ensure your domain no longer points to the old WordPress site.
Just type your domain into a web browser.
If it doesn’t load the WordPress site anymore, you’re good.
Cleaning Up Residual Files
Even after the big delete, there might still be some bits and pieces left behind. Here’s what to do:
In File Manager, scour through the public_html directory. Hunt down any sneaky WordPress leftovers.
Check your Addon Domains. If the WordPress domain lingers there, remove it.
Look into Subdomains too. Make sure there aren’t any leftovers from the WordPress site.
Doing this will keep your cPanel neat and tidy.
Reclaiming Storage Space
Now that your WordPress site is history, you can free up some storage space.
Check your cPanel storage usage. You should see the amount of used space go down.
If your WordPress site was hefty, this could make a noticeable difference.
Think about scaling down your hosting plan or using the freed-up space for other websites or apps.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
File Deletion Errors
Are you having trouble deleting files or folders that just won’t budge?
Sometimes, using FTP clients like FileZilla can do the trick.
Give it a shot and try deleting them manually.
FTP Issues
Struggling to connect with your FTP client?
Double-check that all your server settings are correctly entered.
A small mistake here can cause big headaches.
Database Deletion Issues
Trouble removing a database?
First, make sure you’ve got the exact database name and username.
A mismatch can stall the process.
Database Connection Issues
If your website isn’t connecting to its database, your settings might need a look-over.
Verify everything is set up correctly to keep things running smoothly.
Reinstalling WordPress
Ready to start fresh with WordPress?
Reinstall WordPress
If you’re aiming for a clean slate with WordPress, stick to the standard methods for installation.
You can use Softaculous for an easy setup or dive into manual installation via FTP if you prefer.
Alternatives to Deleting WordPress
If you’re thinking about removing WordPress from your website but still want to keep your content safe, there are a couple of cool options you might like.
Disabling WordPress
Instead of hitting the delete button, you can just disable WordPress.
This means your website’s content stays put, but people won’t be able to use WordPress to see it.
To do this:
Deactivate Plugins: Turn off all the plugins you’ve got running on WordPress.
Switch to a Non-WordPress Theme: Change your website’s theme to something that’s not WordPress, like a plain old HTML template.
Update WordPress Address and Site Address: Go into your WordPress settings at Settings > General and switch the “WordPress Address (URL)” and “Site Address (URL)” to a non-WordPress location, maybe something like “http://localhost”.
After these steps, WordPress will be out of the picture, but your content will still be there in case you want to bring WordPress back later.
Using a Maintenance Mode Plugin
Another way to handle things is with a maintenance mode plugin for WordPress.
These guys let you show your visitors a “under construction” or “maintenance mode” page while you’re tinkering with your site.
Here are a few popular ones:
SeedProd: This one lets you make your own custom maintenance and “coming soon” pages.
Elementor Maintenance Mode: Hooks up with the Elementor page builder to jazz up your maintenance pages.
WP Maintenance Mode: Keeps it simple with a maintenance page you can tweak to fit your style.
To use one of these plugins:
Install and Activate: Pick the plugin you like and turn it on.
Setup: Set things up how you want, like what message to show visitors and who can still get in.
Go Live: Flip the switch to put your site into maintenance mode.
This way, you can keep working on your site behind the scenes.
Using a maintenance mode plugin is a smart move if you need to tweak your site but want to keep it up and running.
No need to nuke WordPress—just put it on pause until you’re ready to unveil your updated site.
Conclusion
To delete WordPress from cPanel can involve several crucial steps to ensure a smooth and secure process.
Begin by backing up your website’s data to avoid any potential data loss.
Next, deactivate all plugins and switch your site’s theme to a non-WordPress option.
Update the “WordPress Address (URL)” and “Site Address (URL)” to point to a non-WordPress URL.
Then, delete all WordPress files and folders from your server and remove the WordPress database from cPanel.
Finally, remove the domain associated with your WordPress site.
To manage WordPress installations effectively via cPanel, remember to keep WordPress and plugins updated.
Also, use strong passwords for security, monitor your website’s performance regularly, and ensure your site uses a secure HTTPS connection to protect user data.
