How to Delete a WordPress Account

Do you really want to delete WordPress website of yours ?
Maybe you want to start over or move away from the old stuff you posted. Whatever your reasons, you probably don’t want your unused website to stay on the Internet forever.

In this guide, we’ll explain how to completely get rid of the WordPress website, you made it on WordPress.com. And if you made several WordPress.com websites and want to delete all of them together, we’ll show you how to do that by canceling your WordPress.com account permanently. If you have self-hosted WordPress site using files from WordPress.org, then you can follow our another blog with topic “How To Uninstall WordPress From cPanel” to get your WordPress site removed from cPanel.

Why You Might Want to Close Your WordPress Account

Why might you want account deletion in WordPress.com ? Here are a couple of main reasons:

Changing to a different platform: If you’ve found a different website platform that works better for you, like Joomla for more features or Drupal for extra security, it might be a good idea to delete your site permanently and close your WordPress account.

Keeping things secure: If you’re not going to use your website or blog anymore, deleting your account can prevent security problems. This way, you won’t be at risk if hackers go after WordPress or your account directly. 

The Effects of Deleting Your Account

Before you decide to delete WordPress account, it’s important to know what will happen right away and in the future. For example, closing your account can affect any other accounts you have, like Woo-Commerce and Gravatar. Your Gravatar account will be deleted right away, and you might not be able to use Woo-Commerce anymore. It’s a good idea to check your Woo-Commerce details first to make sure you won’t lose important access.

It’s also important to note that closing your account won’t free up your username for future use, neither for you nor anyone else. After a WordPress account is deleted, the username remains permanently unavailable to prevent any potential impersonation.

Step-by-step Process to Delete a WordPress Account Along with WordPress Site

Here is the step-by-step guide to delete the WordPress site and WordPress account created from wordpress.com

1. Log in to your WordPress account.

To start the deletion process, log in using your username and password, or through your Google or Apple account. If you have more than one account, be certain that you’re signing in with the correct one.

2. Click on “My Site” in the upper left-hand corner.
Before you can remove your WordPress account, you must first delete any active sites from your My Sites panel.

3. Click the “Settings” option from the navigation menu located at the bottom-left corner.

4. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on “delete your site Permanently.”

5. Make sure to save any content you want to keep by exporting it.
Take the content you want to keep and turn it into a .zip file. Then, download it. Even if you don’t have any immediate plans for another WordPress site, it’s a good idea to save your content because you won’t have another opportunity to do so after this step.

6. Move your screen downward until you find the button that says “Delete Site.”

7. Type in your site’s name and then press the “Delete this site” button.

After clicking the “Delete Site” button, a confirmation popup will appear. In the popup, you should enter the site name you wish to delete and then click the “Delete this site” button.

Please ensure that you enter the site name exactly as it appears, and be certain that you want to close this site before proceeding. You’ll need to repeat this deletion process for every active WordPress site linked to your account before they can be permanently deleted.

8. Select your profile picture located in the top-left corner.

9. Choose “Account Settings” from the menu on the left side.

10. Scroll down to the page’s bottom and then press “Permanently close your account.”

11. Ensure you carefully read and comprehend the potential issues, then click on “Close account.”

When you close your account, it goes beyond just deleting your sites and their content, which is what happens when you delete individual sites but keep your account active. Additionally, you won’t be able to create a new WordPress account using the same email address for 30 days. All other linked Automatic Services, such as WooCommerce, Crowdsignal, IntenseDebate, and Gravatar, will also be shut down.

12. Enter your username and then select “Close your account.”

After clicking the “Close Account” button, a confirmation popup will emerge. In the popup, you should input your account name and then click the “Close your account” button.

Please be absolutely certain that this is the account you intend to close before proceeding.

Is It Possible to Regain Access to a WordPress Account?

Here’s some good news: If you accidentally delete your WordPress account or change your mind about it, you can bring it back, but there’s a time limit of 30 days.

Here’s how it works: During those 30 days, all your account information is still kept on WordPress servers, but you can’t use it. Your website visitors will see an error message, and you won’t be able to log in. To get your account back, you’ll need to contact WordPress support and give them some important details about your account. They can help you recover and reactivate it.

But here’s the thing: After those 30 days, all your account data is gone forever, and you can’t get it back. That’s why you can’t create a new WordPress account with the same email during this time – your email is still linked to your old data, which helps with account recovery. Once the 30-day period is up, you can make a new WordPress account using the same email, but you’ll have to pick a new username.