After reading this tutorial, you will know how to remove a WordPress.com account and remove an existing blog while keeping your account.
This tutorial includes screenshots, making it easy for all WordPress.com users to follow the described steps.
To make this tutorial better, I assume the user probably wants to remove a blog instead of the whole account, so I start from this point. The second section describes the steps to delete a WordPress.com account entirely. If you fully want to remove the account, you can jump straight to the second section by pressing here.
At the end of this tutorial, I also include the steps to recover a WordPress deleted account.
Deleting a WordPress.com Blog While Keeping the Account:
The first section of this tutorial explains how to remove your blog while keeping your account. To remove your account fully, read here.
To begin removing your WordPress blog, log in to your account, and on the top left corner, press My Site as indicated by the arrow in the following screenshot:
Within the My Site section, press Settings as shown below:
Scroll down the page and press the Delete your site permanently.
The next screen shows a button allowing you to export your site to keep a backup. This is optional if you want to keep it for the future. Even if it is optional, it is also highly recommended in case you need to restore your sites in the future. Then, you can proceed with removing your site.
Whether you decide to keep a backup or not, scroll down and press the Delete site button to remove your site scroll.
You will be requested to confirm the operation. Copy and paste the indicated text (Usually your URL) and press the Delete this site button, as shown below:
Now, your site was removed, and your account remains. Keep reading below for instructions to delete a WordPress account completely.
How to Delete a WordPress.com Account:
To fully delete your WordPress account, login, and on the top right corner, press the circle with your account logo (the Account Settings button).
In the left menu, press the Account Settings option.
Scroll down the page and press Delete account permanently.
Then, press the Close account button.
When requested to confirm the account deletion, press Continue.
Note: Alternatives options offered before deleting your account include:
- Start a new site: If you think you need to delete your WordPress account to create a new site, that’s wrong. By pressing this option, you can add a new site to your existing account.
- Change your site’s address: If you think you need to remove your WordPress account to change your site address, that’s also wrong. By pressing this option, you can change your site URL.
- Change your username: This option allows you to change your account username.
- Change your password: With this option, you can update your password.
- Delete a site: If you want to remove a site while keeping your account, press this option.
If you still want to remove your WordPress account, press the Continue button.
You will be asked to confirm by typing your account username and pressing the Close your account button.
As you can see below, your account was fully closed:
After deleting your WordPress account, you will get an email notification, as shown below:
Now, your account is fully removed. Keep reading below in case you need to recover a WordPress removed account:
Recovering a Deleted WordPress.com Account:
If you regret removing your WordPress account, you can still try to recover it.
There is no automatic process to recover your account, but you can achieve it by contacting WordPress support within 30 days after removing the account. Fortunately, the WordPress support team is responsive. All they need is specific information to prove your ownership.
All you need is to provide the following:
- Your WordPress email address or username
- The URL of your blog or site
- An email address to be contacted by the support team
- Ownership proof which may include the transaction ID, activation URL, key, or Two-Factor authentication code
You also can provide additional information you think is relevant to confirm your account ownership. But all public content won’t be useful for this process.
The information detailed above must be sent through the support form available for WordPress account recovery, which you can access at this link. Prepare all needed data to provide the support team.
It’s always convenient to back up your content before deleting your WordPress account.
Note that recovering a WordPress account is possible within 30 days after deletion. After this period, this will be an impossible task.
Conclusion:
Deleting your WordPress.com account or blog site is an easy process any user can achieve by following the previously mentioned steps. It is important to consider alternative options like those in the tutorial’s second section: Start a New Site. Then, change your site’s address and change your username or password.
You can always open a new account and start a new site. You also may want to consider WordPress.org, a free and self-hosted alternative. WordPress.org is the most widely used website builder, replacing manual programming. Thank you for reading this tutorial explaining how to delete a WordPress.com account. I hope it was useful. Keep following Linux Hint for more professional tips and tutorials.
