I really like WordPress however I’ve to confess there were instances once I’ve sought after to throw it out of the window.

As a rule, it’s a strong and dependable platform, and certainly more so than a lot of the competition (differently over 1 / 4 of the web wouldn’t use it). However there are occasions when issues cross incorrect.

There also are instances when WordPress hasn’t long gone incorrect, however possibly you could have. You’ve hung out making a WordPress web page however now are aware of it’s no longer what you wanted. You need to overtake it, redesign it, or possibly get started in every single place once more.

In scenarios like those, you could be tempted to hunt out a glittery crimson ‘Reset’ button, within the hope that resetting WordPress will resolve your entire issues.
Once in a while it will probably. However every now and then, you received’t wish to take such drastic motion.

On this submit, I’m going to hide probably the most eventualities during which you could wish to throw your WordPress set up out of the window and get started once more. I’ll will let you establish whether or not that’s actually what you wish to have to do and if no longer, what the extra suitable plan of action could be.

And if you happen to actually do wish to reset WordPress, I’ll display you ways to do this. You received’t be upset!

Reset WordPress If You Need to Takedown Your Website and Transfer It to Some other Area

It’s no longer unusual for a domain name to lose its shine through the years, and you could notice that the area title you concept used to be highest to your web page whilst you first introduced it’s not so excellent.

Possibly you introduced your web page for a passion and gave it a lighthearted area title. You’ve now switched to running a professional site and need your area title to mirror that. Or possibly you gave your web page a actually particular area title, which now not applies to the entirety you come with on it. As a prepared trout fisher, you registered troutfishingguide.com most likely. Now you’ve branched out into fishing for different freshwater fish and you wish to have to make use of fishingguide.com as an alternative.

It’s possible you’ll suppose that you wish to have to take your web page down and get started once more, however that’s no longer the case. You’ll merely sign up the brand new area and feature it level at your web page.

If you wish to upload a brand new area but in addition stay your previous area (which is a good suggestion in case folks proceed the use of it, and for search engine marketing functions), then you’ll be able to sign up a brand new area and level it at your web page. This fashion you’ll be able to additionally upload 301 redirects over out of your previous area in your new domain names.

Kinsta doesn’t be offering area registration — we focus on hosting — so that you’ll wish to sign up a site in different places and level it at our servers using the Kinsta DNS option in your dashboard.

If you’ve performed that, be sure it issues in your web page the use of the gear within the Kinsta DNS segment of the dashboard. It’s possible you’ll then wish to wait a few hours for the DNS to unravel. Kinsta has no regulate over this: it’s not unusual to stay up for your DNS settings to propagate around the web. You’ll take a look at the development fo your DNS adjustments at whatsmydns.net.

Kinsta DNS

Kinsta DNS

Then, return into your WordPress web page and click on on Settings > Common. There are two fields that govern what your web page cope with is. Edit the WordPress cope with box and the Website cope with box so it’s the brand new cope with of your web page (from olddomain.com to newdomain.com, for instance). Click on the Save Adjustments button to save lots of your adjustments.

Necessary: don’t do that till the DNS have propagated, differently you received’t be capable to login in your WordPress admin dashboard after following your next step.

WordPress General Settings screen

WordPress Common Settings display

Then you definately wish to exchange all cases of your previous area title on your database with the brand new area title. Within the Kinsta dashboard, cross in your web page by way of the Websites display, then make a choice Equipment > Seek and exchange. Right here you’ll be able to run a search and replace, changing the previous area title with the brand new one.

Number of replacements

Selection of replacements

You are going to then wish to upload 301 redirects out of your previous web page, if you wish to retain your search engine marketing back links and visitors. We cross into this intimately in our submit on how to change your domain name (preserving search engine marketing advantages).

However what if you wish to have one thing a bit of extra drastic?

Reset WordPress If You Need to Delete All Your Content material

Once in a while resetting your web page way putting off the entire content material you’ve added to it.

Possibly after switching from trout fishing to common freshwater fishing, you’ve made up our minds your weblog posts and pages aren’t huge sufficient to fulfill the wishes of your readers, and you wish to have to start out in every single place once more.

As soon as once more, you don’t wish to utterly reset WordPress. As a substitute, you’ll be able to delete your entire content material. To do that, get started together with your posts. Click on on Posts within the admin menu to show the posts display.

the Posts screen

the Posts display

If you’ll be able to’t see your entire printed posts in this display, there’s a strategy to repair that. Click on at the Display Choices tab on the best. Within the field that looks, edit the Selection of pieces in step with web page box so it’s a big quantity (higher than the collection of printed posts). Click on the Observe button.

You’ll now see your entire posts indexed. Take a look at the checkbox subsequent to the Name column heading above the submit titles, which is able to make a choice your entire posts. Then click on at the dropdown field above it — which says Bulk Movements — and click on on Transfer to Trash. Then click on the Observe button subsequent to it. Your posts will all disappear.

If you wish to stay them within the trash simply when you must wish to reinstate any of them at a later date, you’ll be able to. However this submit is all about resetting WordPress, so that you’ll wish to know the way to do away with them utterly (so long as you’re positive!).

Click on at the Trash hyperlink above the checklist of posts. Take a look at the checkbox subsequent to the Name column title once more, then make a choice Delete Completely. Ask your self one ultimate time if you happen to actually wish to do away with your entire posts endlessly after which, if the solution is sure, click on the Observe button.

Your web page will now haven’t any posts. You’ll repeat this to your pages and different content material sorts (together with media if you wish to have), till you could have an absolutely empty web page.
Gulp! You’ll now get started growing new content material in every single place once more.

Reset WordPress If You Need to Redesign Your Website

If all you wish to have to do is redesign your web page, you then don’t wish to delete the rest. As a substitute, you’ll wish to create or install a new theme for your new design, and that can alternate the best way your present content material is displayed.

Even if you wish to replace your content material as neatly, chances are you’ll to find it’s more uncomplicated so as to add a brand new theme to an present web page than it’s to arrange an absolutely new web page.

When you’re checking out, customizing, and/or growing your new theme, you’ll want so as to check it together with your content material with out folks visiting your web page figuring out what you’re doing. As a substitute, you’ll need them to peer the previous web page till the brand new model is in a position.

You’ve gotten two choices for doing this:

  1. Create a replica of your web page the use of a staging environment and check that with the brand new theme. As soon as it’s in a position, you’ll be able to add the brand new theme in your are living web page.
  2. Set up a plugin similar to Theme Switcha, which helps you to stay your present theme visual to guests in your web page whilst you have get admission to to an alternate theme for checking out.
WordPress staging environment

WordPress staging setting

I might suggest the use of a staging web page, because it additionally means that you can tweak the content material and different settings, no longer simply the theme. If you’re glad together with your new theme, you merely add it in your web page and make any tweaks to the content material and settings, and also you’re excellent to head. Or, if you happen to haven’t made any adjustments to your manufacturing web page, it is advisable to additionally push staging to live.

This implies you could have a running web page whilst you’re growing the brand new design and don’t wish to delete your WordPress set up or database.

Reset WordPress If Your Website Has Crashed or Been Hacked

So your web page’s stopped running. Possibly it’s been hacked and appears not anything just like the web page you concept you had. Or possibly one thing went incorrect after you up to date your topics, plugins, or WordPress itself.

Time to throw the web page out of the window and get started once more? Smartly, no.

As a substitute, now’s the time to restore your site from a backup taken earlier than it used to be compromised.

You’ll discover a backup of your site in the Kinsta dashboard. Choose your web page within the Websites display, then make a choice Backups. Discover a backup from a date earlier than your web page advanced issues and click on on Repair to > Are living.

Restore WordPress from Backup in MyKinsta

Repair WordPress from Backup in MyKinsta

Then again, if you wish to check the repair first (possibly you don’t know which backup is blank), make a choice Repair to > Staging. You’ll then transfer in your staging setting by means of clicking at the Trade setting button on the best of your dashboard and settling on Staging. Backups are saved for 14 days, so you’ll want to repair the backup inside two weeks of the issues growing.

If the issue arose after an replace and also you don’t have a backup, you’ll be able to at all times roll again to an previous model of a plugin or theme and exchange the only you could have with that. Apply those steps:

  • Cross to the Subject matters or Plugins display on your WordPress admin and to find the theme or plugin that you just up to date.
  • Click on the View main points hyperlink underneath the plugin/theme description. This will likely open a popup with the plugin/theme main points.
  • At the right-hand aspect of the popup, click on the hyperlink that claims WordPress.org Plugin/Theme Web page. This will likely take you to the web page for the plugin or theme at the WordPress.org web page.
  • Within the right-hand sidebar, click on the Complex View hyperlink. Then scroll right down to the ground of this web page the place you’ll discover a dropdown field with the newest model collection of the theme or plugin. Click on in this and make a choice the second one most up-to-date model. Then click on the Obtain button.
  • This will likely obtain a zipper record in your laptop. Put it aside someplace you’ll be able to to find it, and return in your web page.
  • Return to the subjects or plugins display on your web page and delete the theme or plugin you wish to have to switch.
  • Click on at the Upload New button on the best of the display. Click on the Add Plugin or Add Theme button then make a choice the zip record you simply downloaded. Add it, ascertain you wish to have it to switch the model of the plugin/theme that’s already to your web page and turn on it.

Phew! You presently have the older model of the theme or plugin put in. You’ll see a realize within the Plugins or Subject matters display telling you it must be up to date. Forget about it till every other replace is to be had that fixes your downside.

Take a look at our educational on how to install a WordPress plugin for extra detailed steps.

The best way to Reset WordPress Totally

The methodology I’m about to turn you comes to deleting your WordPress web page and making a contemporary one instead. That is one thing you shouldn’t take calmly. Your previous web page will now not exist and also you’ll have a brand new, empty one that you just’ll wish to configure and upload content material to.

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If you wish to migrate your previous content material throughout, you’ll be able to use the Import/Export instrument to export your content material from the previous web page and import it to the brand new one. This would prevent a large number of time.

To export the content material out of your previous web page, you’ll wish to use the exporter instrument.

  1. To your previous web page, cross to Equipment > Export.
  2. Beneath Make a choice what to export, make a choice All content material.
  3. Click on the Obtain Export Record button.

WordPress will create an export record and obtain it in your laptop.

When you additionally wish to export and import your entire widget settings, you’ll be able to use the Widget Importer & Exporter plugin. Use the plugin to export your entire settings from this web page, retailer the record to your laptop together with the export record together with your posts, and reserve it for later.

When you don’t wish to export any of your content material, merely forget about the ones steps and stay studying.

You’ll delete your previous web page and create a contemporary one within the Kinsta dashboard.

Choose Websites in the primary menu and to find the web page you wish to have to delete. Click on at the Information display.
Scroll right down to the massive crimson button that claims Delete web page.

Ask your self if you happen to actually wish to delete your web page. When you haven’t attempted any of the strategies above to mend any issues to your web page with out deleting it, I like to recommend studying throughout the earlier sections simply to make certain.

Nonetheless positive you wish to have to delete your web page? OK, then click on on that button.

The gadget will ask you to substantiate that you recognize what you’re doing and provide you with some textual content to sort right into a box. Kind it in and click on the Delete web page button.

Deleting a site in Kinsta

Deleting a web page in Kinsta

Your web page is now long gone. Time to put in a brand new one and (optionally) impost your content material to it.

Within the Kinsta dashboard, cross to the Websites display and click on the Upload web page button on the best right-hand aspect.

Then, upload the main points to your web page within the pop-up and click on the Upload web page button.

Adding a site in Kinsta

Including a web page in Kinsta

You presently have your new web page in a position to head. Cross to the WordPress admin monitors to start out environment it up. Set up the entire topics and plugins you had on your previous web page and configure them. You’ll then import your content material out of your previous web page: you don’t wish to manually upload it once more.

To import your content material, apply those steps:

  1. Within the WordPress admin menu, cross to Equipment > Import.
  2. Beneath WordPress, click on Set up Now after which Run Importer.
  3. WordPress will ask you in finding the export record you downloaded after exporting out of your previous WordPress web page. That is the record you stored whilst you exported out of your previous web page.
  4. To find the record and click on the Add record and import button.
  5. WordPress will ask you which of them consumer account you wish to have to affiliate the brand new content material with — it’ll most often be your personal account. It’ll additionally ask you to ensure that you wish to have to import media. You do.
  6. Wait whilst WordPress imports the brand new content material, then cross to the Posts segment of your web page. You’ll to find it filled with your content material.

When you additionally exported your widget settings, you’ll wish to set up the Widget Importer & Exporter plugin on your new web page and use that to import your widget settings.

Now, take a little time to do any customizations and configure your plugins and also you’ve were given a brand new model of your web page. In fact, if the explanation you sought after to reset WordPress used to be to modify the content material or design, you received’t wish to get issues running in the similar manner because the previous web page however can get started once more from scratch.

You may also need to try our educational on how to reinstall WordPress.

Abstract

On this submit, I’ve proven you the quite a lot of strategies you’ll be able to use to reset WordPress and blank out your web page.

Relying on the cause of in need of to reset your web page, this may occasionally vary from a minor operation as deleting your posts and pages to totally putting off the WordPress set up and changing it with a brand new one.

Ahead of you leisure WordPress, you’ll want to know why you’re doing it so you’ll be able to select the suitable way and don’t create additional paintings for your self or delete information that you just actually sought after to stay.

The submit How to Reset WordPress (5 Real-World Examples) gave the impression first on Kinsta Managed WordPress Hosting.

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