Unlike life, WordPress websites have CTRL+Z command line. You might find the need to clean up the whole website after testing multiple plugins and themes to start fresh. The solution is to reset your WP site by using a plugin and regain its default state.

Generally, you can uninstall and reinstall the whole WordPress website, but it is time-consuming. To avoid this frustration why not click the reset button on the plugin and regain its original installed form.

WordPress stores every installation on a single database on a web server. It includes blog posts, settings, links to files, comments, pages, passwords, usernames, etc. all the information is stored under distinctive database tables.

The database is a vast cabinet that stores multiple files with specific information like settings, comments, usernames, etc. If all these database tables get reset, then it returns to its original default setting.

However, files downloaded or uploaded to your website like plugins, themes, media, etc. will not get deleted. You will need a WP Reset plugin to delete them all or selectively.  Now, let’s learn how to reset WordPress site with WP Reset plugin.

Steps to reset WP site

1. Go to WP Dashboard > Plugins > Add New, look for WP Reset plugin [WebFactory Ltd.]. Click on ‘Install Now’ and ‘Activate’.

1. Go to Tools > WP Reset, click on it and the WP Reset dashboard opens. Here you will be warned about how resetting will delete your website’s pages, comments, posts, media entries, users, custom post types, and every default WordPress database table.

The plugins, themes, media files, site settings, uploads; active users account will all stay unchanged. Remember, you will not see your media files in the media library after reset but they will be present on your web server.

1. Scroll down the WP Reset dashboard and you will see a box where you will type ‘Reset’ and beside it, there will be a button called ‘Reset WordPress’ that needs to be clicked on. Before you hit this button, check the Post-reset section.

You will see that the current theme and currently active plugins are OFF by default, whereas the WP Reset plugin is ON by default. You can reactivate them if you desire to install the same plugins and themes later.

Warning – There is no option for UNDO, so take a snapshot or backup of your website in case something goes wrong, you will be prepared. WP website has Ctrl+Z but WP Reset plugin doesn’t!

Cleaning old WP files

WP Reset plugin has extra tools in a separate tab to help perform a clean wipe.

• Delete transients to speed your site and distress the server’s resources.
• Delete upload folders and files
• Reset theme options
• Delete themes
• Delete plugins
• Delete custom tables
• Delete .htaccess file

Debugging the WP site is annoying, laborious, and challenging. It can take several days to identify, test, and repair even a small bug. WP Reset plugin allows making everything easy with a single click. It allows you to debug and test multiple plugins and themes rapidly and efficiently.

If your posts or pages have good rankings, but if the site has issues with broken links and missing pages, then it is better to go for the WP redirect than resetting the site.