Perplexing and Bursty Guide to Resetting Your WordPress Site

If you’re looking for an amazing platform to create websites on, look no further than WordPress. With its vast array of plugins and themes, you can easily customize your site’s functionality and design. But sometimes, you may need to reset your site – whether to start over, clean up a messy site, or fix some issues on your existing site. Fear not! This guide will take you through the steps you need to take to reset your WordPress site.

Step 1: Backup Your Site

Before you start resetting your WordPress site, it’s essential to back up your current site. This will ensure that you can restore your site to its original state if you need to. You can create a backup by using a backup plugin or your hosting provider’s backup service. Popular backup plugins to consider include UpdraftPlus, BackupBuddy, Jetpack Backup, and more. Choose one that suits your needs.

Step 2: Deactivate All Plugins

Now that you have a backup, it’s time to deactivate all plugins on your site. This is important because some plugins may interfere with the reset process, leading to an incomplete reset. So, go to the Plugins menu in your WordPress Dashboard, and click on Deactivate for each plugin.

Step 3: Switch to a Default Theme

Next, switch to a default WordPress theme. Some third-party themes have customizations that can interfere with the reset process, and switching to a default theme will ensure that there are no issues. Go to Appearance > Themes and activate a default WordPress theme.

Step 4: Reset WordPress

Now that you have backed up your site, deactivated all plugins, and switched to a default theme, it’s time to reset your WordPress site. There are several ways to reset WordPress, and we’ll discuss several popular methods below.

Method 1: Using a Plugin

One of the easiest ways to reset WordPress is by using a plugin. Several plugins in the WordPress plugin repository can help you reset your site, including WP Reset and Advanced WordPress Reset. Here’s how to reset your WordPress site using the WP Reset plugin:

1. Go to Plugins > Add New and search for the WP Reset plugin.
2. Click on Install Now and then Activate.
3. Once the plugin is activated, go to Tools > WP Reset.
4. Choose the option that suits your requirements, and click on Reset Site. Confirm the action and wait for the plugin to reset your site.

Once the process is complete, your site will be reset to its default state.

Method 2: Resetting WordPress via FTP

If you prefer not to use a plugin, you can reset your WordPress site manually. This involves using an FTP client to delete all files in your WordPress directory except for the wp-config.php file, the wp-content folder, and the wp-uploads folder. Here are the steps to reset WordPress via FTP:

1. Connect to your site via FTP using an FTP client like FileZilla.
2. Navigate to the root directory of your WordPress installation.
3. Select all the files and folders except for the wp-config.php file, the wp-content folder, and the wp-uploads folder.
4. Delete all the selected files and folders.
5. Once the files and folders are deleted, go to your WordPress Dashboard, and it will automatically create a new installation.

Method 3: Resetting WordPress via phpMyAdmin

Another way to reset your WordPress site is by using phpMyAdmin. This involves resetting the WordPress database to its default state. Follow these steps to reset WordPress via phpMyAdmin:

1. Log in to your hosting control panel and open phpMyAdmin.
2. Select your WordPress database from the list of databases on the left-hand side.
3. Click on the Check All button to select all the tables in the database.
4. Click on the Drop button to delete all the selected tables.
5. Once the tables are deleted, navigate to the wp-config.php file in your WordPress installation directory.
6. Open the wp-config.php file in a text editor and add the following code at the bottom of the file:

define('WP_ALLOW_REPAIR', true);

7. Save the file and upload it to your server.
8. Access the URL http://yourdomain.com/wp-admin/maint/repair.php in your browser.
9. Click on the Repair Database button to repair and optimize all tables in your WordPress database.

Once the process is complete, your WordPress site will be reset to its default state.

Conclusion

Resetting your WordPress site can be a useful way to start fresh or fix issues on your existing site. Whether you choose to use a plugin or reset your site manually via FTP or phpMyAdmin, remember to back up your current site before starting the reset process. With this guide, you should be able to reset your WordPress site without any issues and start building a new site or clean up your existing one.